Team Skill-building Exercises

1. Team Skill-building Exercises Working with Teams Panel Discussion Jane M. Carey Arizona State University West

2. 4 Team Exercises • Warp Speed (Bodwell, 2001) • http://rampages.onramp.net/~bodwell/hpt_warp.htm • Spider Web (Bodwell, 2001) • http://rampages.onramp.net/~bodwell/hpt_spid.htm • Designers and Users (Leifler, 1992) • Illustrated on the following slides

3. Designers & Users Exercise (Leifler, 1993) • The class is divided into teams of 8-10 people • These groups are divided into 2 even sized groups – one group called designers and the other called users • The user groups are asked to leave the room and is given a set of user instructions • The designers stay in the room and are also given a set of instructions

4. Users & Designers Team Exercise • The designers also receive a set of 16 geometrically shaped pieces and a figure showing what the pieces should look like when put together correctly • The task is for the designers to convey to the users how to put the pieces together to complete the figure – the designers may not draw the figure or show the completed figure to the users

5. Users & Designers Team Exercise Completed Figure

6. Instructions for Users • Your team will have the responsibility of carrying out • a task according to the instructions given by the designers. • You task will begin when the users tell you to begin. • The designers may call you in for instructions at any time. • If the designers don’t come in to get you after 30 minutes • are up, you must report to them on your own initiative at the • end of 30 minutes. • You may send notes to the designers and they may send • Notes to you in reply. • Once you have begun the task, you may not receive • further instructions. Finish the task as quickly as possible. • While you wait for a call from your designers, do the • Following: • 1. Individually, write the concerns you feel while waiting • for instructions on a piece of paper • 2. As a group, think of anything you can the that might • help you follow instructions or hinder you. • 3. How can you organize as a team to facilitate task completion? • 4. Keep your notes with you as you attempt to complete the task • and for use during the debriefing.

7. Prior to starting, the exercise facilitator divides up the sixteen puzzle pieces evenly • between the 3 or 4 users and puts then in envelopes and gives 1 envelope to each • designer. Also, 1 completed figure is given to the designers. • Instructions for Designers • Your task is to do the following: • 1. Plan how to assemble the sixteen pieces into the • completed figure. • Decide how to instruct the users to execute the assembly • plan. • You may call in the users and begin instructions whenever • you are ready. • The users must begin assembling the puzzle 30 minutes • From now. • Rules: • During Planning • Keep the pieces from the envelopes in front of you at all times. • Do not touch the pieces or trade with any other persons, now • or during the instruction phase. • Do NOT assemble the figure; that is the users’ job. • Do NOT mark on any of the pieces.

8. During Instruction: • Give all the instructions in words. Do not show the • diagram to the users; hide it. Do not draw any diagrams • yourselves, either on paper or in the air with gestures. You • may convey your verbal instructions as written instructions • on paper. • The users must not move the pieces until the signal is • given to start. • Do not show the diagram to the users. • After the signal is given for the assembly to begin, you • may NOT give any further instructions; stand back and • observe.

9. Observation Suggestions (For debriefing) • Watch for a general pattern of communication. Also • identify pairs of communicators. • During Planning: • Is there balanced participation among designers? • What kinds of behavior block or facilitate the process? • How do the designers divide the time between planning • and instructing? • Do the designers assign themselves particular tasks for • each phase? • During Instructing: • Is there an attempt to orient the users? • Are there assumptions that the designers fail • to communicate to the users? • How effective are the instructions? • Do the users feel free to ask questions of the designers? • During Assembling: • How well do the users perform? • Did the users understand the instructions? • What are some of the users’ nonverbal signals? What do • they convey?