Team Building

Dive into conversations about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with the DEI Thumball by Trainers Warehouse. The DEI Thumball, a favorite diversity and inclusion game, tackles a difficult topic with smarts and sensitivity.

After all, building community and culture by understanding our individual identities and differences isn’t just nice-to-do. It’s our shared responsibility. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical to creating high-performing, supportive, and engaging workplaces. Unfortunately, many leaders are unsure about how to have conversations about these sensitive topics and then how to transform the discussions and intent into action. Like other diversity training SMEs, make this diversity training game a core component of your next DEI training event!

The D-E-I Thumball helps team leaders, teachers, and managers have safe and constructive conversations about identity, experiences with racism, community challenges, privilege and power, as well as ways to promote tolerance and feelings of belonging.

In addition to the 31 conversation prompts contained on the Thumball, you’ll find FACILITATION TIPS and a GLOSSARY of common DEI terms in the packaging.

Many people worry about saying the wrong thing during DEI conversations. As a result, these important conversations often don’t happen. The DEI Thumball is loaded with poignant conversation prompts about identity, experiences, community, us-versus-them thinking, privilege and power, and DEI in today’s world. Each prompt, vetted by diversity experts, is phrased to promote positive conversation and shared understanding.

Thumball™ is a soft 6" stuffed vinyl ball that looks like a cool soccer ball. Its panels are pre-printed with questions suited for adults and teens. Safely toss it around in a group and ask participants to share their reaction to whatever prompt lies under their thumb. Looking for more DEI resources? Try the Diversity Thumball or the DEI Remote UNZIP-it that lets you have great conversations during online learning events as well!

FEATURES

• 31 prompts about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• 6" ball is safe to toss indoors
• Conversation prompts vetted by industry experts
• Facilitation notes included in packaging
• Glossary of common DEI terms in packaging

VERSATILE DIVERSITY-EQUITY & INCLUSION PROMPTS include...

Identity - share aspects of your identity that affect your life

Experiences - discuss times you felt belonging, targeted, micro-aggression, etc.

Our community - consider organizational initiatives to promote inclusion

Us vs Them thinking - identify allies who are alike or different from yourself

Privilege and Power - explore concepts of power dynamics, privilege, and oppression

DEI Today - discuss current dynamics that influence people's participation in DEI efforts

©Trainers Warehouse 2023

©Trainers Warehouse – Trainers Warehouse holds the copyright for this set of questions. Reproductions cannot be made without express approval.

FACILITATION TIPS

TIP 1: Create a safe environment – Beyond sharing your goals and wishes for open dialogue, discuss ways in which the group can create “psychological safety.”

• Recognize that everyone joins the conversation with unique experiences and knowledge. Embrace players’ needs to pass on a question or ask for explanations.
• Acknowledge the difficulty in sharing personal information and offer support. Use “OUCH” signs, to indicate personal hurt or express empathy.
• Listen and ask questions to understand and empathize, not to defend, debate, or rationalize.

TIP 2: Set ground rules together – Players are more likely to abide by ground rules if they help define them. The group’s list will likely look something like this:

• One person speaks at a time
• Speak for yourself; Use “I” statements
• Seek understanding by asking for clarification
• Critique ideas, not people
• Agree to disagree. Disagree without being disagreeable
• Listen and validate other players
• Be open to new ideas, not judgmental

TIP 3: Be prepared if conversations get sticky – Equip yourself with a few techniques to ease emotional situations

• Revert to the ground rules, as needed
• Express how situations make you feel
• If parties disagree, suggest they switch roles and make the counter argument
• Keep a “parking lot” of difficult topics to be addressed later
• Share your own personal stories
• Take a break and regroup later
• Thank participants for sharing

TIP 4: Establish a shared vocabulary – Define common terms in the DEI world’s evolving lexicon.

Ally / Allyship: Someone who supports a group other than one’s own

Anti-Racist: a person who opposes racism and promotes racial equality.

BIPOC: An acronym used to refer to Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

Conversation across difference: open discussions about peoples’ different beliefs and backgrounds.

Micro-Aggression: Verbal or nonverbal slights which communicate derogatory or negative messages to target persons. i.e. “You are a credit to your race.” “I jewed him down.” “Why are you so loud/quiet?”

Psychological safety: refers to an environment in which team players can take risks without fear of retribution or negative consequences.

Unconscious Bias: stereotypes about certain groups of people that form outside individuals’ conscious awareness. Common biases are based on gender, race, weight, ageism, beauty, name, height, etc.; i.e. consider this riddle: a father and son are in a horrible car crash that kills the dad. The son is rushed to the hospital; just as he’s about to go under the knife, the surgeon says, “I can’t operate—that boy is my son!” How can this be? The surgeon is the boy’s mother

NOTE: This ball is part of Trainers Warehouse's exclusive Silver Series Thumballs.

©Trainers Warehouse 2023

MORE RESOURCES

• Tips & Suggestions on Facilitating Thumball Experiences
• How Deep to Discuss
• 7 Tips to formulate great questions
• More tools for great conversations
• Discover Your Thumball Style
• How Deep to Discuss Infographic
• Ground Rules Signs
• Tips for facilitating difficult situations

The goal of this lively, playful game is to get as many of your team's blindfolded players through the minefield as quickly as possible, without stepping on any of the booby traps. Success requires excellent communication, trust, leadership and team coordination.

• Build trust and develop communication skills
• Practice process improvement
• Low-cost and loads of fun
• Perfect for 10-30 players
• Includes everything you need for a successful facilitation

HOW IT'S PLAYED

Goal: To get as many of your team’s players through the maze as quickly as possible without stepping on any of the obstacles/booby traps within the time limit.

Scoring: Teams gain one point for every player that moved completely through the maze without stepping on any of the obstacles/booby traps.

Winning: The team with the most points accumulated at the end of the game.

Timing: 5 to 7 minutes per round, 2 to 3 rounds per game. Expect approximately 45-55 minutes per average game

MATERIALS INCLUDED

• 24 Felt squares
• 10 Cones
• 8 Half-Pipes
• 1 Roll of Painters Blue Tape
• 20 Blindfolds

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The focus of this game is on building trust and managing complex tasks. To the degree that teams plan strategically and coordinate efforts, they can improve, collaborate and compete efficiently. Separate "rounds" are suggested for:

• Competitive Mode
• Collaborative Mode
• Inter-team Collaboration Mode

Debrief the experience to focus on topics of: Trust, Communication, Listening, Big team/Small team Collaboration, Leadership, Strategic Planning, Systems Integration, Creative Problem Solving

FACILITATION TIPS & GUIDELINES

Each team will need about 25 to 30 square feet of space to operate the program effectively. You can play indoors or out. If outside, always try to find level ground to avoid unfair play. Safety Check: Be sure to ask if anyone has any physical limitations that might prevent them from enjoying the game. If so, assign those players to act as “Strategic Observers” and carefully observe the results of players actions and behaviors and make direct honest constructive comments.

Timing will look something like this:

• Introduce game: 5-10 minutes
• Strategic planning I: 5-10 minutes
• Round 1 of Maze walking: 5-7 minutes
• Strategic planning II: 5-7 minutes
• Round 2 of Maze walking: 5-7 minutes
• Optional round three for strategizing and maze walking: 10-15 minutes
• Debrief: 15-30 minutes

Complete Facilitation Notes

The 10-page guide includes the following:

• Facilitator instructions
• Team set-up
• Number of players per team
• Number of teams on a single maze
• Player Rules
• Suggested "map" for creating the maze
• Debrief questions for Collaborative, Competitive, or Inter-team play

Use the six Raucous Rope Team Building Games to develop group coordination, creativity, communication, planning, and leadership skills. Whether your storming, forming, norming, or performing, you'll find a perfect game to develop your teams' skills.

TEAM BUILDING ROPE GAME FEATURES

• 3 pre-cut lengths of rope to use in a variety of teambuilding exercises and activities
• Robust faciliation notes to build a variety of teaming skills:
  • Communication and Listening games
  • Leadership and team coordination games
  • Planning and process improvement games
  • Creativity and solution development games

SIX VERSATILE ROPE GAMES

• One Liners - Players must form the rope into a “perfect” shape with one line of rope and no overlapping lengths of rope.
• Group Knot - The group’s challenge is to untie all the knots without anyone letting go of the rope and without repositioning their hand on the rope.
• Photo Finish Line - Everyone in the group must cross the finish line at EXACTLY the same time. They have only 5 tries to succeed in 15 minutes.
• Jumping the River - The goal in this game is to get as many team members across the river as possible, without “getting wet.”
• ‘Round the Clock - Create a circle on the ground, have all players stand on the rope, so that the sides of their feet are touching those of the people next to them and instruct them to move to another position on the "clock"
• Moving the Box - Create the shape of a square using a long stretch of rope and place an object in the center of the square and instruct the group that their goal is to retrieve the object without anyone touching the ground inside the square.
• AND MORE - we'll email notes for an additional handful of games and exercises to build teams and debrief learning activities.

Raucous Rope Team Building Games come with a complete set of game facilitation and debrief notes and 100 feet of rope: 1 60-foot length and 2 20-foot segments offer maximum flexibility for all sorts of games.

Create an amazing community mosaic with these 43 interlocking tessellation puzzles pieces. Have every participant illustrate a piece with their goals, interests, interpretations, personal history, etc.

Think of your Community Mosaic as a quilt for all ages. The pieces fit together any-which-way, making this fun for small groups or huge ones!

Invite participants to decorate their puzzle piece in their own style and in accordance with your preferred theme.

TRAINING & FACILITATION IDEAS

A few of our customers shared these applications and ideas:

• Have participants "decorate" their piece to reflect a strength (a leadership strength, facilitation strength, something they're good at, etc. Use those either at the start of your session as a means of introducing participants to each other, or at the end of a session, as a feel-good closer.
• Consider including 6 qualities or functions on each piece -- one on each prong, and discuss how each of those could impact others in the group.
• Move the pieces around like gears to remind groups of how different aspects and/or contributions can affect or "roll off" on others.
• To explore the interdependence of different roles, functions, or individuals, illustrate each on mosaic piece. Have groups discuss how those roles "touch" and impact many others. Revolve them like gears to appreciate the many others they might impact.
• Organize and reorganize the pieces to discuss where individuals see themselves in the team or organization.

COMMUNITY MOSAIC TESSELLATION FEATURES

Some call the interlocking shapes "puzzle pieces." Others think of them as flowers or snowflakes. Whatever you call them, the set features:

• 43 interlocking shapes
• Every piece fits together with every other piece
• Uncoated surface takes all sorts of markers (even watercolors), without smudging
• Individual pieces measures about 3.5" wide

FILL 'EM UP WITH ANY MARKERS

You can use any sort of markers, crayons, glitter, etc. The more colorful, the better. You'll want to remind participants that the mosaic will look best if everyone decorates the whole surface of their piece, including the tabs that stick out the sides of each piece. If participants would like to practice their artwork or try different ideas, encourage them to trace the shape onto a sheet of paper.

A PUZZLE AS BIG AS YOUR GROUP!

If you like symmetry, these layouts show several possible configurations using 36 to 43 pieces. For larger projects just keep adding pieces to reach the desired size. This unique tesselation can increase in size infinitely!

GET GREATIVE!

Community Mosaics are creative and colorful reflection of your cohort! Try one of these themes:

Workplace/Training ideas

• Ah Ha moments
• Team Identity
• Group Projects
• Leadership Qualities

School ideas

• Personal identity or Positive Character Traits
• Science/Nature
• Social Studies
• Reading themes and characters
• Religious verses, stories, or holidays

ASSEMBLY & DISPLAY

Although pieces hold together without a bit of "product," you can easily save and post your mosaic by adhering pieces with contact paper, puzzle glue, or Trainers Warehouse Omni-Tabs. Adhesives are not included.

Sometimes a powerful learning point can be illustrated in a very simple way. Seeing the Point is not a complex task but it does require an ability to switch thinking styles. Sometimes an individual sees the solution very quickly and applies an intuitive approach to problem-solving. At other times, the problem seems insurmountable.

Seeing the Point is a quick (typically 15 minutes) and simple activity to include in a workshop about creative thinking or creative problem-solving. It is a short individual or small group activity (up to 16 people) that explores some of the thinking skills that enable us to break old patterns and establish new ones. It makes an excellent introduction to any training around innovation.

In this puzzle each individual or small team has 7 pieces and is simply asked to create a number of shapes using the components supplied. Getting that last shape is where the real creative thought is required -- getting resources aligned and making more of what is available than first appears! It brings to life a common issue facing many teams --being asked to do more with less, and then hearing "it can't be done!" from your team members. It's also an interesting and engaging way of introducing the concepts of 'alignment' and 'synergy': the solution to the puzzle is a visual representation of 'doing more with less'.

Seeing the Point is an activity created by US teambuilding expert and author Dr. Jim Cain. This is a perfect activity to use alongside "Challenging Assumptions" puzzle in team-building, innovative thinking, or in large group conference situations.

This puzzle exercise lasts around 10-15 minutes but has a much longer impact!

For 4 individual groups of 3 or 4 people, or they can be combined to work in a slightly different way with one larger team.

The puzzle pieces comes in 4 different colors. Each color has 7 different pieces - Total of 28 pieces per set.

Seeing the Point is designed by RSVP Design Ltd, the creative team behind "Colourblind". Now validated by ILM.

MORE INFO...

Murder Mystery Deck v3 has been adapted for Remote use!

Use this popular 30-minute Murder Mystery game to improve communication skills, team building, problem solving, leadership, and more.

Working remotely? Send one or more clues to each participant and challenge them to find the murderer, victim, time & place of the murder, and motive in 15 minutes -- without writing anything down and using only verbal communication.

But, the true learning comes when they discuss the techniques that helped or hindered their process. Facilitation Notes included.

• Use the Murder Mystery to:
• Make discussions more productive
• Enhance problem solving skills
• Discover productive team behaviors
• Increase clarity of communications
• Improve listening and questioning skills
• Aid participation and involvement
• Increase critical thinking skills
• Increase awareness of the contributions of others

This activity can enhance classes like:

• Discussion Skills
• Facilitation Skills
• Train-the-Trainer
• Problem Solving
• Team Work
• Communication Skills
• Collaboration
• Leadership/Supervision
• Interpersonal Skills
• Empowerment Group Dynamics

This is a downloadable product. After you've placed your order, you will be given a link where you can download the compressed .zip file. You will need a program such as WinZip to extract the files for your use.

In LEGO® Activities for Training, you’ll find each activity contains easy step-by-step instructions to set up and debrief the exercise, as well as time and materials needed. Plus, find tips to integrate the game activity into a larger training session!

These activities are suitable for experienced or novice Trainers, Facilitators, Educators, and Coaches. Those who consider themselves novices should expect to take extra minutes to think through their needs and be very clear on the PURPOSE and CONTEXT of the session.

21 ADAPTABLE EXERCISES

Each activity is designed to start conversations. For maximum effectiveness, you may need to make some adjustments to the instructions or timing. Use these notes as a guide but feel free to make changes to suit the needs of your team or conduct deeper discussions. NOTE: copy written in red italics indicates words you will speak.

LEGO® ACTIVITIES FOR TRAINING INCLUDES

The deck includes:

• FAQs
• LEGO brick suggestions
• Icebreakers and Introductions - 7 activities
• Communication Skills - 7 activities
• Team Dynamics - 7 activities

COLLECTING THE RIGHT LEGO BRICKS

The deck DOES NOT INCLUDE Lego building materials. However, LEGO bricks are readily available new (at toy stores) and used (ebay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, etc.) While you can use any LEGO bricks for these activities, you may want to consider the following:

• LEGO® Explorer Bags & LEGO® Serious Play Starter Kits: These sets work well if you want everyone in the team to have the same selection of bricks. They’re also ideal in exercises requiring players to duplicate another team’s model.
• More isn’t always better: A smaller selection of bricks can be helpful with storytelling and metaphors.
• Base plates: Extra base plates help when asking people to create a scene or move about the room to share their creations with others.
• Mini-figures and Special bricks: Pieces such as eyes, flags, and wheels etc., help create a variety of scenes. Mini Figures are useful for expressing interactions between people.
• Keepers: Allowing learners to keep their LEGO® model can help with memory and retention, as well as spreading the word about your LEGO®-based training.

7 ICEBREAKER ACTIVITIES

1. My Accessories (10 mins + 2 mins PL sharing) - Introductions and assessing knowledge.
2. Build a Creature (10 mins + 2 mins PL sharing) - Introductions and making links to personality.
3. My Monday Morning (10 mins + 2 mins PL sharing) - Creative introductions that link to roles.
4. Five Piece Speed Build (6 mins + 1 min PL sharing) - Quick introductions that can link to efficiency and time management.
5. Build a Tower (10 mins + 2 mins PL sharing) - Introductions that use a tower as a metaphor for experience (or anything else).
6. Surprise Surprise! (8 mins + 2 min PL sharing) - Make deeper connections through sharing.
7. My Journey so far... (8 mins + 3 mins PL sharing) - Explore how people evolved to their current roles and the experience they bring with them.

7 COMMUNICATION SKILLS ACTIVITIES

1. Build an Animal (10-30 mins) - Start a discussion about clear instructions and interpretations.
2. Build My Duck (20-30 mins) - Highlight what happens when communication is sporadic and unclear.
3. My Duck's Better Than Yours! (20-30 mins) - Explore the nuance of “great” vs. “best.”
4. The “RIGHT” Duck? (5-10 mins + Discussion) - Demonstrate the importance of clarity.
5. Making Connections (5-10 mins + Discussion) - Illustrate how more people, means more interpretations.
6. Picture This (15-30 mins) - Show how visual images are seen differently, or explore the impact of limited resources.
7. Persuasive Communications (20-30 mins) - Increase confidence in approaching others.

7 ACTIVITIES FOR TEAM DYNAMICS

1. Follow the Leader (20-30 mins) - Highlight that the role of leader in a team isn’t always what you imagine.
2. The Value of Values (30-40 mins) - How one’s values may link or clash with the team.
3. Defining Company Values (60 mins) - Allow teams to explore company values in more depth.
4. Hanging off the Edge (30-40 mins) - Get the team working together to come up with a solution to a unique challenge.
5. Sabotage (30-40 mins) - Explore how people may approach a task differently depending on their goals.
6. Ask Me! (20-30 mins) - Discover the talents of each team member.
7. Beyond the Team (30-40 mins) - Highlight the impact of additional stakeholders.

NOTE: LEGO® is not associated with this product

ZIN OBELISK GAME

This challenging mathematical puzzle is made even more complex, by using made-up words in the fictitious, ancient city of Atlantis, where a solid, rectangular obelisk -called a zin - was built in honor of the goddess Tina. The structure took less than two weeks to complete and the group's task is to determine the day of the week on which the obelisk was completed.

To play, each participant receives 1-5 clues, which can only be shared verbally. Together, teams must figure out the day the Obelisk was completed. Success requires organization, leadership, coordination, listening, problem solving, and processing skills. Most groups require 15-25 minutes to arrive at a solution.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Have clearly defined goals
• Collaborate! Work together
• Share the leadership
• Share knowledge-on complex tasks, one person rarely has all the answers
• Listen to each other
• Clearly articulate ideas
• Manage ambiguity through discussion
• Make sure everyone has a common understanding of terminology

USES FOR Zin Obelisk - Use this mathematical team challenge to:

• Make discussions more productive
• Enhance problem solving skills
• Increase clarity of communications
• Discover productive team behaviors
• Foster participation and involvement
• Improve awareness of others
• Improve listening skills and questioning techniques

Enhance a variety of training and development initiatives:

• Communication and Listening Skills
• Problem-Solving
• Team Building
• Leadership Development
• Cooperation
• EQ & El Skills

TIME: 30-60 mins for Introduction, Gama Play, Debrief, and Closure.

PARTICIPANTS: 5-8 players per team; multiple teams can play against each other.

Working remotely? Email a few clues to each player and try to sort it out over the phone--maybe with a shared online whiteboard! After all clear phone communication is more important now than ever!

** TIPS **

Feel free to adapt the full facilitation notes included as a booklet in the card deck to the needs of your group and your material:

• Display the instructions on an overhead, flip chart, or whiteboard. Or, give a printed copy to each team.
• Keep notes during the exercise so you can refer to them during the debrief.
• If the group did not discuss their process during the activity, share a handout explaining the definitions and differences between Task-Related and Process-Related discussions.
• Record "learning points" on a flip-chart for follow-up and future reference.

 The Connection Toolkit is a comprehensive Product Bundle for Team Building, Communication, and Creative Connections. 

THE CONNECTION TOOLKIT

• Provides a faster, more fun way to “break the ice” with new teams
• Offers a suite of activities to cross-pollinate different departments across your company
• Arms employees and management with a set of questions to break down communication barriers and management hierarchies
• Gives employees permission to have fun and be excited about work
• The Toolkit Includes
  • We Connect Card Deck
  • We Engage Card Deck
  • Ask Powerful Questions Book
  • Pocket Guide to Facilitating Human Connections
  • Road Map
  • Free-for-life subscription to playmeo.com (typically at $97/year).

WE CONNECT CARD DECK

A deck of 60 cards that spark conversation, and build trust and connection.

• 20 green cards ask questions that are fun and light
• 20 blue cards ask questions that are a bit deeper
• 20 purple cards ask questions that encourage self-reflection

Suggested Activity

• Have every person select a question card.
• Ask players to find a partner and discuss the questions on each of their cards.
• When the discussions are over, ask them to swap cards and hold the new cards up over their heads.
• Players can look for a new partner, who is also raising their card.
• And so on...

WE ENGAGE CARD DECK

A deck of 50 hexagonal cards, each with an inspiring, thought-provoking quote on one side and a powerful photo on the other, with activities designed to increase group engagement. They're great for: Brainstorming, Goal setting, Productivity, Meetings, Trainings, Getting out of your seat, Sparking conversation, Effective communication.

Suggested Activities

• Pick a quote you click with, when you come in. Turn to someone near you and share the quote -- what made it click for you?
• Spread the image cards on the floor or table and have participants choose one before they enter the training room. When assembled, they can introduce themselves along with a reason they chose the image they did.

ASK POWERFUL QUESTIONS BOOK

A bestselling book that explains how the questions we traditionally ask are often meaningless when it comes to establishing a connection. By introducing a set of practice tools for understanding others by changing the way we ask questions, the book shows how to transform “How are you?—I’m fine, thanks” into conversations that change not only how you lead but who you are as a person.

POCKET GUIDE TO FACILITATING HUMAN CONNECTIONS

A 140 page, pocket-sized handbook that unpacks the psychology of communication, collaboration, and trust. Provides 20+ real-world applications that can be used to create workshops, trainings, team-building exercises, or any event that relies on audience engagement.

CHAD LITTLEFIELD TALKS ABOUT CONNECTIONS BEFORE CONTENT

For over a dozen years, the Square Wheels® metaphor has proven itself to boost creativity and innovation, increase organizational effectiveness, improve communications, build teams, and generate a sense of active problem solving and involvement.

The expert facilitation techniques utilized in this exercise (listening, discussion, reframing, summarizing and prioritizing) can be easily transferred to other developmental and coaching opportunities.

Cartoons and images are simple, powerful and effective ways to create lasting impact. They are memorable, encourage creative thinking, and produce rapid individual involvement and understanding. As a metaphor, Square Wheels® has a myriad of applications:

• As an icebreaker, this illustration relates to a range of business and workplace issues, at all levels of an organization. Use it as a vehicle to get a discussion moving, kickoff a training program, energize a staff meeting, or hone in on issues and opportunities.
• As a design thinking, performance improvement tool, Square Wheels can be used to understand issues, define problems, brainstorm and ideate new solutions. The Square Wheels image is a powerful tool that draws out people's thinking on current situations and ideas for moving forward.
• As a team review, to discuss approaches that are working and others that could use improvement

The 40-slide PowerPoint deck includes:

• 20 slides to facilitate your conversation, focusing on Square Wheels, Round Wheels, Pushers and Pullers
• 20 quotations to emphasize topics of leadership, change, brainstorming, teamwork, and communication

PRESENTATION FORMAT: The file is saved as a compressed “zip” file, and you will need a program such as WinZip to extra the 3 files:

• Square Wheels Reality Presentation - Microsoft PowerPoint
• Square Wheels Reality Facilitation Notes - Microsoft Word
• Reflections Worksheet - Adobe PDF

This is a downloadable product. After you've placed your order, you will be able to log into your account and download the file.

Square Wheels®- is a registered trademark of Performance Management Company. © Trainers Warehouse. The facilitation guide was developed by Trainers Warehouse, with PMC's permission.

Team 10 is a team assessment and group challenge activity that encourages accurate communication, adaptation, and creative problem-solving. Team 10 is an ideal table game for conferences, training events, workshops, or other group gatherings. Play the game with 2-12 players. Expect 10-20 minutes for game play, plus 10-15 for a debriefing and discussion.

SUPER-EASY TO FACILITATE

OVERVIEW: Taking turns, each player will flip 2 cards at a time, until the team reveals 10 cards with all Xs or all Os

PLAYERS: Play the game with 2-12 players.

TIMING: Expect 10-20 minutes for game play, plus 10-15 for a debriefing and discussion.

SET UP:

1. Randomly place the following 22 cards face down on a table:
2. 18 Xs and Os (Either 10 “X” and 8 “O” OR 10 “O” and 8 “X” cards).
3. 4 “Word” cards (Kaboom, Move it, Swap 2, Scramble)
4. Scatter the “Rules” cards face up for easy reference.
5. Invite the group to gather around, read through the rules, and check for understanding, Encourage the group to spend a minute or two planning how they will proceed before starting the game.

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE TEAM 10 DECK

The deck has all you need to effectively facilitate and play Team 10:

• HOW TO PLAY Facilitation Notes
• RULES - 2 cards show the rules so that they're visible to all players
• LEARNING TAKEAWAYS - typical learning points drawn from playing the Team 10 communication game
• REVIEW & REFLECTION IDEAS - 12 questions to reflect, debrief, and discuss the game, focusing on preparation, play, and going forward
• X and O cards - we include a few extra for two reasons: 1) you have a replacement card if you lose one; and 2) so you can switch up with is the winning "hand"
• "WORD" cards - These cards (Kaboom, Move it, Swap 2, Scramble) interrupt players mid-game, requiring them to regroup, restrategize, and reflect on how different players deal with adversity or interruptions.

THE RULES

These guidelines help both the facilitator and players maximize the game experience:

1. Player can flip only two cards face up OR two cards face down, during each turn.
2. Player cannot turn one card face-up and another card face-down in the same turn.
3. Each card must remain in the same general location (unless instructed otherwise).
4. A maximum of 10 cards can be face-up at any time.
5. If a card with a word appears, quickly follow the instructions on the card.
6. Take turns flipping cards. Include every team member.
7. No taking notes or pictures! All communication must be verbal.
8. The game ends when 10 cards with the same symbol are face-up, and all others are face down.

FACILITATION TIPS

TAKE AWAYS

Typical insights from successfully completing the Team 10 challenge include:

• Heightened awareness of the skills and talents present in the team.
• Impact of committing to a single course of action; difficulty in changing direction after a goal is set.
• Exploring various techniques for problem solving, generating solutions, creativity, adaptability, communication, consensus building, teamwork and decision making.
• The ability to work with time limitations and adapt to setbacks.
• Abiding by rules can be challenging; some may be more comfortable with bending or questioning rules.
• The importance of honesty and ethical behavior.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH, LEARNING, AND DISCUSSION

Team 10 is a versatile game that can bring out many learning moments.
Just by watching teams play for as little as 10 minutes, you will have a
glimpse into the skills of your groups, seeing how they deal with a variety
of team dynamics:

• Decision Making. How do they make decisions? Do they listen
  to a range of perspectives or the loudest voice? How do they function as a group?
• Divergent perspectives. How do they make sure everyone’s voice is heard? Do they see issues
  from a variety of different angles? How does shifting positions or putting themselves in
  another’s shoes change their view?
• Dealing with adversity. What happens to a group when something unexpected happens (i.e. if
  they’re working on a project but a key vendor falls through)? How do they capture, remember,
  and draw on organizational memories?
• Rule‐following & Ethics. What do teams do if they inadvertently break a rule? How do
  individuals respond? How does the team respond? Who blows the whistle? What if it’s on
  purpose? How does the team manage such ethical challenges?
• Importance of Strategizing and Planning. What are the benefits of preparation and discussion?
  How can teams get everyone on the same page from the start? Why is that important? How do
  they balance the need for strategizing with the amount of time it can take?
• Leadership. How do leaders emerge? What does leadership look like? How do leaders make
  others feel? How do teams build inclusion and reach consensus?
• Dealing with Frustration. Frustration happens in real life. The question is how people deal with
  it. Do they give up, act out, charge forward, move with haste, or pause to regroup?

Of course, which of these the facilitator focuses on will depend on: 1) the team’s experience during the
game, 2) organizational needs, and 3) the facilitator’s ability to identify and home in on pertinent
learning moments.

DRAWING OUT THESE TEACHABLE MOMENTS – FINAL DEBRIEF OR STOP‐ACTION
Understanding your goals, you can draw out conversations and reflection EITHER during play or after. If
you notice a teachable moment. Feel free to stop action and discuss any of these questions right when
they see the “teachable moment.”

©Trainers Warehouse. TEAM 10 was developed by Guido Cremonesi of Simple Training (www.simpletraining.it) and Jim Cain of Teamwork & Teamplay (www.teamworkandteamplay.com) and produced by Trainers Warehouse (www.trainerswarehouse.com).

COMPARISON CHART

Not sure which team-building activity is right for your group? Trainers Warehouse offers a variety of experiential learning games that build skills in communication, collaboration, adaptability, leadership, and conflict resolution. Use the chart below to compare five of our most popular activities—PuzzleBlind®, Helium Stick®, TeamWRITER®, Shape Up!®, and Team 10®—and choose the one that best fits your training goals, group size, and workshop format.

Start talking about topics that matter with the Emotional Intelligence Conversation Deck.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE CONVERSATION PROMPTS

Emotional Intelligence is a skill that allows people to be more effective in their roles at work and at home. It’s not just touchy-feely stuff and being able to name your feelings. Rather, it enhances employee retention and engagement, customer service, collaboration, and crisis management.

5 SKILLS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Emotional Intelligence (a.k.a. EQ) is associated with five skills. Develop your teams’ EQ by facilitating conversations that help participants grow more aware of their motivations, measure their reactions to difficult situations, and hone techniques to manage those emotions in empathy and social acumen. The five skills are:

1. Self-Awareness [SA]
2. Motivation [MO]
3. Self-Regulation [SR]
4. Empathy [EM]
5. Social Skills [SS]

On each card, below the conversation starter question, you'll see the EQ skill that the question addresses or develops.

PLAYING WITH CONVERSATION DECKS

Pairs of 2 or 3

To play, deal a card to each participant. Have participants stand, find a partner, and discuss the questions on each of their cards. When their conversation has run its course, invite them to swap cards and hold their arm in the air, indicating to other players that they're ready to find a new partner. Repeat this process as time allows.

Table Talks

If your group isn't too big or you want to build camaraderie at a table, have each person in the group choose a card and answer the question. If you have enough time, ask each speaker a couple of follow-up questions. Alternatively, have others at the table answer those same questions for themselves. Then, swap cards, or pick new cards from the top of the deck.

1-2-4-All

Expert Trainer, Nora Gerber, shares facilitation notes on using the 1-2-4-All approach with the Emotional Intelligence UNZIP-IT! Deck. Tips include:

• Writing a note-to-self
• Pairing up to discuss stories of different experiences
• Huddling in groups - to discuss each of the four skills in more depth:

1. 1. Self-Awareness [SA
   2. Motivation [MO]
   3. Self-Regulation [SR]
   4. Empathy [EM]
   5. Social Skills [SS]

• Returning to the big group to explore opportunities for individual and group development.

READ MORE!

Look under your thumb and share! Use the Diversity and DEI Thumballs to playful explore serious topics.

We live in a diverse world. Some differences are visible, like skin color, gender, height or weight, physical challenges, and age. Others may not be visually apparent, but still affect how individuals feel or are treated: ethnicity, socio-economic position, sexual orientation, use or non-use of alcohol, allergies, intellect, depression, and other emotional diseases. Trainers Warehouse's Silver Series Thumballs focusing on DEI explore both personal connections to the topic and organizational initiatives.

VETTED BY EXPERTS

Every prompt in our Diversity and DEI Thumballs has been reviewed by seasoned diversity trainers, with the understanding that not everyone using these balls will be an expert facilitator in this topic. Each prompt was designed with the goal of enabling individuals to:

• Speak for themselves
• Think about their own identity
• Consider their own experiences in feeling like an outsider
• Explore the origins of their thoughts about diversity
• Consider ways they can show empathy and create a welcoming environment

DIVERSITY THUMBALL

Diversity Thumball, originally introduced by Trainers Warehouse in 2015, has gone through a few revisions since its inception. It tackles a difficult topic with smarts and sensitivity. Use the prompts to explore the topic of diversity by chatting about these topics:

• Sources of your attitudes towards people unlike yourself
• Experiences in which you felt like an outsider or shared an unpopular idea
• Important aspects of your identity that feel important
• Origins and experiences with prejudice
• Ways to combat discrimination and make others feel included
• Bias based on gender, disabilities, age, race, sexual identity...

D-E-I THUMBALL

The D-E-I Thumball has a bit of a different bent. We wanted to push a little further to enable team leaders, teachers, and managers to have safe and constructive conversations about identity, experiences with racism, community challenges, privilege and power. We wanted to expand the set of discussion prompts to promote greater tolerance and feelings of belonging. Ultimately, we decided there was "room" for two complementary diversity-focused Thumballs.

What's on the ball? Many people worry about saying the wrong thing during DEI conversations. As a result, these important conversations often don’t happen. Each prompt on this Thumball is phrased to promote positive conversation and shared understanding.

• Identity - share aspects of your identity that affect your life
• Experiences - discuss times you felt belonging, targeted, micro-aggression, etc.
• Our community - consider organizational initiatives to promote inclusion
• Us vs Them thinking - identify allies who are alike or different from yourself
• Privilege and Power - explore concepts of power dynamics, privilege, and oppression
• DEI Today - discuss current dynamics that influence people's participation in DEI efforts

THUMBALL FEATURES

Each Thumball™ is a soft 6" stuffed vinyl ball that looks like a cool soccer ball and has 31 panels pre-printed with questions suited for adults and teens. Safely toss it around in a group and ask participants to share their reaction to whatever prompt lies under their thumb.

• PHYSICALLY SAFE: 6" ball is safe to toss indoors
• 31 PROMPTS: With so much content, if someone wants to choose a favorite question... why not?
• EMOTIONALLY SAFE: Conversation prompts are vetted by industry experts.
• TIPS: The packaging includes facilitation notes to help ensure that the experience is positive for everyone. In addition to tips, ground rules, and what to do if situations get sticky, the DEI Thumball includes a glossary of common terminology.

©Trainers Warehouse – Trainers Warehouse holds the copyright for this set of questions. Reproductions cannot be made without express approval.

WATCH THEM IN ACTION

View these videos to see how to use our Thumballs and have a conversation about Diversity and Inclusion:

FACILITATION TIPS

FACILITATION TIP 1: EXPLAIN & SET GOALS

Introduce the activity by explaining: "We live in a diverse world. Some differences are visible, like skin color, gender, height or weight, physical challenges and age. Others may not be visually apparent, but still affect how individuals feel or are treated: ethnicity, socio-economic position, sexual orientation, addictions, abstinence, allergies, intellect, depression or other emotional disorders, etc. The goal is to understand each other better and start a dialogue."

FACILITATION TIP 2: SET GROUND RULES

Explain that conversations about diversity and bias can be emotionally charged. The goal is to share our experiences of feeling different or excluded and identify ways to create a more welcoming, diverse and compassionate community. So that everyone can feel safe, have the group set up their own Ground Rules. Here are some that you might want on the list:

• Only one person speaks at a time
• Speak only for yourself; use “I” statements
• No personal attacks – critique ideas, not people
• Agree to disagree; disagree without being disagreeable
• Listen – make sure everyone feels heard and validated
• Be positive and non-judgmental; open to new ideas

FACILITATION TIP 3: IF CONVERSATIONS GET STICKY

Expert diversity facilitators suggest these techniques to ease difficult or emotional situations:

1. Pause the conversation so you can review the ground rules with the group.
2. As the facilitator, share how an experience made you feel.
3. Ask others how an experience made them feel.
4. If two parties disagree, suggest that they switch roles and make the counter argument.
5. Keep a flip chart of difficult topics that can be addressed later.
6. Allow attendees to volunteer their participation as they feel comfortable.
7. Ask others for input on how they have handled similar situations.
8. Be ready to share some of your own personal stories.
9. Take a break. Stop for awhile and regroup.
10. Thank participants for sharing their personal stories.

NOTE: These balls are part of Trainers Warehouse's exclusive Silver Series Thumballs.

A great giveaway for all who contributed to a GREAT TEAM EFFORT!

Working together for a common purpose can be as challenging as it is fulfilling, as each individual sets aside their personal needs for a collective goal. When it's all over -- whether it's a new project launched or a sales target reached -- it's time to celebrate and let the team members know their efforts really mattered.

Each colorful 3.5" x 2" card is printed on one side with this motivational message: GO T.E.A.M. TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE.

Attached with a glue dot to each card is a beautiful metal token inscribed with "T.E.A.M. POWER" on one side; the reverse says "Together Everyone Achieves More" and easily detaches from the card. Each token is 1" diameter. Solid medium-weight metal feels great in your hand!

Sold in sets of 10 cards/ tokens.

The point of any learning game is the debrief—the conversation at the end of the experience when facilitators tease out observations and learning points.

LEARNING GAMES ARE WORTH THE BOTHER!

Make the most of any learning game! Learners don't want to be in training sessions that they feel are a waste of time. Similarly, facilitators want to use their time well. Skilled trainers, teachers, and facilitators know that learning becomes more "sticky" if they can create experiences that draw out emotions, incorporate physical movement, include surprise, and help learners stay focused. It's why games are the perfect conduit for growth and learning, and the reason trainers take time to find the perfect experiences.

One more benefit of games is that they remove you from the real world. If facing a challenge that differs from their real job, players often feel safer trying new things, take risks, and assume different roles. They get to see how normal tendencies, ways of thinking, and manners of behaving play out and intersect with others.

DEBRIEF LEARNING GAMES, EXERCISES, AND ACTIVITIES

But that's just the start. For experiences to stick -- for them to move to long-term memory -- individuals must take time to think about what happened. They have to talk about it, relate it to something they already know, understand its importance, and consider when they might need to retrieve that learning down the road. After all, we only remember what we take time to think about (otherwise it's quickly in and out of our brains). That's the importance of a DEBRIEF!

You'll find the Session Debriefs Thumball useful for games focusing on:

• Team building
• Communication
• Leadership
• Process improvement
• Negotiations
• ... and more

SESSION DEBRIEF PROMPTS BASED ON BRAIN SCIENCE

I realize that may have sounded like a lot of memory and brain gobbledy gook above, but it's all applied in the Session Debrief Thumball.

This unique Silver Series Thumball offers a variety of conversation prompts that will help players consider the behaviors, strategies, and communication techniques that helped and hindered their success. Among the 32 prompts, you’ll find discussion starters that help players think about and process their experience and focus on the learning points worthy of long-term memory. For instance:

• Home in on feelings experienced during the game
• Consider roles assumed by various players and how those emerged
• Observe the strategies that help divide the group or build consensus
• Think about the means by which leaders emerged
• Understand communication strategies that helped or hindered the group's efforts
• Apply lessons to real world challenges

©Trainers Warehouse – Trainers Warehouse holds the copyright for this set of questions. Reproductions cannot be made without express approval.

[NOTE: Silver Series Conversation Prompts are available as Thumballs, UNZiP-IT! Pocket & Deck, and Virtual/Remote PPT.]

Energize a Webinar, Remote Learning Session, or Online Meeting with UNZiP-it! Remote. Even if you aren't face-to-face, make it fun to pick a question and get conversations rolling. Read the poem and pick a question:

Feeling shy about speaking out?
Or, not sure what to talk about?
It's easy now to start the flow,
And have discussions bloom and grow.

Click the button below to pick a topic,
Big and broad, or microscopic,
A prompt that doesn't dig too deep,
Or one that makes you take a leap.

Go ahead, just press to pick it,
Read the prompt and then UNZiP-it!

GETTING TO KNOW YOU CONVERSATION PROMPTS

The prompts on Getting to Know You are intended to be thoughtful, yet easy-to-answer. They'll help spark conversation and allow players to learn more about one another. Prompts focus around topics such as:

• Experiences: memorable moments in your life
• People: Family and friends who have impact your life
• Most favorite and least favorite: Gifts, ages, sounds, chores
• Activities: pastimes, hobbies, bucket list items, travel
• Hopes, Fears and Wishes: the details that make you unique

The Getting to Know You discussion prompts are the perfect conversation starters for icebreakers, energizers, team building, and more.

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION FORMAT

The PowerPoint file is saved as a PPT file, containing a Macro. Once you enable the content, the UNZiP-it! Button will select a random discussion prompt. As with any PPT file, you are able to add or delete slides, as needed.

[NOTE: Silver Series Conversation Prompts are available as Thumballs, UNZiP-IT! Pocket & Deck, and Virtual/Remote PPT.]

This is a downloadable product. After you've placed your order, you will be given a link where you can download the compressed .zip files. You will need a program such as WinZip to extract the files for your use.

Energize a Webinar, Remote Learning Session, or Online Meeting with UNZiP-it! Remote. Even if you aren't face to face, make it fun to pick a question and get conversations rolling. Read the poem and pick a question:

Feeling shy about speaking out?
Or, not sure what to talk about?
It's easy now to start the flow,
And have discussions bloom and grow.

Click the button below to pick a topic,
Big and broad, or microscopic,
A prompt that doesn't dig too deep,
Or one that makes you take a leap.

Go ahead, just press to pick it,
Read the prompt and then UNZiP-it!

SESSION OPENER PROMPTS

The prompts on Session Opener are intended to build relationships and tease out session goals, so that facilitators can get their learning sessions off to a good start. To this end, prompts primarily cover these three categories:

• Getting to Know You - dreams, peeves, wishes, decisions, frustrations, talents
• Learning Styles - best teachers, preferred learning methods, learning goals

Work Styles - proudest accomplishments, creative contributions, strengths

The Session Openers prompts help people get beyond knowing each other and contains deeper questions about motivations, goals, and what makes people tick. The most compelling reason to break the ice is to create a stress-free environment, optimized for learning.

PRESENTATION FORMAT: The PowerPoint file is saved as a “pptm” file, containing a Macro. Once you enable the content, the UNZiP-it! Button will select a random discussion prompt. As with any PPT file, you are able to add or delete slides, as needed.

[NOTE: Silver Series Conversation Prompts are available as Thumballs, UNZiP-IT! Pocket & Deck, and Virtual/Remote PPT.]

This is a downloadable product. After you've placed your order, you will be given a link where you can download the compressed .zip file. You will need a program such as WinZip to extract the files for your use.

Gain Awareness of Personal Strengths

Based on theories of psychologist William Marston, the HRD Press DISCStyles assessment helps organizations understand how behaviors impact the success of their employees--and their bottom line -- and improve communication and conflict resolution skills.

PRODUCT BENEFITS

• Gain awareness of personal strengths and motivations
• Uncover career development opportunities
• Improve methods for interpersonal communication
• Enhance conflict resolution ability
• Create 360-degree feedback for your leaders
• Build and strengthen teams
• Improve professional relationships internally and externally

SAMPLE TOPICS

• Your Behavioral Style Tendencies, Strengths, and Struggles
• Your Management Strategies and What Motivates You
• Your Communication Preferences
• About the Four Basic DISC styles
• How to Identify Another Person's Style
• How to Use Adaptability for Greater Success

Each assessment includes a score sheet. The scoring can be completed by the test-taker or by a facilitator or HR representative. The booklet describes all the potential style combinations that correlate with the the scores.
Once the assessment has been completed, the test-taker has access to information about their particular profile characteristics in many environments -- at work, socially, under stress, etc. -- and review strategies for increasing personal effectiveness.

The package include 5 paper assessments/scoring bookets.

Energize a Webinar, Remote Learning Session, or Online Meeting with UNZiP-it! Remote. Even if you aren't face to face, make it fun to pick a question and get conversations rolling. The Onward & Upward prompts focus on resilience – moving beyond current challenges, toward future opportunities. For anyone going through a change in their life -- immigrants, abuse survivors, veterans, students, children/spouses of divorce, job changes, employees experiencing an organizational change, even those recovering from personal loss, disasters, and medical issues – the challenge is often to move beyond the past experience toward an unknown future.

Read the poem and pick a question:

Feeling shy about speaking out?
Or, not sure what to talk about?
It's easy now to start the flow,
And have discussions bloom and grow.

Click the button below to pick a topic,
Big and broad, or microscopic,
A prompt that doesn't dig too deep,
Or one that makes you take a leap.

Go ahead, just press to pick it,
Read the prompt and then UNZiP-it!

ONWARD AND UPWARD (CHANGE MANGEMENT) PROMPTS

The prompts on Change Management will foster discussion about these topics and more:

• People you turn to for help
• Ways to stay healty, mentally and physically
• Sources of strength, joy, and happiness
• Ways to turn around bad mood

PRESENTATION FORMAT

The PowerPoint file is saved as a “pptm” file, containing a Macro. Once you enable the content, the UNZiP-it! Button will select a random discussion prompt. As with any PPT file, you are able to add or delete slides, as needed.

[NOTE: Silver Series Conversation Prompts are available as Thumballs, UNZiP-IT! Pocket & Deck, and Virtual/Remote PPT.]

This is a downloadable product. After you've placed your order, you will be given a link where you can download the compressed .zip file. You will need a program such as WinZip to extract the files for your use.

Get players working together effectively as a team. Build trust, alignment, and better understanding of one another. In the Brick Masters Story Game, players choose cards containing types of people, places, props, perspective, and perils. The group's challenge is to develop a story around these cards, and build a LEGO® model to illustrate a scene in the story. After a period of wild creation and development, teams will share their stories with one another. At the end, the debrief/review will give teams an opportunity to refect on their process, their success, leadership, communication styles, etc.

WHY LEGO®?

LEGO® building bricks create ‘lean in’ environments where everyone is involved - not just the loud ones!

WHAT'S IN THE DECK? ENOUGH CARDS FOR UP TO 3 TEAMS!

Introduction cards explain game set-up, faciltiation tips, and review and reflection questions.You'll have enough content cards for up to three teams, including:

• 9 x People
• 9 x Place
• 6 x Props
• 6 x Perspective
• 6 x Peril
• 6 x Plot Twist
• 6 x Wild Cards
• Facilitation Cards - the cards containing facilitation notes are very easy to follow. Anything intended to be read out loud is written in italics.

LEGO® bricks ARE NOT INCLUDED!

MATERIALS NEEDED FOR BRICK MASTERS STORY GAME

To accompany this deck, you'll want lots of varied LEGO® bricks, including ample base-plates and Minifigures®. LEGO ‘Classic’ sets will get you started. The building bricks are not included with the set but are readily available new (at toy stores) and used (Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist). You'll also want paper and pens on hand.

HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED

The facilitation notes, explain each step in the activity.

PART 1: The Basics

Each team draws cards the following cards from the top of each pile:

• 3 x PEOPLE cards
• 1 x PLACE card
• 2 x PROP cards

Teams then discuss their cards, build a representation of each of these using the LEGO® bricks. Involve every member of your team.

PART 2: Story Development

With the people, place, and props now in place, teams will draw these additional cards and begin developing their story, adding interest and intrigue.

• 1 x PERSPECTIVE card
• 1 x PERIL card

PART 3: Plot Twists and Wild Cards

After another 5-10 inutes, the faciltator will announce that every good story needs a plot twist. Players will draw one card from the PLOT TWIST PILE and weave that into their story.

OPTIONAL WILD CARDS

WILD CARDS can add an extra dynamic to the game. The might limit players use of all their hands, require silence, etc.

WATCH A DEMO!

The Emotions Card Deck provides a path to emotional intelligence and personal growth.

Emotions are a fundamental part of our human experience, yet understanding and navigating them can sometimes be a challenge and this card deck for educators and facilitators is designed to enhance emotional literacy, develop essential skills for managing emotions, and facilitate meaningful discussions. Each card features a unique emotion or feeling ranging from joy to sadness, excitement to fear. The cards cover a wide range of emotions, empowering individuals to identify and understand their feelings and those of others which promotes self-awareness, effective communication skills, and empathy.

Each of the 57 double-sided cards also features a thought-provoking question related to the emotion depicted. These questions inspire group discussions and encourage sharing of experiences, perspectives, and strategies. Through sharing their emotional experiences, individuals realize that their feelings are not unique and have been experienced by others, fostering a sense of connection and support. The reverse side of each card adds an exciting twist to the learning experience and provides endless opportunities for play-based learning and interactive fun.

CARD DECK INCLUDES

57 double-sided emotion flashcards
4 single-sided color-coded Mood Meter cards
1 double-sided product description card that includes a QR code to Activity Guide with step-by-step instructions for 13 activities
1 single-sided card with list of emotions presented on flashcards

FEATURES

• The color of each card's outline corresponds to the 4-quadrant Mood Meter matrix, which sorts feeling based on intensity (one one axis) and pleasantness (on the other axis).
• Printed on premium quality card stock with a matt finish
• Flashcard size: 8 ½” x 5 ½”
• Durable and easy-to-store box 9" x 6"
• Cards are suitable for all ages from youth to adult

ONE DECK - OODLES OF ACTIVITIES

This deck is incredibly versatile and can be use for by a number of professionals developing EQ skills:

• Educators looking for activities to foster emotional literacy and a stronger classroom culture
• Guidance counselors seeking group or one-on-one activities
• Out-of-school professionals exploring ways to support social and emotional learning
• Facilitators & Adventure Practitioners seeking a tool for team development work with diverse groups across all ages

Conflict Strategies Inventory Facilitator Set improves an individual's ability to successfully handle workplace conflict. Based on more than 35 years of research, this training tool explores five different strategies: Integrating, Compromising, Competing, Smoothing, and Avoiding. Most importantly, the Conflict Strategies Inventory accurately identifies one's typical reaction to conflict, examines the potential outcomes associated with each strategy, encourages the use of more effective tactics, and provides skill practice in resolving day-to-day issues.

The Conflict Strategies Inventory is based upon the well-known Blake and Mouton Styles Grid as well as the works of many other respected researchers in the field of conflict management. Packed with extensive interpretive information, hands-on activities, skill development, and action planning, this is a great way to equip individuals with the knowledge and insight they need to address conflict in any situation.

The facilitator set offers tools to lead a training workshop, including comprehensive background information, step-by-step facilitator guidelines, a skill-development module, sample participant materials, and a flash drive containing a professional Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and facilitator support resources. Trainer certification is not required to administer or facilitate the Conflict Strategies Inventory.

Learning Outcomes

• Pinpoint one's preferred strategy for managing conflict
• Discover the five different ways people respond to conflict
• Understand how and when to utilize the Integrating strategy
• Learn and practice when to use alternative strategies
• Create a development plan to put the learning into action

Uses and Applications

The Conflict Strategies Inventory is most appropriate for people in the midst of workplace conflict, but all individuals, from frontline employees to team members and managers, will find this tool immensely helpful. It can be used as a stand-alone learning instrument, the centerpiece of a more comprehensive curriculum, or a tool to:

• Develop new approaches and solutions
• Tackle recurrent conflict issues
• Inspire interest and creativity
• Introduce conflict management skills to teams

The self-assessment takes approximately 25 minutes to complete, and it is recommended to allow up to an hour for the interpretation of results, debrief, and action planning. Participants are presented with ten common workplace situations, individuals identify a preference for one of five basic conflict strategies: Integrating, Avoiding, Smoothing, Competing, and Compromising. Scores reveal a personal Conflict Strategies Profile.

The facilitator kit provides a sample of the Self-Assessment and the Participant Workbook. Each can be purchased separately:
Self-Assessment #RBCSIA
Participant Workbook #RBCSIP

This Facilitator Guide also features an HRDQue Card and the Conflict Strategies Inventory Poster.

Conflict Strategies Inventory is published by HRDQ

In this game of communication and collaboration, blindfolded players must figure out which of the shapes that they hold is a duplicate. Success requires clear and concise communication, active listening, and collaboration, as several of the shapes could be easily confused with each other.

The facilitator will instruct players,

“Without looking at your shapes, determine which players have matching shapes.” Optionally, you can let them know that only two players will have matching shapes. Or, you can throw in more matches and NOT tell them how many will be a match (this is much more difficult!)

CONTENTS OF SHAPE-UP

This communication and teambuilding game contains:

• 26 wooden shapes (2 each of 13 different shapes)
• 10 blindfolds

MORE TEAM BUILDING FACILITATION OPTIONS

In addition to the Shape-Up game, facilitation notes include 5 additional game ideas including:

1. PARTNER PAIR-UPS - players use the 13 different shapes to find a partner (one with either a matching or complementary shape)

2. BEHIND-THE-BACK PARTNER PAIR-UPS - without seeing the shape that they hold, players must find the person who has their matching shape.

3. SHAPE-UP ICEBREAKER INTROS - using the shapes a metaphors, players pick a shape that reminds them of a personal experience (or a learning goal; or a characteristic they’re proud of; etc.)

4. METAPHORICAL DISCUSSIONS & DEBRIEFS - players choose a shape that represents an observation, question, or learning point, and share their metaphorical reflections with the whole group.

5. SHAPE-ly DEBRIEF & REFLECTION QUESTIONS - conduct a "S.H.A.P.E.ly" debrief

S – SHAPES - discuss what was difficult about describing the shapes

H – HELPFUL/HURTFUL - identify approaches that were helpful or hurtful to the effort

A – ACTIONS - focus on actions and break-through moments

P - PREPERATION - draw out the impact of preparation as teams approached the challenge

E – END RESULTS - discuss the group's satisfaction with their end-result

©Trainers Warehouse. SHAPE-UP is a collaboration between Teamwork & Teamplay and Trainers Warehouse.

COMPARISON CHART

Not sure which team-building activity is right for your group? Trainers Warehouse offers a variety of experiential learning games that build skills in communication, collaboration, adaptability, leadership, and conflict resolution. Use the chart below to compare five of our most popular activities—PuzzleBlind®, Helium Stick®, TeamWRITER®, Shape Up!®, and Team 10®—and choose the one that best fits your training goals, group size, and workshop format.

The Discovering Styles Thumball takes players through an activity that explores their work and management styles. It's a creative way to get to know each other a bit better. Thumballs look like soccer balls but are soft and safe for indoor use at work, school, and home. Catch the ball, look under your thumb, and share your reaction to the prompt.

ADAPTABLE FOR YOUR FAVORITE STYLE ASSESSMENT

With so many personality-type tools out there (DiSC, DISC, Meyers Briggs, Real Colors, True Colors, What’s your Style, etc.), this tool focuses on personality characteristics in general. It can be used with any of these common frameworks, to deepen learning while having some fun. Help players understand different styles, grow familiar with new terminology, practice categorizing qualities and characteristics as personality types, and consider how to draw out the benefits of each.

In fact, the ball was made silver and white so that it can align with ANY COLOR-TYPE FRAMEWORK!

EXPLORE A RANGE OF QUALITIES

You'll find personality qualities that correlate with a variety of "types"

• DECISIVE, COMPETITIVE, PERSISTENT, ASSERTIVE, GOAL-ORIENTED, EXTRAVERTED
• CHARISMATIC, OPTIMISTIC, PURSUASIVE, AFFABLE, INVENTIVE, TALKATIVE
• RELIABLE, STEADY, EMPATHETIC, COOPERATIVE, FRIENDLY, INTROVERTED
• DATA-DRIVEN, ANALYTICAL, FUTURISTIC, ORGANIZED, OBJECTIVE, THOROUGH
• CREATIVE, RESILIENT, SWIFT, VISIONARY, JUGGLER

FACILITATION SUGGESTIONS

Download a slide deck from our recent Show and Share event for more facilitation notes

Set up the experience by explaining that “similarity bias” is an unconscious bias that causes us to show preference for people who are like us. However, teams with a broad spectrum of perspectives and characteristics have been shown to outperform more homogeneous groups. By using the Profiles and Styles Thumball, you hope to expand the group’s understanding of different personality characteristics and types. Together you’ll explore how individuals with different qualities can intersect, balance each other, and improve team performance.

GAME 1: FOCUS ON ONE SINGLE QUESTION

Choose one question for players to answer when they catch the ball and look at the quality under their thumb. For instance, you might have them answer:

• How could you use this quality in a positive way?
• How can you support or encourage this quality?
• How can you best work with someone with this quality?
• Why is this quality important to our organization?
• Which of our personality type(s)/styles encompasses this quality?
• In what situations might this quality/characteristic be most effective?
• What happens if this quality is exaggerated…
• How might someone with this quality manage conflict?

GAME 2: ROUND ROBIN

In each round of play, answer a different question regarding the qualities on the Thumball. i.e.

• Round 1: “Catch the ball, look under your thumb, read the prompt aloud and answer: How could this quality be used in a positive way?”
• Round 2: “Catch the ball, look under your thumb, read the prompt aloud and answer: What happens if this quality is exaggerated…”

GAME 3: TEAM PLAY

Line up 2 teams opposite each other. The receiving team will catch the ball, read the QUALITY (the word in all caps) and quiz the other team on any one of these:

• A description or example of what that quality might look like at work.
• With which style “type(s)” might the quality be associated (i.e. “dominant”; “intuitive”; “spirited,” etc.) NOTE: the “type” should correspond with the specific assessment tool the facilitator has introduced.
• A colleague/teammate or famous person who is strong in this style

GAME 4: STYLE PAIRS

Look under both thumbs and consider how those two qualities might interact. Answer:

1. How might those characteristics balance or complement each other?
2. What challenges might arise when these two qualities merge?

FACILITATOR SUGGESTIONS

Our customer, CPTD-certified Kimberly Robinson, shared these facilitation notes:

For the first activity, I gave these instructions: 

• • Person #1 (Person holding the ball): Looks at where their thumb is placed. Shares the quality and description on the ball.
  • Person #2 (to the right): Gives an example of what that quality might look like at work.
  • Person #3 (next person): Identifies with which style type this quality might be associated (Drive, Influence, Support, Clarity).
  • Person #4 (final person): Identifies a colleague/teammate (or famous person) who is strong in this style.
  • Bonus: If someone else is strong in this style, speak up, so others know about another one of your gifts!

For the Style Pairs activity, after each person caught the ball and shared the qualities, the answered both questions: 

• • How might those characteristics balance or complement each other?
  • What challenges might arise when these two qualities merge?

©Trainers Warehouse – Trainers Warehouse holds the copyright for this set of questions. Reproductions cannot be made without express approval.

This ball is part of our exclusive Silver Series Thumballs.

MORE RESOURCES

• All about Silver Series Thumballs
• Tips & Suggestion on Facilitating Thumball Experiences
• How Deep to Discuss
• 7 Tips to formulate great questions
• More tools for great conversations
• Discover Your Thumball Style
• How Deep to Discuss Infographic