Hart L.B., Waisman C.S. - The leadership training activity book (2005)(en)

48THE LEADERSHIP TRAINING ACTIVITY BOOK

TRAINING METHODS

Application

Game

Hands-on activity

MATERIALS

Buy a Koosh ball—the rubber ball that looks like porcupine needles—or a soft rubber ball approximately the size of a baseball.

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

Koosh ball (larger ones work best)

ROOM SET-UP

Enough open space for participants to stand in a circle

Comments

This activity adds the element of competition to the leadership program and will help the facilitator determine if participants have learned what has been presented so far.

Trainer’s Notes for Activity 11

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE

Step 1: Form a circle with participants, leaving enough room to throw a ball back and forth. Participants should stand with their hands to their sides.

Step 2: Throw the Koosh ball to a participant and ask a quiz question. (If the ball falls to the floor, give it to the person at whom it was aimed.) If the answer is incorrect, retrieve the ball and throw it to someone else

so they can answer the question. If the answer is correct, the participant can throw the ball to someone who hasn’t answered a question.

Step 3: Keep throwing the ball with every new question until each participant has answered at least one question correctly.

Step 4: Remind the participants that a review is valuable because it means they are more likely to retain and apply what they’ve learned. This could be a good time to remind them to write some reflections in their journals.

VARIATION

Have each participant write down two or three questions for the facilitator to ask.

LAY THE GROUNDWORK, ENERGIZE PARTICIPANTS, AND THEN CLOSE

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Create a list of questions based on what you covered in the last segment of your workshop. Here are some examples:

Who traveled the farthest to get to this workshop?

Why is it important to identify the expertise and resources within your team or staff?

Explain one difference between a group and a team.

Why are the best leaders flexible?

Explain one distinction between a leader and a manager.

Name two qualities that a leader should develop.

When should a leader empower others?

POST-ACTIVITY REVIEW

Take time shortly after conducting this activity to reflect on how it went, how engaged the participants were, and what questions they raised. Then, make notes that include how much time you actually spent on the activity.

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12

I LEARNED A LOT!

Overview of Activity

The participants summarize their leadership learnings through roundrobin discussion and responses to questions asked by the facilitator.

Objectives

To clarify what participants have personally learned and are willing to share with the group.

To provide an opportunity to review the day’s topics.

To summarize thoughts and feelings.

To articulate ideas with clarity.

Setting-Up the Activity

GROUP SIZE

Up to 20 participants

ESTIMATED TIME

This will vary, depending on the size of your group. Two minutes per participant is a good average.

TRAINING METHODS

Round-robin discussion

Reflection

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52	THE LEADERSHIP TRAINING ACTIVITY BOOK

MATERIALS

One 4″ × 6″ index card for each person, preprinted with the text shown below. Use colored cards (especially the vivid ones) to add a sense of festivity.

I learned that –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––.

I re-learned that –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––.

I discovered that ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––.

I noticed that –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––.

I was surprised that ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––.

I am disappointed that –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––.

I plan to ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––.

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

None

ROOM SET-UP

Chairs arranged in a circle

Comment

This activity serves a similar purpose to that of the Koosh Ball Game—to help participants re-focus on what was covered in a particular activity or perhaps a segment of the overall leadership program. A review of lessons helps reinforce learning—and thus enhances retention.

Resource

This exercise was adapted from an activity used in Lois Hart’s book Connections. The exercise is an excellent way to involve all participants and bring a workshop in which you must cover many topics to a satisfying close.

LAY THE GROUNDWORK, ENERGIZE PARTICIPANTS, AND THEN CLOSE

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Trainer’s Notes for Activity 12

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE

Step 1: Introduce the activity by saying, “We’ve all had an intense day. As one way of personally evaluating our time together, let’s share with one another some of what we have learned. We will do this by focusing on answers to “sentence stems.”

Step 2: Pass out one preprinted index card to each person and explain the procedure. Say,

“We’ll go around the circle and hear answers to each stem, one at a time. Each person should respond.

Of course, if a stem does not resonate with you, then feel free to pass or provide a stem that more clearly expresses what you wish to share.

Focus on what you have learned about leadership today.”

Participants must not comment on what others say. As facilitator, your role should be to thank each person for each contribution. Don’t elaborate on what they say.

Step 3: Thank you for your contributions. I suggest you record your leaning in your journal. As we adjourn (for a break, lunch, or the session), you might want to talk further with anyone whose “I learned. . . .” resonated with you.

POST-ACTIVITY REVIEW

Take time shortly after conducting this activity to reflect on how it went, how engaged the participants were, and what questions they raised. Then, make notes that include how much time you actually spent on the activity.

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13

WORD SCRAMBLE CLOSURE GAME

Overview of Activity

As a closing activity, this game reviews concepts that realte to the skills demonstrated in the leadership workshop. Working in teams—and against a clock—the features of the skill are “unscrambled” from pre-made cards.

Objectives

To review key concepts learned in the leadership workshop.

To have fun while closing a workshop or program.

Setting Up the Activity

GROUP SIZE

Any number of teams of six (one person per team acts as Game Monitor)

ESTIMATED TIME

20 minutes

TRAINING METHODS

Application

Game

MATERIALS

Ten index cards per group, each card bearing a different leadership concept or skill (word or short phrase—the letters must be scrambled).

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56	THE LEADERSHIP TRAINING ACTIVITY BOOK

EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES

None

ROOM SET-UP

Tables and chairs

Comments

This activity adds the element of competition, so give a prize to the team that successfully unscrambles all of its words first. It is also a way to be sure that participants have learned what is being presented in the leadership workshop.

ADVANCE PREPARATION

Select up to ten words that represent key ideas or skills presented during your leadership workshop. For each word, write the letters on a card, but scramble them up. Clip each set of scrambled-word cards togetherand make sure you have a set of ten for each table group. Here are some suggested words to use:

Leadership	Ethics
Manager	Balance
Flexibility	Conflict
Style	Negotiate
Trust	Coach
Power	Celebrate

Trainer’s Notes for Activity 13

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE

Step 1: Divide participants into teams of six (use the same work groups you have used for other workshop activities, if you wish). Assign the role of Game Monitor to one member of each team. This person stands at the end of the table.

Step 2: Explain how the game is played, using the following guidelines:

One set of scrambled-word cards is placed in the middle of each group’s table. When the game starts, the first person to the right of the Game Monitor selects one card from the pile and tries to identify the correct word, using all the scrambled letters on the card.

LAY THE GROUNDWORK, ENERGIZE PARTICIPANTS, AND THEN CLOSE

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Set a time limit of two minutes to unscramble each word. If the individual can’t identify the correct word, the other group members can help.

When someone has identified the word correctly, the Game Monitor signals the facilitator and asks the participant to explain how the word relates to an important leadership skill.

Repeat this process until each person in each group unscrambles a word and defines it correctly.

Step 3: Award a prize to the team that is first to unscramble all ten words. The prize might be that they are first in line for lunch or it might be a bowl of a special snack or a small gift for each person. Thank everyone for their efforts to unscramble the leadership words.

POST-ACTIVITY REVIEW

Take time shortly after conducting this activity to reflect on how it went, how engaged the participants were, and what questions they raised. Then, make notes that include how much time you actually spent on the activity.