The Strategist

(Refer for the most authentic articles on Building Leadership and Management: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

The Strategist

“The Strategist” is a management game cum role play. It is best suited for the program modules or sessions on “strategy management”, “business plans”, “investment decision”, “cash flow management”, “marketing management”, “product mix decisions” etc.

In this management exercise each participant of the workshop is made to play the role of a strategist for his company. Each participant plays the role of a director of a company and contributes in strategizing company’s future growth plans, investment and cash flow decisions, product mix decisions etc.

To begin the game, you as the program or workshop leader, will distribute to each participant of your program the following written brief:

The brief starts here:

Brief for the Management Game “The Strategist”

You are one of the directors on the board of directors of your company “XYZ Corp”.

XYZ Corp has four strategic business units (SBUs). What each of the SBUs do is given below:

SBU1: It produces and markets a range of products that has a high market share in a low growth rate industry. The market has already matured in this industry. SBU1 is the oldest unit of the company. The unit is highly profitable generating lots of cash but future growth seems quite slow. The unit is a high earner of the company and produces lots of surplus after whatsoever cash it consumes to maintain its operations.

SBU2: The product range of this SBU has low market share in its mature, slow-growing industry. The unit is barely able to break even. The generated cash is just about adequate to maintain the existing market share. The unit employs a significant number of employees who have been loyal employees of the company for quite some time now. Other SBUs of the company occasionally use the resources of this SBU but not on any regular basis.

SBU3: The product range of this SBU is a part of a rapidly growing industry but as of now the SBU has acquired only a small share of the growing market. The future looks prospective though. As per a recent analysis the market share of the products of SBU3 is likely to go up significantly provided the company is willing to invest more in this unit. However, as of now, cash consumption of the unit is much higher than its cash earnings. And one is never too sure what will happen in the future.

SBU4: This unit’s products already have a high market share that too in a fast-growing industry. If the company wants to sustain its leadership position in this sector, this SBU may need extra cash. At this stage it is rather difficult to predict as to when and how soon the growth rate of this particular industry will slide down. The odds are assessed to be marginally in favor of SBU4 as per a recent study. And supporting the unit financially is though to be a prudent decision in order to maintain its supremacy in the market.

You as the director of the company are attending the company’s board meeting right now. The board has to decide on the following points in relation to its four SBUs and your point of view is invited by the board in order to formalize the future strategies for the company. Other directors will also give their points of views and then together the board is to arrive at its final strategic decisions.

1. Examining the relative growth prospects of company’s line of products/SBUs to zero in on the possible avenues of future development.
2. Decisions on growth or continuance or closure or selling of the SBUs.
3. Positioning of the products of the SBUs in the market in terms of their market shares.
4. Decisions on the extent of future cash investments in each of the SBUs.

At the end of the discussions by you and you colleagues, the board will document its decisions on the company’s future strategies and business plans and make a final presentation.

End of the brief.

After distributing the above-cited brief of the management game, you will ask all the participants to read it carefully. After they finish reading divide the participants in to groups; each group consisting of 5 or 7 participants in each group. The group formation should be done randomly (refer the management exercise “Pass the Message” at the link http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/2010/08/pass-message.html

Now each group behaves like the board of directors of the company “XYZ Corp”. You may like to allow them around 45 minutes to conduct their board meeting.

After each group finalizes its strategies, ask each group to make a presentation to you and the rest of the participants.

After each presentation, let the participants ask the questions and the presenting group members should answer them.

Wrap up your session by giving extra inputs on the concepts that emerged in this management exercise.

Get Hold of the Related Books

You can order the following books on "management games and icebreakers" as printed books and eBooks from Amazon online:

1. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
2. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers (Volume 2)
3. Classic Team Building Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
4. 101 Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers

Related Reading: (Repository of a large number of articles in management and leadership): http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com and http://management-universe.blogspot.com

Psychological Strokes

For everything you wanted to know on building leadership and management, refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s website: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)
For you to come out as a brilliant faculty or workshop leader of this topic on “Psychological Strokes” using the management exercise given here, it will be advisable to get a good grasp on this subject before trying out this management exercise. You will get benefited by reading a comprehensive write-up on psychological strokes titled “Positive Strokes” on the website: (Positive Strokes) http://positive-strokes.blogspot.com/

While on this subject, you may also like to refresh your fundamentals on its other related topics on transaction analysis and life positions by referring articles on: (Transaction Analysis- TA) http://transaction-analysis.blogspot.com/ and (Life Positions and OKness) http://life-positions.blogspot.com/

OK, now coming back to this management exercise on psychological strokes; use this exercise to elaborate on the following various types of strokes and to disguising between them:

1. Positive conditional stroke.
2. Positive unconditional stroke.
3. Negative conditional stroke.
4. Negative unconditional stroke.
5. Neutral or indifferent stroke.

This management exercise is in the form of a role play and is capable of arousing a lot of interest and fun amongst your audience in your workshop or seminar on the topics like “Psychological Strokes”, “Positive Strokes”, “Transaction Analysis”, “Motivation”, “Leadership” etc. So, it may work as an energizer too.

You will need five volunteers from your participants’ batch. These five volunteers will act like five employees of a department of an organization. You will also need a sixth participant to enact as their boss or manager.

Ask the rest of the audience to observe the role play attentively and also ask them to take notes on the kind of exchange of communication that will take place between the boss and each of the subordinates one by one.

Each volunteer who is acting like an employee will go to the sixth volunteer who is acting like the boss, turn by turn to show the work that each one has accomplished. The boss will enact one of the five psychological strokes from the ones listed above, preferably in that serial order by speaking out certain dialogues using an appropriate tone befitting that particular stroke which will construe that particular stroke.

After the five enactments are over, ask the participants to identify the strokes that were meted out by the boss to each subordinate. Let them also evaluate the impact of each stroke on its receiver. Ask them to tell you which of the strokes they found to be more effective and why?

You may also initiate a discussion on how well or effectively the strokes were given by the boss?

Supplement the discussion by your own observations as the faculty of the program and provide some additional inputs on the subject to finally wrap up the session.

Get Hold of the Related Books

You can order the following books on "management games and icebreakers" as printed books and eBooks from Amazon online:

1. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
2. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers (Volume 2)
3. Classic Team Building Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
4. 101 Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers

Related Reading: (Repository of a large number of articles in management and leadership): http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com and http://management-universe.blogspot.com

Ego States in Action

For everything you wanted to know on building leadership and management, refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s website: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

(It will be advisable to read some literature on “transaction analysis” and “ego states” in order to appreciate the management exercise given below. For this, you can refer our literature on the subjects published at: (Transaction Analysis- TA) http://transaction-analysis.blogspot.com/, (Life Positions and OKness) http://life-positions.blogspot.com/ and (Positive Strokes) http://positive-strokes.blogspot.com/)
If you are a trainer or a workshop coordinator of programs or seminars on “transaction analysis (TA)” and more specifically on “ego states”, this is the management exercise or role play you can use very effectively in your workshops or seminars. This management exercise also works as an icebreaker in many situations. This can invoke a tremendous participation from the audience if carried out effectively.

You should use this role play subsequent to giving the participants of your program some ideas about what the ego states are; the way they are defined under the discipline of transaction analysis- what kind of words, facial expressions, body postures, tones etc are used by the persons in various ego states.

Then select out some seven volunteers from your audience who feel confident to enact each ego state or at least wish to give it a try.

Give them one sample sentence. It could be any sentence. For example, the sentence could be, “You are good in your job and I appreciate you.” Or it could be any other sentence (you may as well like to involve the participants in the deciding the choice of a sentence). Instruct the volunteers that each of them will enact one ego state by speaking this particular sentence by using the tone and body language appropriate to that particular ego state, Tell them that they can add some additional words or phrases from their side to this sentence as prefix or suffix or in between the sentence to bring out the correct sense of the particular ego states they will be enacting.

Assign one volunteer to enact each of the following seven ego states:

• Critical parent ego state
• Nurturing parent ego state
• Adult ego state
• Free child ego state
• Adapted child ego state
• Rebellious child ego state
• Little professor ego state

Now each volunteer will start enacting the ego state assigned to him. After each act, let the rest of the participants comment on it. You can even ask the enthusiastic participant(s) to enact that ego state any other way or by using some other sentence in some other situation.

Repeat this after every enactment of every ego state by each volunteer. By now there is likely to be lots of involvement from the audience and an increased understanding of the ego states among them.
Wrap up the session by giving additional inputs on the topic you may have to share with the participants of the program.

Get Hold of the Related Books

You can order the following books on "management games and icebreakers" as printed books and eBooks from Amazon online:

1. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
2. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers (Volume 2)
3. Classic Team Building Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
4. 101 Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers

Related Reading: (Repository of a large number of articles in management and leadership): http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com and http://management-universe.blogspot.com

Tag the Emotion

For everything you wanted to know on building leadership and management, refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s website: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)
“Tag the emotion” is an appropriate game with a flavor of role play and group participation. Yet, it is also an individual exercise. This can be best used by you as a program leader or workshop facilitator in your sessions on emotional intelligence (EQ), body language and transaction analysis (TA).

Get a volunteer or pair of two volunteers from the group who will be willing to enact a scene on any one human emotion. Let him/them decide which emotion will be enacted; this decision will be kept confidential and therefore will not be known to you and the rest of the participants.

Instruct the audience to identify the emotion or feeling enacted by the volunteer(s). After the enactment of the emotion and it’s labeling is over, ask the participants if they were able to identify the emotion just enacted. Let them share their answers with everyone. Check it out with the actor(s) whether the answers given by the participants are correct.

Now call upon another volunteer(s) to do a role play or enactment of another emotion or feeling. Ask the audience to tag that emotion too. Facilitate a discussion among the participants in the manner described earlier.

Try to cover as many important emotions as possible by repeating the above-mentioned exercise. If you wish to see a comprehensive list of all the emotions/feelings, refer: http://emotion-feeling.blogspot.com/

After all the important emotions/feelings have been covered, ask the participants if it is important to develop and apply the skill of tagging the emotions of self and others and why? What do the human emotions convey? Are they important? Do they, at times, see that the spoken words and emotions expressed by the same person do not complement each other- what is more important; emotions or spoken words? Facilitate such discussion among the participants.

Supplement the participants’ discussion with the theoretical inputs you wish to give on the topics of emotional intelligence (EQ), body language and transaction analysis (TA). Wrap up the session.

Get Hold of the Related Books

You can order the following books on "management games and icebreakers" as printed books and eBooks from Amazon online:

1. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
2. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers (Volume 2)
3. Classic Team Building Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
4. 101 Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers

Related Reading: (Repository of a large number of articles in management and leadership): http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com and http://management-universe.blogspot.com

Additional Reading Opportunities

Alphabetic List of of Management Topics and Their Site URLs
(The term "management" here does not limit itself to just about business management but it encompasses management of all kinds of things like life management, home management, family management, health management, travel management, food management and so on).

Home Pages for All the Topics

1. (Home Pages for Brief Introduction to All the Business Management Topics) http://management-universe.blogspot.com/, http://management-universe-enotes.blogspot.com/ and http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

2. (Home Page for All General and Psychological Counseling) http://counselingfamily.blogspot.com/

3. (Home Page for All Home Tips: Home and Family Management) http://home-tips-tricks.blogspot.com/

4. (Home Page for All Products: Products Knowledge Management) http://products-all.blogspot.com/

Topics Starting with Numbers

(5S Housekeeping) http://5s-housekeeping.blogspot.com/
(5S Housekeeping at Home: Home Management) http://5s-housekeeping-home.blogspot.com/

Topics Starting with Alphabets

A
(ABC Analysis or Pareto Analysis or 80/20 Rule) http://abc-pareto-analysis.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2011/07/20/abc-analysis-or-pareto-analysis/
(Activity Based Costing- ABC) http://activitybased-costing.blogspot.com/
(Advertising) http://advertising-mass-communication.blogspot.com/
(Anecdotes in Management) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
(Anger Management) http://controlling-anger.blogspot.com/
(Articles, blogs and knols of Shyam Bhatawdekar: Home Page) http://writings-of-shyam.blogspot.com/
(Assertiveness) http://assertiveness-skill.blogspot.com/
(Assessment Centers) http://assessment-centers.blogspot.com/
(Authentic and Free Management Notes) http://authentic-management-notes.blogspot.com/
(A to Z of Management Systems) http://a-z-management-systems.blogspot.com/
(A to Z of Quality Techniques) http://a-z-quality-techniques.blogspot.com/

B
(Balanced Scorecard) http://balanced-scorecard-system.blogspot.com/
(Basic Statistics) http://statistics-basic.blogspot.com/
(Behavioral Safety) http://behavioral-safety.blogspot.com/
(Benchmarking) http://benchmarking-system.blogspot.com/
(Body Language or Non-verbal Communication) http://body-language-communication.blogspot.com/
(Books- Best Books) http://best-book-list.blogspot.com/
(Books- Best Management Books) http://best-management-books.blogspot.com/
(Boundaryless) http://shyambhatawdekar.blogspot.com/
(Brainstorming) http://brainstorming-technique.blogspot.com/
(Branding- Personal/Professional Branding http://professional-branding.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/
(Business Ethics and Ethics in Management) http://business-management-ethics.blogspot.com/
(Business Plan) http://business-plan-preparation.blogspot.com/
(Business Process Reengineering- BPR) http://business-process-reengineering-bpr.blogspot.com/

C
(Career Planning within Organizations) http://organizational-career-planning.blogspot.com/
(Case Method) http://case-method.blogspot.com/
(Case Studies in Management) http://corporate-case-studies.blogspot.com/
(CEO Roles, Qualities and Competencies) http://ceo-qualities.blogspot.com/
(Change Management) http://manage-change.blogspot.com/
(Child Development: Stories for Children) http://stories-children.blogspot.com/
(Children’s Behavior Problems: Family Management) http://child-behavior-problems.blogspot.com/
(Coaching) http://coaching-skill.blogspot.com/
(Communication) http://communication-for-business.blogspot.com/
(Competencies- Life Management) http://shyam-bhatawdekar.blogspot.com/
(Competency Matrix/Competency Mapping: Success by Building Competencies/Skills) http://competency-matrix-mapping.blogspot.in/
(Competency Mapping) http://competency-map.blogspot.com/
(Competency Matrix) http://competency-matrix.blogspot.com/
(Conflict Management) http://manage-conflict.blogspot.com/
(Corporate Governance) http://corporate-governance-policy.blogspot.com/
(Cost Management) http://cost-management-control.blogspot.com/
(Cost of Quality- COQ) http://cost-of-quality.blogspot.com/
(Counseling at Workplace)http://counseling-skill.blogspot.com/
(Counseling: Psychological) http://counselingfamily.blogspot.com/
(Creativity- Out of Box Articles) http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/
(Creativity and Innovation) http://creativity-management.blogspot.com/
(Critical Thinking skills) http://critical-thinking-skills.blogspot.com/
(Cross Cultural Etiquette and Manners) http://cross-cultural-etiquette.blogspot.com/
(Customer Orientation) http://customer-orientation.blogspot.com/
(Customer Relationship management- CRM) http://customer-relationship-crm.blogspot.com/

D
(Daily Management) http://daily-management.blogspot.com/
(Decision Making) http://decision-making-role.blogspot.com/
(Delegation) http://delegation-skill.blogspot.com/

(Democracy) http://democracy-liberation.blogspot.com/
(Design for Manufacture) http://design-for-manufacture.blogspot.com/
(Dining Etiquette and Table Manners) http://dining-manners.blogspot.com/
(Discipline at Work) http://discipline-at-work.blogspot.com/

E
(Effectiveness and Efficiency) http://effectiveness-efficiency.blogspot.com/
(Effectiveness Management: HSoftware) http://humansoftware.blogspot.com/
(Efficiency Techniques: Work study: Motion and Time Study) http://work-study-measurement.blogspot.com/
(Efficient Work Methods or Practices) http://efficient-work-methods.blogspot.com/
(Email Etiquette) http://email-etiquette-manners.blogspot.com/
(Emotions) http://emotion-feeling.blogspot.com/
(Emotional Intelligence) http://emotional-quotient-intelligence.blogspot.com/
(Empowerment) http://employee-empowerment.blogspot.com/
(Enterprise Resource Planning- ERP) http://erp-management.blogspot.com/
(Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneur) http://entrepreneurship-entrepreneur.blogspot.com/
(Entertainment Management- English Movies) http://popular-movies.blogspot.com/
(Entertainment Management- Hindi Movies) http://hindi-movies-choice.blogspot.com/
(Executive Etiquette and Manners) http://executive-manners.blogspot.com/
(Exit Interview) http://exit-interview.blogspot.com/

F
(Financial Ratios and Financial Ratio Analysis) http://financial-ratios.blogspot.com/
(Financial Services) http://finance-related-services.blogspot.com/
(Free and Authentic Notes on Management) http://authentic-management-notes.blogspot.com/
(Functions of Management) http://functions-of-management.blogspot.com/
(Food Management: Recipes, Easy to Cook) http://easytocook-recipes.blogspot.com/
(Food Management: Recipes, Exotic) http://tastetherecipes.blogspot.com/

G
(Games and Icebreakers for Trainers) http://training-games.blogspot.com/
(Gemba Kaizen) http://gemba-kaizen-improvement.blogspot.com/
(General Knowledge Management- GK) http://general-knowledge-gk.blogspot.com/
(General Knowledge Management- Top 5/Top 10 of Everything) http://top-five-everything.blogspot.com/
(Genuine Professional- Long Article) http://professional-genuine.blogspot.in/
(Global Mindset) http://global-mindset.blogspot.com/
(Goal/Target Setting) http://goal-target-setting.blogspot.com/
(Good Boss) http://good-boss.blogspot.com/
(Great Professional)  http://professional-genuine.blogspot.in/
(Group Discussion) http://group-discussion-gd.blogspot.com/
(Group Discussion for Job Seekers and Students) http://group-discussion-gd.blogspot.com/
(Group Dynamics) http://group-dynamics-process.blogspot.com/

H
(Health and Safety Management) http://safety-health-management.blogspot.com/
(Health Management- Cholesterol Control) http://controlling-cholesterol.blogspot.com/
(Health Management- Homeopathy) http://homeopathy-medicines.blogspot.com/
(Health Management- Exercises) http://exercises-plan.blogspot.com/
(Health Management- Quit Smoking) http://quit-smoking-plan.blogspot.com/
(Health management- Swine Flu and Its Prevention) http://swine-flu-precaution.blogspot.com/
(Health Management- Walking) http://walking-plan.blogspot.com/
(How to Be a Good Boss?) http://good-boss.blogspot.com/
(How to Get Promoted?) http://get-promoted.blogspot.com/
(How to Save Money?) http://save-money-ideas.blogspot.com/
(How to Save Money?- Long Comprehensive Article) http://manage-moneysaving.blogspot.in/
(Home Management- Home Page for All Home Tips) http://home-tips-tricks.blogspot.com/
(HR Dynamics) http://hrm-dynamics.blogspot.com/
(HR Strategies and Functions) http://strategic-functions-hrm.blogspot.com/
(Human Capital Architecture) http://human-capital-architecture.blogspot.com/
(Human Relations) http://human-relations-aspect.blogspot.com/
(Human Resource Management- Comprehensive Coverage of HRM) http://human-resource-management-hrm.blogspot.com/
(Human Resource Planning) http://human-resource-planning.blogspot.com/
(Human Software- HSoftware) http://human-software-hsoftware.blogspot.com/

I
(I Am Liberated- Life Management) http://i-am-liberated.blogspot.in/
(I Am OK, You Are OK) http://life-positions.blogspot.com/
(Icebreakers and Energizers) http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/
(Internal Motivation or Self Motivation) http://internal-motivation.blogspot.com/
(Interpersonal Relations) http://interpersonal-relations.blogspot.com/
(Interview Skills) http://interviewing-skill.blogspot.com/
(Interview Preparation for Job Seekers) http://interview-preparation-jobs.blogspot.com/
(Interview Questions) http://interview-question-bank.blogspot.com/

J 
(Johari Window) http://johari-window-model.blogspot.com/
(Just in Time Management- JIT) http://just-in-time-management.blogspot.com/

K
(Kaizen) http://kaizen-improvement.blogspot.com/
(Knowledge Management) http://knowledge-management-initiative.blogspot.com/

L
(Lead Time Management) http://lead-time-management.blogspot.com/
(Leadership) http://lead-max.blogspot.com/ and http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com
(Lean Enterprise) http://lean-organization.blogspot.com/
(Learning Organization) http://learning-organization-profile.blogspot.com/
(Life Management- Latest HSoftware Model) http://life-effectiveness.blogspot.in/
(Life Management- I Am Liberated; Freedom from Shackles and Burdens) http://i-am-liberated.blogspot.in/
(Life Management: Success in Life) http://success-complete.blogspot.in/
(Life Management: My Exotic Dream: World Peace and Other Good Things of Life)

http://exotic-dreaming.blogspot.in/

(Life Positions and OKness) http://life-positions.blogspot.com/
(Life Skills) http://life-skills-competencies.blogspot.com/
(Listening) http://listen-skills.blogspot.com/

M
(Management Anecdotes) http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
(Managenent Books- Best Books) http://best-book-list.blogspot.com/
(Management Book- Best Books) http://best-management-books.blogspot.com/
(Management Games, Management Exercises, Icebreakers and Energizers)http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/
(Managing Life- Freedom from Shackles and Burdens) http://i-am-liberated.blogspot.in/
(Management in Life, Profession, Family and Society) http://life-effectiveness.blogspot.in/
(Management Information System- MIS) http://management-information-system-mis.blogspot.com/
(Managing/conducting Meetings) http://managing-meetings.blogspot.com/
(Management Notes- Free and Authentic) http://authentic-management-notes.blogspot.com/
(Marginal Utility) http://marginal-utility-concept.blogspot.com/
(Marketing Management Overview) http://marketing-management-overview.blogspot.com/
(Marketing Orientation) http://marketing-orientation.blogspot.com/
(Marketing Management Tasks) http://marketing-management-tasks.blogspot.com/
(Market research) http://market-research-function.blogspot.com/
(Market Segmentation) http://market-segment.blogspot.com/
(Mentoring) http://mentor-mentorship.blogspot.com/
(Money Management: How to Save Money) http://save-money-ideas.blogspot.com/
(Money Management: How to Save Money- Long Comprehensive Article) http://manage-moneysaving.blogspot.in/
(Motivation) http://motivation-people.blogspot.com/
(Management Encyclopedia- Everything on Management and Leadership) http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

N
(Negotiation Skills) http://negotiating-skills.blogspot.com/
(Negotiation Tactics) http://negotiation-tactics.blogspot.com/
(Non-verbal Communication or Body Language) http://body-language-communication.blogspot.com/

O
(Objection Handling) http://objection-handling.blogspot.com/
(OKness or Life Positions) http://life-positions.blogspot.com/
(Opportunities in Recession) http://recession-opportunity.blogspot.in/
(Organization Development- OD) http://organization-development-od.blogspot.com/
(Organizational Culture) http://organizational-culture-values.blogspot.com/
(Out of Box Ideas) http://wow-idea.blogspot.com/
(Outsourcing) http://outsourcing-contracting.blogspot.com/
(Ownership on Job) http://job-ownership.blogspot.com/

P
(Paradigm and Paradigm Shift) http://paradigm-mindset.blogspot.com/
(Parental Responsibilities- family management) http://parental-responsibilities.blogspot.com/
(Pareto Analysis or ABC Analysis or 80/20 Rule) http://abc-pareto-analysis.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.net/index.php/2011/07/20/abc-analysis-or-pareto-analysis/
(Participative Processes, Participative Management- Democracy) http://democracy-liberation.blogspot.com/
(Performance Management: Wholesome HR System) http://performance-management-appraisal.blogspot.com/
(Performance Management and Appraisal) http://performance-appraisal-management.blogspot.com/
(Personality) http://human-personality.blogspot.com/
(Personal Branding) http://professional-branding.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/
(Positive Strokes) http://positive-strokes.blogspot.com/
(Presentation Skills) http://presentation-effectiveness.blogspot.com/
(Problem Solving) http://problem-solving-skill.blogspot.com/
(Product Knowledge: Home Page for All Products) http://products-all.blogspot.com/
(Product Knowledge- Cars) http://cars-products.blogspot.com/
(Product Knowledge- Chocolates) http://chocolates-products.blogspot.com/
(Product Knowledge- Flowers) http://flowers-products.blogspot.com/
(Product Knowledge- Greeting Cards) http://greeting-cards-products.blogspot.com/
(Product Knowledge- Cell Phones) http://mobilephones-products.blogspot.com/
(Professional- Genuine Professional) http://professional-genuine.blogspot.in/
(Professional Branding) http://professional-branding.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/
(Profit Improvement) http://profit-improvement.blogspot.com/
(Project Management) http://management-of-project.blogspot.com/
(Psychological Strokes) http://positive-strokes.blogspot.com/
(Public Speaking) http://public-speak-skill.blogspot.com/

Q
(Qualities of CEO) http://ceo-qualities.blogspot.com/
(Quality Circles History) http://quality-circles-history.blogspot.com/
(Quality Circles) http://quality-circles.blogspot.com/
(Quality Function Deployment- QFD and House of Quality) http://quality-function-deployment.blogspot.com/
(Quality Gurus) http://quality-gurus.blogspot.com/

R
(Recession: How to Avert Recession, How to Combat Recession and Then, How to Move Ahead?) http://recession-global.blogspot.in/
(Recession Management) http://recession-management.blogspot.com/
(Recession: Opportunities in Recession) http://recession-opportunity.blogspot.in/
(Recruitment and Selection) http://recruitment-selection.blogspot.com/
(Research Methodology) http://research-work-methodology.blogspot.com/

S
(Safety and Health Management) http://safety-health-management.blogspot.com/
(Sales/Selling Process) http://selling-process.blogspot.com/
(Sales Promotion) http://sales-promotion.blogspot.com/
(Save Money) http://save-money-ideas.blogspot.com/
(Self-awareness: Getting Introduced to Self) http://self-concept-awareness.blogspot.in/
(Self-concept) http://self-concept-image.blogspot.com/
(Self-concept) http://self-image-concept.blogspot.com/
(Self-confidence) http://self-confidence-improvement.blogspot.com/
(Self Development) http://managing-self.blogspot.com/
(Self Motivation or Internal Motivation) http://internal-motivation.blogspot.com/
(Shyam Bhatawdekar's articles, blogs and knols: Home Page) http://writings-of-shyam.blogspot.com/
(Shyam Bhatawdekar's Effectiveness Model- HSoftware) http://humansoftware.blogspot.com/, http://human-software-hsoftware.blogspot.com/
(Six Sigma) http://six-sigma-system.blogspot.com/
(Six Thinking Hats) http://six-thinking-hats.blogspot.com/
(Soft Skills) http://soft-skills-competencies.blogspot.com/
(Soft Skills/Competencies: Details of Each Competency) http://soft-competencies-skills.blogspot.com/
(Spiritual Quotient/Intelligence) http://spiritual-quotient.blogspot.com/
(Stories for Children for Child Development) http://stories-children.blogspot.com/
(Statistics- Basics) http://statistics-basic.blogspot.com/
(Strategic Management) http://strategic-managing.blogspot.com/
(Stress Management) http://managing-stress-strain.blogspot.com/
(Stress Management: Stress Freedom: Long Comprehensive Article) http://stress-freedom.blogspot.in/
(Sub-contracting) http://outsourcing-contracting.blogspot.com/
(Success) http://success-achievement.blogspot.com/
(Success in Life: Life Management) http://success-complete.blogspot.in/
(Supply Chain Management) http://manage-supply-chain.blogspot.com/
(Supply and Demand) http://supply-demand-laws.blogspot.com/
(Swine Flu and Its Prevention) http://swine-flu-precaution.blogspot.com/

T
(Talent Management) http://managing-talent.blogspot.com/
(Team Building) http://team-building-working.blogspot.com/
(Telephone Etiquette) http://telephone-etiquette.blogspot.com/
(Three Sixty Degrees Appraisal System) http://three-sixty-degrees-feedback.blogspot.com/
(Time Management) http://time-life-management.blogspot.com/
(Total Productive Maintenance- TPM) http://total-productive-maintenance.blogspot.com/
(Total Quality Management- TQM) http://total-quality-concept.blogspot.com/
(Training and Development) http://training-function.blogspot.com/
(Training Games) http://training-games.blogspot.com/
(Trainers’ Qualities) http://trainers-qualities.blogspot.com/
(Train the Trainers) http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/
(Train the Trainers) http://train-trainer.blogspot.com/
(Training of Trainers- Comprehensive at One Place) http://training-of-trainers.blogspot.com/
(Transaction Analysis- TA) http://transaction-analysis.blogspot.com/
(Tourism, Travel and Sightseeing Management- India) http://india-tours-sightseeing.blogspot.com/
(Tourism, Travel and Sightseeing Management- World) http://sightseeing-guide.blogspot.com/
(Tourism, Trave and Sightseeing Management- World Heritage Sites) http://world-heritage-spots.blogspot.com/
(TRIZ: Inventive Problem Solving) http://triz-problem-solving.blogspot.com/

V
(Value Engineering/Analysis) http://value-engineering-analysis.blogspot.com/

W
(Winners and Losers) http://winners-losers.blogspot.com/
(Work Study: Method Study and Work Measurement) http://workstudy-measurement.blogspot.com/
(Work Methods or Practices: Efficient) http://efficient-work-methods.blogspot.com/
(World Class Manufacturing) http://world-class-manufacturing.blogspot.com/
(Writings of Shyam Bhatawdekar on Management) http://writings-of-shyam.blogspot.com/
(Written Communication) http://written-communication.blogspot.com/

Z
(Zero Based Budgeting) http://zero-based-budgeting.blogspot.com/

Negotiate and Sell

For everything you wanted to know on building leadership and management, refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s website: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)
This management exercise is in the form of a role play. This role play can be used by you as the workshop facilitator or program leader of sessions on sales management, selling skills and negotiations. It is a group exercise.

Divide the participants of your program in at least three groups randomly (you can have more than three groups as well). For random formation of groups, use the method given in the management exercise titled “Pass the Message”.

One group will act as a “buyer” group or “buyer” company. Each of the other groups will act as the “supplier” group or “supplier’ company. “Buyer” is interested in buying a number of units of some product “X” from the open market and all the “suppliers” producing and selling that item “X” have shown interest by sending their proposals to the buyer quoting their commercial terms and conditions.

You being the program leader will distribute the exercise or role play brief to the buyer company. You will also distribute another brief to each of the seller (supplier) companies. The briefs given to each of the suppliers will be unique in their contents. Therefore if there are three groups acting as sellers you will have to prepare three different briefs.

Formats of the buyer brief and seller (supplier) briefs are given below. In this illustration, three suppliers are assumed. Product to be bought by the buyer is named as “X” and instead of giving the prices of the product “X” offered by the three suppliers in numerical terms; these has been specified as $M1, $M2 and $M3. Replace M1, M2 and M3 by some numerical values.

After giving the briefs, ask the four groups to reflect over it and conduct an internal discussions before they meet up for negotiations. Each supplier group will meet up with the buyer group one at a time, turn by turn. The supplier groups can meet the buyer group any number of times they wish to meet depending upon the buyer’s decision to do so.

After the sale has been made, share with all the participants all of the finally negotiated terms and conditions from the three suppliers and the one which finally won the order from the buyer.
Let the participants discuss the entire exercise and you should give additional appropriate inputs on negotiations and selling and wrap up the exercise.

The exercise briefs start now:

BUYER BRIEF (for “ABC Engineering” company)
Your company “ABC Engineering” supplies automobile components to the growing automobile manufacturers. With severe competition setting in, it has become imperative to cut down on costs, reduce rejection and rework and improve the overall productivity. In addition to taking other measures to do so, you have made up your mind to fit a special equipment called “X” to boost the productivity on at least 4 machines to start with. You have another 6 machines which are good candidates for this productivity boosting fitment called “X”. However, you wish to wait and see the results after fitting the first 4 “X”. You do have some constraints on money to be spent.

You have received quotations from three parties. Today you have invited representatives of these suppliers for discussions and negotiations along with you and your colleagues. Someone had told you recently that “Productivity Specialists” (one of the three suppliers) is more established supplier but you are keeping your mind open.

Quotations from the parties are as given below:

• Price: $M1 per “X” from “Productivity Specialists” (Other two parties have quoted a price of $M2, and $M3 each which are significantly lower than offered by “Productivity Specialists”).
• Delivery terms: Four weeks from “Productivity Specialists” and three and two weeks respectively from other two parties.
• Warranty: Two years unconditional from “Productivity Specialists” (As against one year of other parties)
• Payment terms: 40% advance, remaining within two weeks of delivery. Other parties have quoted 25% and 20% advance payment.

Following terms are acceptable to you:

• Maximum Price: $M4 per “X” which is lower than M1 but may be higher than M2 and M3 (Willing to pay slightly more than M4 if satisfied on other requirements and terms).
• Delivery: One week.
• Warranty: As much as possible (However, you are satisfied with even one year warranty as other parties have offered).
• Payment terms: Not more than 10% advance but keeping the advance payment to the minimum.
• Excellent after sales service since you do not want any breakdowns of the equipment “X”.

Your priorities are:

1. The equipment “X” should be very reliable.
2. There should not be any breakdown of product “X” and if at all there is one, the same should be set right within 48 hours.
3. Quickest possible delivery (literally on yesterday basis).

You are prepared to place the order on “Productivity Specialists” in case you and your team are satisfied on the above-mentioned points.
SELLER (SUPPLIER) BRIEF (one brief for each of the suppliers with appropriate terms and conditions offered by them as reflected earlier under “Buyer brief”. Following brief is for “Productivity Specialists” as an illustration)
You are sales in-charge of your company. After one meeting with the purchase manager of “ABC Engineering”, a medium sized firm manufacturing automobile components for the automobile companies (which is a growing sector), you have given them the following quotation for your product “X”. During the first meeting not much information was given by “ABC Engineering” except that they wished to fit a few of their machines with your equipment “X” so as to improve the overall productivity of their factory:

• Price: $M1 per “X” (based on the client’s projected requirement of 3 to 4 units of “X”).
• Delivery terms: Four weeks.
• Warranty: Two years unconditional.
• Payment terms: 40% advance, remaining within two weeks of delivery

You along with your team have been called by the top management team of “ABC Engineering” for discussions and negotiations.
Before the negotiation meeting you have contacted your company’s head quarters (corporate office) and they have advised and authorized you as follows:

• To reduce the price only under extreme case by $m1 per “X” and not more than that.
  Delivery can be made earlier than four weeks minimum being one week.
• You must try to get maximum advance possible. Can go down to not less than 10%. It should have some relationship to price etc.
• You can negotiate further and lower the price by a further $m2 provided you can secure an order for at least two more units of “X”.

At present you have no clue as to how many machines in all they want to fit with your productivity boosting equipment “X”.
All you know is that they are very serious about the improvement of the productivity of the plant.
You are required to negotiate to get the best possible terms and conditions, maintain the leadership position of your company and above all satisfy your this customer the best possible way.
You are quite keen to secure this order but definitely not at the cost of loss to your organization.

Get Hold of the Related Books

You can order the following books on "management games and icebreakers" as printed books and eBooks from Amazon online:

1. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
2. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers (Volume 2)
3. Classic Team Building Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
4. 101 Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers

Related Reading: (Repository of a large number of articles in management and leadership): http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com and http://management-universe.blogspot.com

The Counters

Objective of "The Counters" game (in the form of role play) is to simulate the conditions of an organization or simulate the conditions of the market place and help participants of the workshop or the seminar realize as to what happens in the organization or in the market place in terms of intra-group communication, inter-group communication, leader-follower relationship and its impact on mutual trust building, information sharing and its impact on results, why information sharing is so critical, the types of approaches one takes with reference to others to transact business and their impact on it, types of negotiations and necessity for win-win approach to maximize the gains of everyone concerned. In addition to emphasize the need for information sharing and effective negotiations, this role play also allows participants to use their selling skills in the best possible ways.

It is a highly participative game and also acts as a good energizer.

You are the program leader or workshop facilitator and you will administer "The Counters" game. Divide the participants into three equal teams. Selection of participants in each team will be done randomly. Please refer the method of random selection given in an earlier exercise "Pass the Message" at http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/2010/08/pass-message.html. Each team will be asked by you to select their team leaders by way of internal discussions within the teams.

Give to each team some assets in the form of counters (the ones that are used in the playing cards game "rummy"). Also give some cash made up of some specific denomination of coins to each team. The counters will be of various colors. The types of colors of the counters as well as the quantity of counters and cash will not be known to anybody except you.

Instruct each team to maximize its points within specified time limit. The rules and details regarding how the points will be earned by each team are given later in this write-up.

Achieving the objective of maximization of the points will be through the process of negotiations in an assembly (meeting) of the leaders of the teams. A common place in the seminar room will be earmarked for these meetings. The leaders of the teams can make their own choices of meeting the other team leaders in any way they like. They are free to meet one on one or all team leaders may decide to meet all at one time. They can meet between themselves any number of times they please during the game. Before every meeting and after every meeting they can confer with the rest of their team members.

During the meetings they will transact the business which may consist of sharing information, exchanging the counters among them by exchanging counter with counter or counter with cash or cash with counter or counter with transfer of information or any other way imaginable.

The rules and details regarding how the points will be accrued by the teams are given below:


Individual colors of the counters will not have any point attached to them. Therefore, the teams can score in following three ways:

1. By forming a set containing all the available counters of one color (distributed throughout the three teams). The value will be 100 points per such set.
2. By forming a set comprising one counter of each available color (distributed throughout the three teams). The value will be 25 points per such set.
3. By holding the cash within the team. The value will be 1 point per coin.

After all the teams declare that they have completed their negotiations and transactions and thus have completed the game, ask the team leaders to show you what kinds of sets of counters they have made and how much cash they carry. Depending on it, work out the points made by each team. Declare the results.
Conduct discussions among all the participants and with you to realize as to what happened in the game, what went wrong, what went right and what did they learn.
Round up the game by giving your own observations and analysis and what could have been a better way of playing the game. Emphasize on the importance of trust building, information sharing and an open and win-win approach.

Get Hold of the Related Books

You can order the following books on "management games and icebreakers" as printed books and eBooks from Amazon online:

1. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
2. Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers (Volume 2)
3. Classic Team Building Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers
4. 101 Classic Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers

Related Reading: (Repository of a large number of articles in management and leadership): http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com and http://management-universe.blogspot.com