An online team-based problem solving and effective communications game - focusing on strategic and logical thinking skills.
It can be delivered online (ideally synchronously with a live group) and can be used via any popular online meeting software such as Zoom or Google Meet. No files are required to be downloaded by the learners - a simple html link provides each player with the necessary materials to play this game.
Essentially the game is played in a similar format to the physical Workstations card game - see Workstations.
Workstations is a popular activity with powerful messages about managing team communications - it is a perfect early team exercise to establish how a team works virtually together. It will typically take a team between 30 and 45 minutes of activity to complete.
This is an online product. You will receive emailed instructions on how to access the activity. It may take 1-3 days to receive this email, depending on the day of the week that the order is placed.
ACTIVITY OVERVIEW
This version of Workstations is an online team communication and information-sharing activity which is ideal for groups not previously experienced in working together virtually.
It can be delivered using any online meeting software and the facilitator package contains delegate briefing instructions, facilitator instructions and review suggestions. This exercise demands both task and group leadership. It is an excellent introduction to 'chairing skills' and could be used as the 'warm-up' to a session on managing virtual meetings, virtual team briefing or working with focus groups. It offers a good, practical illustration of team roles in action and can be successfully linked to work on effective team performance eg. using the Belbin Team Role model.
The team members are required to share information verbally in order to solve a 'matrix puzzle' - a simple process of elimination and logic. The difficulty comes in not being able to view each other's information - the group must identify other ways of remembering and sorting key information. The second difficulty is that simple sharing of the information isn't enough to solve the puzzle - logical thinking and deductive reasoning skills also need to be applied to the information provided.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
- Improve Virtual Teamworking Skills
- Practice Managing Information & Communication in a virtual environment
- Provide opportunities to use Distributed Information to Solve Problems
- Build Strategic Thinking Skills
- Improve Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Skills
WHAT'S INCLUDED
A single user licence with an online facilitator guide. This guide includes:
- information on setting up the activity and briefing delegates
- instructions on operating the activity and facilitating learning for the group
- suggestions for reviewing the learning
Online access to each of the 30 x information cards that are shared with the delegates.
