After each Department has built and tested it's
own module all Department modules are linked to form a
complete TeamMachine. This video shows participants from the separate modules
explaining how their
module is supposed to perform.
When the Cannon Department's "cannon ball" bounces out of the
cup the Cannon Department fails and
therefore
the whole machine fails. This calls for a creative fix before the next
test run. Other departments
may have to modify their module to accommodate
the Cannon Department if a successful TeamMachine is
to be built. How individuals and teams deal with frustration is part of
the experiential learning
opportunities built into the simulation.
To build the machine participants are divided into from 3 to 10 Departments
(Table Groups) and given
"Engineering Specifications" and "Computer Aided Design" resources to build their
individual modules.
Here are the specific skills the exercise is designed to highlight. Why
highlight these skills? It is to decide
whether or not to use them more or less often in the organizational setting.
These are some actions (skills) that the simulation usually
requires for a machine to work. Failure
of a successful
machine run does not necessarily mean proper skills were
not used. Just like the “real”
world luck is often the determining
factor. In fact if the machine fails, important
insights can be obtained by discussing the questions A, B and C at the bottom
of the page.
1.
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Facilitating
the movement of important information quickly to people who need it
your organization, both in and outside official channels.
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2.
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Communicating disagreement
respectfully on an intellectual and feeling level.
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3.
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Listening to other's ideas
without feeling you need compete with them.
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4.
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Building on other's good
ideas.
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5.
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Not being defeated by confusion
or lack of clear goals.
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6.
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Making sure you are creative
and having fun on the job.
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7.
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Collaborating with people
who have a different point of view.
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8.
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Meeting deadlines.
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9.
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Asking questions.
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10.
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Giving advice in a way that
it will be taken seriously.
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11.
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Asking for and taking advice
from others.
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12.
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Not giving up when you and
your team make a bad mistake.
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13.
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Making timely decisions.
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14.
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Taking temporary charge when
you feel it is necessary.
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15.
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Becoming a temporary follower
when you feel it is necessary.
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16.
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Being able to say you are
wrong and the other person is right.
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17.
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Encouraging others.
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18.
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Insisting on being listened
to.
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19.
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Not being too passive or
too domineering.
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20.
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Seeing the big picture.
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21.
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Expect important ideas from
expected and unexpected sources inside and outside the organization.
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22.
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Having a strong belief in
your ability to express your unique perspective to help team efforts.
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23.
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Having a strong belief in
your teammate’s ability to express his/her unique perspective to help
team efforts.
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24.
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Recognizing work rules and
norms that block creative team work.
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25.
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Being willing to quit or
be fired over a moral issue, (but find a new job first!).
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If the machine did not work
properly discuss the following.
A.
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Was
your reaction to think of yourself or the team as a failure, incompetent
or some other personal put-down? If
so is it a true assessment or a personal tendency for self-sabotage
that blocks growth and learning? Why
not just bad luck? Is
there such a thing as bad luck?
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B.
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Were
you disappointed but ready to learn something important from the experience? If so, what did you learn about yourself and about how the
team functioned? What
might you and team do differently if you were to try it again?
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C.
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From
your answers to the above questions are there any changes that might
improve things in your “real” work world? Would
any of the skills, 1-25 above, be helpful to emphasize? If
so what are you going to do about it and when?
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