By 3 min read

Idea #73 Speed up your Reading

Do it When you want to develop your team members. 
As you know team members do not have time to read books. Consequently, if they do not read, they cannot develop their skills. So here is one tip how you can motivate them to develop themselves on a daily basis. Every week one of them should start to read a book. During that week he/she should read only 30 pages of the book. At the next meeting he/she should make a small presentation on what he /she has learned. Then, all other members of the team should write down their own ideas about: How it can be implemented in their organisation. After you do that just once per week for one year period, you all will have 6 books read. On the top of it, you will have a special box full of ideas that can be implemented in your organisation. This is something that I suggest to all companies I cooperate with. Everyone is in the good mood praticing: presentation skills, brainstorming ideas, as well as learning something totally new and developing each member of the team.
narrative-794978_1920

Now coaching questions for you:
1. Which book do you suggest that … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #59 What are Characteristics of your Team?

Do it When you want to make a team building. Divide your team in the groups of three. Give them the same task. Imagine that your team is represented with an animal, but that animal has to be the combination of three animals with one characteristic from each one. For example, we are as brave as a tiger, with the speed of an antelope and we are strong like an elephant. Now each group should draw its animal as a group logo. All three members of the group should draw at the same time. At the end make presentations and discussions. Remind them of this quote: “What we need to do is learn to work in the system, by which I mean that everybody, every team, every platform, every division, every component is there not for individual competitive profit or recognition, but for contribution to the system as a whole on a win-win basis.” – W. Edward Deming

Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Imagine that for solving your main company problem you should develop three characteristics. Name all 3 of them?
2. What does the solution to this problem mean to you?
3. How would you know … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #58 Be a 10 minute Observer

Do it When you want to make a change in your company. Everyone in the group still sitting in their chairs has to mentally leave the group and take some of the corners of the room. Now, looking from that position to the group he/she has to imagine a business scenario for the next year. What changes in the team have to be made? What would be the most effective thing that each of us has to make? Write down everything and discuss in the end. Do it now, because: “A year from now you will wish you had started today.” – Karen Lamb

Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Imagine the next business year on your market! What changes do you see?
2. How those changes are affecting your business?
3. What are advantages of those changes?
4. What are the bad things in those changes?
5. What else is even more important to your right now?
6. How important to you is to make necessary changes?
7. Who else will benefit from those changes?
8. Make a list of all actions that you have to make so you will be prepared for the change?
9. Now, think about … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #55 What we have learned from donkeys

Do it When you train team building. First tell them a story: Once upon a time there were two donkeys that were tied together. They both wanted to eat off the bushes but the rope wasn’t long enough. They both really wanted to eat but they just couldn’t reach,so they just pulled and pulled hoping that the rope would stretch but it wouldn’t. Because they couldn’t reach,the donkey just sat and tried to think of a way to eat? Then one suddenly clicked and said “now that we are friends why don’t we just stand next to each other and take turns”. They decided they’d eaten all they could from the other bush, so they moved to the next one and carried on all day.
Now, ask each of  them to write a list of things that he/she will do for other members of the team. The employee with the longest list will receive a prize.
Make smaller prizes for all members of the team.

Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Imagine that you can help your team members in the way that is the most valuable for them. What would it be?
2. Why is that so important for … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #54 Rafting as Team Building + Stress Reduction

Do it When you have team building during white water rafting. If you have chance to go with your employee to white water rafting that is perfect chance to perform team building. If you need team building program just ask me. At this point I just want to remind that this is perfect situation for stress reduction from the team. Just bring with you water pistols, water guns and plastic washbowls. Usually people don’t have idea to bring those features at rafting but when you have several boats people will immediately start splashing crew of other boat. So just let them enjoy the ride. During other games for sure you will make discussion about things you have seen during splashing.

Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Where is the best environment for you for team building?
2. What would you do there?
3. What resources you need for that?
4. What capabilities are mandatory for successful team building?
5. Why is so important for you to have the best team building?
6. What values would you confirm there?
7. Who would you be after that?
8. Who else would benefit from that?
9. Write your full action plan … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #53 Tennis ball & Team Building

Do it When you have team building. People are standing in a group or sitting around the table. Give them an easy task: Tennis ball has to pass everyone’s hands as quicker as possible. Team members will have to prepare strategy. Usually they will start with quick throwing ball. Measure their time and tell them that it can be quicker. They will start doing that quicker for sure. After several tries tell them that record is 2 second. After the first shock they will manage how to do it. They just have to make “tube” with everyone’s hands and pass the ball through that “tube”. Everyone will be happy with new idea.  “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” – Antoine de Saint

Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Imagine that your team has become perfect?
2. Why is that so important to you?
3. How would you know that your team is perfect?
4. What other valuess would you have then?
5. What else is even more important … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #49 Deaf dance

Do it When you want to build your team. Task for a team leader is to perform a musical composition just by clapping with his hands and stepping with his feet. Then his team has to repeat this activity and say what the name of the song that he has performed is. He has to make 3 different performances, and his team has to guess at least two of them. After that we need to discuss what we can do to make a better connection between a leader and the team.

Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Imagine that you are a perfect team leader. What does it look like?
2. Why is that important for your business?
3. How can you know that you are perfect?
4. What other values do you have then?
5. What else is even more important to you?
6. Who else can benefit from you as a perfect team leader?
7. How can you be sure that you are on the right track to achieve your goal?
8. Who can help you on your way towards the goal?
9. How would you engage all those people to help you?
10. What will the … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #35 You in 5

Do it when you have to explain the importance of change. Give a flip chart paper to participants.  Their task is to draw. First, in lower left part they have to draw them in present time. Their faces are toward center of the paper. Then in upper right part of the paper, they have to draw themselves in 5 years. Again faces turned to the center of the paper. Now they have to connect those 2 pictures. They can choose type of the line. It can be straight or more in the waving mood. But it has to start from left lower corner and finish at upper right corner. Now they have to draw and explain critical moments in those 5 years. What they predict has happened and how they have overcome it.
Crucial is that suddenly they will come to the idea that they have to change themselves.
At this moment mankind posses only 5% of the knowledge that it will have in 2060.
So we have to invent and to learn 95% of it.  Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Imagine yourself going in year 2060 and taking that knowledge. Remember now you have only 5% of … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #34 Action plan at The End

Do it when you have finished your training. It is always good to see how participants have accepted training and what are they going to implement. On one page of handout give them matrix 2 x 2. In 4 quadrants give them headlines:  I will do More, I will do Less, I will Stop and I will Start. On every quadrant make at least 3 lines so they can fulfill them. At the end of that page make a space so participants can sign. This is very good commitment that they will really follow their action plan.
And remember that We Can Not Change our Past but We Can Change the Future.
Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Find area in your life where you want to make improvement. Which area is that?
2. How important on a scale from 1 to 10 is it to you?
3. Whom will you be when you make that improvement?
4. To make that improvement you will have to start doing something differently. Name 3 things!
5. You will have to stop doing something. Name 3 things!
6. You will have to do something more than you are doing now? Name 3 things!… Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #32 Change what you do

Do it when you want to show importance of change. Give to all participants colored paper balls. Ideally, there are 14 of participants. On your sign they have to throw paper balls to each other. Every time someone has to catch just one ball. On sign everyone will have new ball. Do that 8 to 10 times. Then ask them to wrap up all paper balls.
On every paper should be just one word. Give them 3 minutes to make sentence.
Correct answer should be “If you do what you always do you will get what you always get.”
!#32
Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Imagine that you can restart your life, starting from the year that you are now. But, you can work your dream job. What it will be?
2. How will you know that it is your real dream job?
3. How satisfied would you be on a scale from 1 to 10?
4. Who would you be working that job?
5. Who else will be proud of you?
6. What type of resource you have?
7. What would you be ready to do to achieve that dream job?
8. What would be your first step?… Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #28 Positive feedback for the end

Do it When you are finishing the training. After any training it is very important that people leave it with positive feeling. This means that everyone has done his part in developing total success. Using this tool everyone will leave training with something very concrete. Supply everyone with piece of paper. Then he/she has to write his/her name on the top of the paper. Than each one has to give his paper to the person left to him/her. Each person has to write one sentence what that person has developed during that training. After that he will pass that paper to the left. At the end every person will have positive feedback from all colleagues. It is important that one by one read aloud what was written.
!#28Now, coaching questions for you:
1. What was the nicest thing that anyone in the company said to you?
2. How you have felt when you heard that?
3. What other values you had that time?
4. Which melody can repeat that feeling to you?
5. What other things you can do to regain those feeling?
6. Where and when in the future you can use those values?
Thank you and … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #27 Your office library

Do it When you want to make your employees to learn for a lifetime. In every office there is a library, because every employee has to learn.
As great Peter Drucker said: “We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.” This game you can play with your team, but also this library can be for real.
Your team has to make drawing of library that will represent your company. Everyone has to participate and to explain what is so special and unique for your company.
At the end send drawing to the carpenter and you will have special library that every employee will be glad to read.
!#27
Now, coaching questions for you:
1. Imagine that solution to your main company problem is in one of your books in your library. What is it?
2. Why is solving that problem so important to you?
3. On which book shelf is that book?
4. What is the name of that book?
5. Turn the last page, where usually are all answers?
6. What is the first answer to that question?
7. What … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #24 Masters I give you 3 wishes each

Do it When you want to know what is really important to your people and what they want to change. Just imagine that in a basement of your company building you have found an old lamp.   When you rub it a good genie appears.  The genie gives to each member of your team 3 wishes.  Everyone has to make 3 changes. You have to change yourself, your manager and your job.

You have 5 minutes for preparation and then you start presentations, one by one.
You can make variations by making dividing people on groups of 3, so they can work and make presentation together. In that case give them flip chart. when you finish make a picture of presentations and use them in your company, Of course send one copy to us.

1. While that good genie is in the house, ask him for one additional wish. What it will be?
2. Why is it so important to you, that you will spend that one wish on it?
3. What changes in your life it will make?
4. How might you take it even further?
5. What skills would you need for it?
6. How are going … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #23 Why do you respect your boss?

Do it When you want to connect people and make a team. 
African born English Writer, William Plomer said: “Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.”
Now, we are going to implement that creativity in practice. All you need is love 🙂 and a bag of m&ms or any other colored candies.
Closed eyes each member of your team has to take one candy. Just tell them that take it doesn’t mean eat it.
!#23#
When everyone has his candy including you tell them the rules. One by one according to clockwise order, everyone has to tell in 3 sentences a story based on following:
Red candy: Why he/she likes to work in your company?
Blue candy: When  he/she was the most proud during his career?
Yellow candy: What was the most difficult client and how he/she has solved that?
Brown candy: When was the time he has felt miserable and how he has overcame that?
Green candy: What is his/her the most ambitious plan in your company?
Orange candy: What his/her boss said to him that made him the proudest person?
When all finish they can eat candies, and we can start coaching!
1. Now,
… Read more
By 3 min read

Idea #21 How to learn a new skill?

Do it When your team have to learn some now skill or to face a difficult change.
People say that:” The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change”. But employees are often afraid of a change. Sometimes they are even afraid of some new skill that they have to adopt. Show them that learning new skill is easy as A, B, C… or should I said Z, Y, X…?
Ask your group to say alphabet from A to Z. People will laugh and did it with moderate speed. Tell them that new task is to do the alphabet backwards. They will laugh even more and say that is not possible without reading.
Tell them that it is all up to them. If they think it is not possible, for sure they are right.
But they have 3 minutes to prepare strategy for learning and 10 minutes for practicing. During that time they can use whatever they want just to learn that new skill.
After those 13 minutes for sure they will succeed. Ask them:
How did they feel when they heard for the first time what the task is?
In which way preparation of strategy … Read more

By 2 min read

Idea #18 Make Your Team Rules

Do it When you motivate your team or during team building. Nobody likes rules.
That’s because rules are limitations that someone else is putting on us.
That is so demotivating. But rules are necessary for doing business.
Without them we would be in anarchy. So lets turn it around.
Ask them to write down 10 rules that are so important for them on the job.
Then one by one has to say his 10 rules and someone is writing on the flip chart. Obviously, some of the rules are gonna be said several times. Just count it like votes.
At the end you will have 10 rules or you can narrow to 5 rules that are confirmed by all of them. Those rules are your company values and can be easily transferred into company mission.
!#18
Now coaching questions for you?
Imagine that you have to make your life according to 3 rules.
1. What would you choose?
2. What sort of person would you be if you obey those 3 rules?
3. Who else would benefit then?
4. Why is this important to you?
5. What will be your next steps?
Write down on comments or if it is more … Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #17 Learn from the Zig & geese

Do it During team building. Great Zig Ziglar had funny story about gees.
He would ask participants 3 questions and encourage them for answers.

  1. Why are geese flying in “V” formation?  And most of the people are familiar that using that trick geese save 70% of the energy.
  2. Why from time to time geese change formation for several seconds? Again, there is in every group someone that will explain that leading goose is accepting the majority of the air pressure and for a while another goose will take its position
  3. Why is one leg of the formation always longer than other?  Looks like everyone has noticed that but no one has logical explanation. Then Zig would say: “Because in that “leg” are more geese!“

This will make people laugh, more connected and prepared for main topic. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q40h8dPmgwQ&feature=related[/youtube]

There much more we can learn from the geese.
1. Geese flying at the end of formation are honking for supporting ones at front.
2. When a goose drops out of formation due to sickness or tiredness, two other geese join her and protect until it is ready again.

Now, you can make a discussion:
Imagine our team being more efficient… Read more

By 3 min read

Idea #15 Practicing active listening by Counting

Do it When you want to practice active listening or during team building.
I am sure you have seen the movie Midnight Cowboy. John Voight as Joe Buck and Dustin Huffman as Ratso have given outstanding performances.
In that movie Harry Nilsson sings: “Everybody Is Talking At Me. I don’t hear a word they’re saying, Only the echoes of my mind…” Obviously when everybody is talking, no one can hear anything. Somehow we have to practice that active listening.
Talking only when no one else is talking. Here is the most useful game for it.
I have hear it from Master ZI. 
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fwY3jGNsog&feature=related[/youtube]
Here are the rules for this game.
You start by saying “One”, someone has to continue with “Two”. Other person will say “Three” and so on, until the last person will say the last number. Every person has to be included.
It looks so easy, but we will make it very difficult.
First, it has to be perfect silence, so only numbers can be heard. People are not allowed to communicate verbally or non verbally. It is not allowed to make predictable sequence of who is gonna be next. And finally if two
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #12 Hello Susan, my name is Steve. I am glad that you are here!

Do it When you have a group of people size up to 20, whom don’t know each other, and you know you have to do something interesting.
People have tendency to talk only to people that they have been introduced. If they don’t know anybody they will talk on the phone or just stare at handouts.
So you have to introduce them quickly.
greeting_card_popup

You need very nice Greeting cards. My suggestion is to take greeting cards with motivational quotes and/or pictures. Before the training in each of them write name of one participant. Then at the beginning of training randomly give them cards. Instantly they will recognize that they have someone else’s card.
Tell them to find the right person and in one nice sentence give the card. It will take just several minutes, and after that you will have totally relaxed group of people.
Now questions for you:
1. What is a good sentence for presenting card?
2. What can you give instead greeting card?
3. What would you do if the person likes the card and doesn’t want to give it to the right owner? 

     
 
 
 
   
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #9 Your Company Island is waiting Sir…

Do it When you want to think about recycling and during team building.
Maybe you have heard of Richie Sowa, a man who built his own floating island. Important thing is that island is made from old plastic bottles. Making something useful Richie has recycled something that was planned to be trash.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvn9l1pJ3-A[/youtube]
Now, inspired with movie let’s see how we can make the similar. Your company for sure deserves an island. If you have no lake (or license) to build it, you can make an island at your backyard. It doesn’t have to be by 250,000 bottles, but use as many as possible. Make a small island, just for your team. You are not allowed to buy anything in the store for making it. Just collect things that you normally throw away. When you finish your company island make discussion.
What have you learned during this event?
What was important for each of us during this event?
What else might be a good idea for growing your island?
Come aboard on your island, have fun 🙂 and make a picture.

     
 
 
 
    
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #7 What are the Colors of your Team?

Do it When you want to connect your people during team building.
Usually people immediately recognise what is different between them. Someone said: “If there is 99% equality and 1% difference people will put there focus ion that 1 %”. Now in your team you are going to make the right way. All people in team will bond together.
!#7

First you will give a colored pencil to each member of your team. Now they have to pair up with someone whose pencil is similar color to their own. In pairs they will discuss for 3 minutes what are there personal similarities. Now they will find someone with pencil with very different color. For 3 minutes they will in pairs discuss what are differences among them. At the end your team will join chairs in circle. Making rainbow of colors, and each one will say
what he has discovered from the person that they have in common,
and what from person that are different?
How our team will benefit from our similarities and
how from differences?
You can put your comments on flip chart, picture it and make poster.
Please, sent it to us 🙂

     
… Read more
By 2 min read

Idea #6 Hey, is this your company Snowman?

Do it When you want to connect your people, talk about strategy, values and image, during team building.
Making snowman is very educational game. People have been making things in their images, and then materialising that for a long time.
If you see children playing in the Winter, usually they will have a snowball fight from behind snow walls. But making snowman is something very different.
In fighting, someone has to win and the other has to loose. In making snowman, children are joining forces to make something productive. Something that will last for several days. On the top of that, it is easy and fun  🙂 to make a snowman.
company snowman

Knowing that, here is a new task for your group. You have to make a snowman.
But, your snowman is the special one. It will represent your company. Remember, you are now allowed to use your company logo, flag or write name of your company.
Still everyone that will pass by, will be clear that it is your snowman.
Discuss among your group.
What is so unique in your company that everyone will recognise?
What else you can do so you can be even more unique? 
When you
… Read more