Today’s energiser will focus on your arms. The purpose of this game is to reflect on how people work as a team. They can also reflect on how their work preferences influence their behaviour and the outcomes of the task.

Here are some easy to follow instructions below.


Armed with obstacles

Instructions

1. Set an obstacle course using resources available. For example if you are in a training room use chairs to create a winding snake like pattern. Place some chairs standing up and others lying on their side.

2. Ask the whole group to link arms.

3. Demonstrate twice (slowly) how they are to go through the obstacle course successfully. Don’t make it too easy. For example ask them to climb over a chair then pick up a pen off the floor and place it somewhere up high.

4. Tell your team there will be 3 rounds. The aim of the first round is for the team to familiarise themselves with the course and to demonstrate they can do it safely as a team. The second round is timed and the aim is to get through the course swiftly. The final round is to see if they can beat their previous time.

5. The rules are:

• They cannot unlink their arms
• If they forget any part of the course, for example they walk around a chair instead of climbing over it, 5 seconds is added onto their time.
• This is a team game and everyone must be involved.
• Safety is a primary concern for the team and everyone is responsible for this. The game will stop if any unsafe behaviour occurs.

6. Before starting, give the team 4 minutes to discuss how they will tackle this task. Encourage them to consider their preferred team roles highlighted in their Team Management Profiles. For example: What are their RIDO preferences? Should they lay down some ground rules to ensure they communicate effectively?

Training tip: You might also like to encourage the team to appoint a safety inspector. Who would be the best person for this role?

7. Start the first round!

Training tip: After each round give the team a few minutes to talk about how they went, what they did well and what they could improve on next time.

8. After the last round congratulate the team for their effort.

Training tip: You can finish this game by drawing it back to the idea that working successfully in a team requires everyone to communicate with everyone, not just the person you’re linking arms with. Back at work this means if you’re physically separated from team members you still need to make sure they are kept in the loop. For our TMS practitioners, you can highlight that communicating successfully with everyone requires Linking Skills which are the key to high-performing teams and a well-oiled Team Management Wheel.

I hope you enjoy running this training activity. If you have any suggestions or comments, add them below and I’ll get back to you. Tomorrow, we will look at energising the feet!

Best wishes,

Sarah