Remember as Much as You Can

(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/)

Remember as Much as You Can

As an effective workshop/seminar leader you need an effective management exercise or game as an opener. "Remember as Much as You Can" fills up this need pretty well. You can use this individual and group exercise in your sessions or modules on personal/professional effectiveness enhancement, observation skills, team work, team building, strategy formulation, communication, synergy, time management etc.

Tell the participants of your workshop/seminar that each of them should give you one item that they have with them. It could be anything. They will receive that item back in their possession after the exercise is over. Preferably it should be an inexpensive item. Go to each one of them personally and collect the item. Make sure that you pick up from each one of them a unique item such that no item is duplicated. Advice the participants that they better remember the item they are handing over to you in order to retrieve their item after the exercise is finished.

This way you would have collected the number of unique items that will equal the number of participants. If the number of participants are less, add a few items from your side to make the total number of items equal to around 25 to 30 or so.

Place all of these items haphazardly on a table in the seminar room. Make sure to keep the items separated from each other so that these can be seen clearly.

Ask the participants to come near the table and observe the items paced on the table. They should observe and remember as many items as they can. Give them one minute to observe. Then they should revert to their seating place. Let them write down the names of the items they observed and remembered in their writing pads. Let them also make a count of it. They should turn over the page on which they wrote and open a fresh page in their note pad. They will not refer the earlier page until told to do so.

Now divide the participants randomly into a few groups; each group consisting of around 5 participants. Members of each group will sit together in a circle. Ask them they they will have to carry out the same exercise as a group. Each group should try to maximize its total number of observations. Before starting the exercise in groups, members in each group can have an internal meeting and discussion on how they wish to maximize their observations as a group.

Allow members of each group to go near the table group by group and make the observations for one minute and then return to their seating place. After coming back to their seats each member can write down the items seen and remembered by him on a fresh sheet of paper in his note pad. Later on they can pool up their individual item lists and make one common long list of all the combined observations in each group. Each group will count the total number of items they observed and put down that number on the paper.

Now ask each person the count of observations they made when they had carried out this exercise individually. Also ask each group to tell you the number of total observations they made during group working.

Invariably it will be seen that when participants worked as groups they performed much better together as compared to when they did the exercise individually.

Initiate a discussion and allow the participants to talk. The discussion will help clarify the issues and concepts related to observation skills, memory power, strategy formulation, team work, team building and synergy. Part of the discussion may also touch some aspects of time management.

Close the session with your observations, comments and any additional theoretical inputs you wish to give.

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

Line Up by Birth Dates

(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/)

Line Up by Birth Dates

You as seminar facilitator or workshop leader will find in this management game the elements of an excellent group exercise, energizer and icebreaker. As a participative game you can administer it as an icebreaker at the start of your program or you can use it for your sessions/modules on strategy formulation, leadership, team work, coordination, communication and discipline.

After all the participants of the program have come in, tell them to stand up from their seats if they are sitting and line them up in a straight line.

Now instruct them to rearrange themselves in the line in the order of their birth dates as per the conditions you will specify soon.

The conditions are:

• The person born on 1st January should be heading the line and the person born on 31st December should stand at the other end of the straight line. Others should arrange in between these two persons in order of their birth dates.
• In carrying out the re-arrangement no one will speak with each other at all.
• In carrying out the re-arrangement no one will write down anything anywhere.

Allow them 15 minutes to carry out this exercise.

If they fail to complete the group task in the allotted time, extend the time by five more minutes.

If they declare that they have now lined up by their birth dates, check it out by asking them to declare their birth dates loudly. If they have lined up correctly, congratulate them and let them tell you how they achieved such a perfect result.

If they have not been able to carry out the task or they carried out the task incorrectly, let them tell you what went wrong. What they could have done to achieve the desired result?

Wrap up the game by sharing your observations and comments with them. In case they have not been able to figure out how the task could have been accomplished, fill them up with your suggestions.

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

Treasure Hunt

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/)

If as a faculty or as a workshop or seminar leader, you are conducting the sessions on team work, team building, consensus building, creativity, time management etc you can use “Treasure Hunt” with advantage. It is also a good management exercise to check the knowledge assimilation level of the participants on the topics that you have imparted the through your program. You can also administer this game for the new recruits in an organization to check up their understanding level about the organization they joined.

As a management game, “Treasure Hunt” consists of a set of clues that lead to a treasure. The treasure will be in the form of a prize. The prize can range from a minor gift to a major gift to the winner depending on the scale of the game and availability of the budget. It is a group game and invokes lots of participation. It works as an energizer too.

Form groups of 4 to 5 persons per group picked up randomly. The method for grouping the participants in a group randomly is given in the management exercise titled “Pass the Message” at http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/2010/08/pass-message.html.

The clues need to be in form of small tasks or assignments around the topics that you as a faculty have included in your seminar or workshop or if it is an induction program you are conducting for the organization for its new recruits, the clues can touch the different aspects of the organization like its physical facilities, functions of various departments, organizational policies/systems/processes, its products etc. 

The groups formed by you are now are pitted against each other for the game. Set out the time limit for completing the game. Also, a set of rules can be laid down such as:

·Groups are not supposed to take help from any person outside the group.

·Groups are to follow the prescribed route.

·Each place will either have a person who will have the clue or the clue will be hidden

  somewhere and the groups will have to find it out to proceed to next clue.

·There will be marshals everywhere to judge the actions of the groups.

Start by giving each team the first clue or first set of clues. At the end of the clue give a hint of where and from whom the groups can get the second clue or second set of clues. Only when one clue or one set of clues is solved the first task is reckoned to be completed after which the group can move further to the next clue.

The assignments or tasks of solving the clue(s) should be such that the individual skills and the group skills are tested equally.

The first round of clues would be at a simpler level. If a set of many clues is given at one time, the group can choose which clue to crack first depending upon the capability of the group members and considering the time management aspect.

Once the different clues in the first level are solved the groups will get a second set of clue as their next level task or assignment from a place and person whose hint would have been given at the end of the first set of clues. The second level assignments can be tougher than those in the first level. Collating these clues the teams would have to solve the second level of the game and look out for the place and person from where they can get the next level of clues.

Solving the second level would again provide them a set of clues that would lead them to third and final level. The team solving this level in the best possible manner and within the given time limit will be the winner. Levels can be added or deleted depending upon necessity.

All the participants will join you in congratulating the winner group who finally hunted the treasure and thus the prize or gift.

Now, start discussions among the various groups to share as to where they missed out and where they did well and why. They should also come out with suggestions on how they will like to play the same game again.

Share your observations about each group and various participants with a positive critique. Fill them in with additional inputs you wish to provide and 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/

Productivity and Creativity 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 is a very simple management game or management exercise and very effective. It also invokes lots of participation from the participants of the seminar or workshop you are conducting as a faculty. It also works like a warm up exercise or energizer and also as an icebreaker.

Objective of this exercise is to help participants appreciate what it takes to improve the productivity. It emphasizes the need to have creativity or out of box thinking and team work.

Explain the participants that you are going to ask them to perform a task together as one team. They will have to work together to achieve the highest productivity possible. Productivity level will be measured by the total time they will take to complete the task. Therefore they should do the task in the minimum possible time. The task assigned will be to pass an object (choose any object) from participant to participant starting from the first participant to the last participant in the seminar hall. Each participant will have to touch the object at least once and at least by one hand for the task to be reckoned as completed. You will note down the time taken to complete the task.

Give the object to the first participant and give them a signal to start doing the task by passing the object. As soon as the past participant receives the object, note the time and share that with the participants and urge them to improve their productivity in the second round of performing the task.

Now the participants are likely to work faster with greater smartness and enthusiasm. They may end up taking much less time. Tell them by what percentage they improved in the second round. 

Coax them to improve their performance still more and allow them to undertake the same task the third time. Note down the time taken. It may have improved further.

After repeating this exercise for several rounds they will reach a stage where further improvement seems very difficult or if at all they achieve it, it will be very marginal.

At this stage, advise them to discuss among themselves what better methods could they apply in achieving further improvements not just by inches but leaps and bounds. Let them come out with new methods and let them do the same task by using those methods. Motivate them to become still more creative to think about the real out of box thinking to come out with radically different methods to dramatically improve their productivity.

After they have tried all of this, stop the game and start the discussion. Let them point out the essentials of achieving higher productivity levels through their recent experiential learning.

Add your inputs and round up the 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

Many Cooks Need Not Spoil the Broth

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/)As a trainer, workshop coordinator or seminar leader, you can use this management exercise to emphasize several aspects like:

• Many brains are better than one.
• Provided appropriate system of mutual discussion is adopted by the people involved in a group, it is possible to carry out meaningful dialogues and arrive at useful conclusions (many cooks need not spoil the broth).
• Without getting adversarial or personal or emotional, it is possible for various people with different viewpoints to pool in their creative ideas together.
• Thus, synergy works.

The exercise brings in excitement and enthusiasm and thus is an energizer too.
Think of any topic where the participants in your seminar may have different points of views and opinions.

Give them that topic. For example that topic may be related to addressing the environmental hazards affecting the individuals and how to safeguard oneself from them. Or you can choose any other topic.
Now request the participants of your program to discuss on the topic given to them by you on the following points progressively step by step and come to an agreement on each point (you should moderate their discussions making sure that despite having conflicting views points among them, the participants do not become adversarial with each other. You may use techniques like “six thinking hats” http://six-thinking-hats.blogspot.com/ or “brainstorming” http://brainstorming-technique.blogspot.com/ or “problem solving” http://problem-solving-skill.blogspot.com/ or “seven problem solving tools of quality circles” http://quality-circles.blogspot.com/ etc):

• What is the real problem? Steer the discussions towards arriving at the problem definition (problem well defined is half solved).
• What are various important issues involved?
• What are the possible solutions?
• What is/are the best solution(s) as agreed by the participants of the group with consensus?

At the end of this exercise the participants will themselves experience the power of appropriate group process, teamwork and synergy. You may initiate some discussions around these themes among the participants based on this exercise undertaken by them.

Fill them in with any additional inputs you wish to give and 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

How Well Do You Communicate?

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 tests the communication abilities of the participants in the training programs on “communication”, “effective speaking”, “effective listening” and “team work”. The exercise tests the speaking, explaining, discussing, feedback and listening capabilities of the people. You are the workshop or seminar leader or coordinator and you will administer this exercise.

Divide the entire participants into pairs of two participants per pair. The two members of each such pair will be selected randomly. If there are 20 participants in the group, ask first 10 participants to count out their serial numbers from 1 to 10. Then ask the rest of the 10 participants of the group once again to count from 1 to 10. Then serial number 1 from the first half of the group will pair with serial number 1 of the second half of the group. Same way, serial number 2 of the first half of the group will make pair with serial number 2 of the second half of the group and so on. Thus, there will be total of 10 such pairs in a group size of 20 participants.

Now ask the members of each pair to sit back to back, meaning that the back of the first member of the pair will be towards the back of second member of the group. All the pairs will take such positions in the seminar hall.

Instruct the participants that the first member of each pair will communicate to the other member of the pair to duplicate the sketch and the labels on the sketch which he is drawing on his paper with his pen/pencil. He will describe the sketch and the labels step by step so that the second member will be able to duplicate it ditto on his own paper by his own pen/pencil. Both can discuss without looking at each other’s papers. At the end of 15 minutes, ask them to stop.

Now tell the first member of each pair to check the sketch and labels drawn by the second member of the pair and let him find by what percentage the second member could duplicate the instructions of the first member.

Now repeat the exercise by asking the second member of each pair to describe to the first member another sketch and labels which second member will draw and have his first member to duplicate it. At the end of 15 minutes let the second member check how well his first partner has duplicated his instructions. Let him work out the percentage.

Show all the percentages achieved by each person of the entire group for each pair. The percentages indicate the quality and level of communication in each pair.

Start up a sharing of experience session by allowing each pair to share its communication experiences with the rest of the pairs.

Fill them in with your observations and tips for better communication- speaking, explaining, discussions, feedback, listening and team work.

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

Be Quick

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 is a very simple yet very effective management exercise or game. It is a group or participative exercise. You as a program leader or workshop facilitator can use it for your sessions on productivity, work study, method study, work measurement, business process reengineering (BPR), creativity, innovation, layout planning, team work, team building, leadership and motivation. It is also a good warm up game, an icebreaker and an energizer.

Instruct the participants that all of them form a manufacturing and selling organization. Each participant represents one department of the organization. The complete process of manufacturing and dispatching an item as desired by the customer gets completed only when that particular item passes through each and every department (i.e. the participants). Touching the item by one hand by a participant indicates that the department has completed its operation as part of the total process. The item is then passed on to the next participant (department) who also touches it by one hand signifying that he also completed the task assigned to him for that item. This way the item gets circulated from the first participant through the entire chain of participants one by one. The task is reckoned to be completed only if every participant touches the item by his one hand. Otherwise the task is thought to be incomplete.

As soon as all the participants have done their part of the activity on the item i.e. touching the item by one hand at least once and thus have completed the task properly, you will record the time taken to complete the entire task.

You can use any item (for example, a note pad) for the purpose of playing this game.

Before starting the exercise, you must tell them that they should complete the task as quickly as they can. The time taken by them to complete the task will be recorded by you and announced to them.

After the first round of the task completion, tell them the time taken by them and make a comment, “Well, that’s too much time taken by you all. Why don’t you undertake the exercise again and do it quicker to reduce the time?”

Repeat the same comment even after the second round and third round or even fourth round.

By now they would have achieved significant improvement in their timings but you must say, “I think you guys have potential to do it still better. Just think about the ways and means by which you can achieve some dramatic results.”

Let them think about news methods of doing the same task and for each method share with them the time taken by them and as recorded by you. All you know, they might come out with some brilliantly creative and innovative ways of doing the same task.

After some time when you find that they have exhausted their ideas, give them you own piece of mind on how else the task can be done with minimum efforts and minimum time.

Let them discuss the game they just played for a while and wrap it up by giving any new inputs you have planned for 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

Assemble a Story

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 is a seemingly very simple yet pretty loaded individual and group management exercise. It can be used by you as a program facilitator or workshop leader as an icebreaker and particularly for your sessions on creativity, creative thinking, leadership, team work and team building.

Get the participants of your program to sit on the chairs kept in a circular shape in your seminar room or even outdoors. Create a relaxed environment and then brief the participants.

Tell them that one person in group will start out by telling to rest of the participants a story but he can speak only one complete sentence of his story at a time. As he finishes his first sentence, the person sitting next to him will extend first person’s story’s first sentence by adding to it one more sentence from his side. Then the third person takes over and adds one more sentence to construct the further part of the story. Thus every participant will keep adding his one sentence to the story that gets formed till his turn comes. This goes on and on till you feel that it’s time to conclude the exercise. You can check up with participants if they will still like to continue.

To begin the exercise you can coax the participants to volunteer to give a kick start to the story. Let some initiators emerge this way and then you can choose one of them to start telling the first sentence of the story.

After the participants declare that they are finished with story formulation or you assess that it's time to conclude, request the participants to share their experiences in tackling this exercise. Where did they miss out and where they did brilliantly? Was it a simple exercise or a difficult one? Did it tax their brains- in what ways?

Give your observations, analysis and inputs.

You can repeat this exercise by giving to entire group of participants around 10 minutes to discuss among themselves before they start making and telling another story in the manner described earlier. During these given 10 minutes they can work out an outline of a different story they wish to tell as a group but the participants are not allowed to write down anything. Then allow each participant to speak out his one sentence turn by turn to narrate the complete story the way they had thought of.

After this second round of story telling, get the participants once again to share their experiences and to tell you the differences between the first round and the second round of story formation and story telling.

Facilitate their discussions with your inputs and wrap up the session.

(As a variant, you may ask the participants to assemble a poem also; that will also be as much fun).

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

Shapes

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/)

The management exercise “Shapes” is recommended as an effective exercise for sessions on strategy formulation, communication, giving and following instructions, leadership, motivation, team work and team building. It also works as an effective energizer and icebreaker.

The exercise is administered by you- the program leader or workshop facilitator.

Divide the participants in groups of 12 persons (or as you think appropriate) in each group. Follow the random group formation method given in the games described earlier. As a ready reference, you may refer the exercise called “Pass the Message” if you are forming more than two groups or the exercise “Arrange” if you are forming two groups.

After forming the groups, take all the participants to a hall adjacent to your regular seminar hall which should have enough open space without any furniture in it. If such an extra room is not available, adjust the furniture in your existing seminar hall in such a manner that you create adequate free space in the hall. The exercise can be carried out out-doors also on plain level ground.

Ask the participants to blindfold each other by using the handkerchiefs. Instruct them that each group’s task now is to arrange its members in such a manner that they form the shape of a square. Each group may appoint a coordinator if necessary. Before physically arranging themselves they can have an internal discussion about the strategies and methods they plan to follow to complete the given task. The participants will remain blindfolded throughout the exercise.

After each group declares that it has formed the shape of the square by positioning its members that way, ask the members to open the eyes and check how well they formed the shape of the square. Also note down the time taken by each group to accomplish the task.

The group(s) that made the correct shape within minimum time will be declared as the winner(s).

You may repeat this exercise by asking them to form other additional shapes like rectangle and triangle etc. You should ask them to use their experience of doing the previous exercise in carrying out the next exercise.

After the exercise is over, request the participants to give you their feedback of their experiences and learnings from this exercise.

Conclude your session by sharing your observations and analysis for each group and filling them with additional inputs as required.

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

Air Crash

"Air Crash" is a highly loaded management exercise. It is very participative and is conducted as a group exercise. It also proves to be a good energizer and motivator.

You, the faculty member or the program facilitator or the workshop leader can use it for sessions on values, paradigms, perceptions, intra-group and inter-group communication and discussion, conflict resolution or conflict management, team work and team building, consensus building, effectiveness etc. This is best suited to emphasize that every human being is unique and this uniqueness is the result of not only the differing perceptions of the people but because of their entire integrated makeup- the concept and the term which Shyam Bhatawdekar uses to describe as people's HSoftware (Human Software). (You may like to read Shyam Bhatawdekar's articles on HSoftware at http://humansoftware.blogspot.com/). It also leads to show the correlation between the HSoftware of an individual and his effectiveness in personal, home, professional and social life.

To start conducting the "Air Crash" exercise, first distribute the printed exercise brief (given below) to all the participants of your program and request them to read it carefully. Draw their attention to the question given at the end of the write-up which each participant has to answer individually (in writing). Ask them not to discuss with anyone anything unless told by you.

Exercise Brief for "Air Crash" exercise:

Exercise brief starts here:

An airplane with 73 passengers on board developed engine trouble while flying over the jungles of Assam. The pilot managed to send out an S.O.S. message just before the plane crashed into the jungles. It was around 3 PM.

All members of the crew were killed except the pilot and there were in all seven survivors. You are one of them. There are two women survivors, one of them is badly injured and is losing blood fast.

The plane exploded shortly after crashing but some of the survivors had managed to retrieve some items before the explosion. They could not, however, retrieve any food or water. The pilot had taken a bearing just before the engine trouble developed. He reckons that the plane crashed about 100 kilometers from the nearest inhabited area. To reach it would mean marching through thick forest with heavy undergrowth, crossing streams and fending off wild animals that abound in these jungles.

After recovering from the shock, the survivors began discussing what to do. Should they stay put? Should they march towards the nearest civilization?

It soon became apparent that no agreement was being reached by the survivors. In fact there seemed to be a struggle for leadership, some friction was developing and the group realized this might jeopardize all of them.

Since you had remained the most calm and objective, the group agreed that it would abide by your decision as to who should be the leader. It was also agreed that you could not choose yourself as leader.

Given below are some details about your co-survivors. Read them and then decide whom you would choose as leader:

Captain Sunder: is the pilot of the crashed airplane. He had managed to retrieve some maps before the aircraft exploded. He is 44 years old and takes his duties very seriously. He feels that as a captain of the plane, the survivors are his responsibility and should listen to him. He hopes that his S.O.S. was heard and wants every one to remain near the aircraft wreckage till a rescue team arrives.

Miss Moses: is 22 years old, a botanist who had studied the flora of Assam. She is a gentle person, not comfortable with the friction being generated and a bit of a pacifist. She has managed to retrieve a first-aid kit and some tarpaulin from the aircraft. She has been a girl guide at school.

Raj Kumar: comes from an aristocratic family. He is 35 years old and kept himself very fit by playing polo. He has captained his polo team to many victories. He was going to Assam on a fishing trip and has managed to save his rods and fishing tackle from the flames. He is very sociable. He believes that “leaders are born” and assumes that the others will listen to him. He would like the group to march on to the nearest village under his guidance.

Shanti Lal: is 48 years old, a bit stout and likes his food and drinks. He has managed to
retrieve his bottle of brandy, cigars and lighter from the aircraft. He is a self-made businessman who had managed to gradually develop a vast business empire. He is humorous but can be also very tough. Being used to commanding and coordinating, he also tried to get the group listen to him.

Mahinder Singh: is a hunter by profession and has been asked by the Assam Government to track down a rogue elephant that was destroying crops. He is 28 years old, generally quiet but capable of losing his temper violently. He has managed to retrieve his rifle and some cartridges and wants the group to head for civilization.

Whom would you choose as leader?

Exercise brief ends here.

After everyone in the program has read this brief, ask them to choose their leader from among the possible candidates described in the exercise brief. Each participant should write down his own answer giving his choice for the leader on his note pad or against the question given in the brief.

Now divide the entire participants in groups of around 7 to 10 persons in each group. Select the members in a group randomly (the method for random selection of the participant in a group is given in the management exercise "Pass the Message" at http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/2010/08/pass-message.html ).

Ask members of each group to sit together in a circle or around a table and discuss together in the group to arrive at the consensus candidate for the leadership position. Each group will be given 20 minutes for this. If they request for additional time, you may decide to allot 5 to 10 minutes more.

Now bring all the groups together as one single group though the members of each group will keep sitting together as a group. They should discuss together now as one complete group to once again arrive at the new consensus candidate for leadership position.

Now, request the participants for their feedback, observations and experiential learning.

Wind up the exercise by giving you own dissection of what happened throughout the exercise. Fill them in with supplementary inputs. Explain the learning points.

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