CMI is Introducing a new and exciting tool: The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team

The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team combines the power of Everything DiSC with the influential teamwork model introduced by Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. This program can help team member learn to work together better to become more effective and engaged. It is appropriate for use with intact teams at all levels of the organization.

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Tennis Ball Transfer

Have you ever been a customer of a business that claimed it was doing a really great job in supporting and you and in truth it was not? Recently I had dinner with some clients at a lodge in the wilds of Pennsylvania. I arrived to the dinner late, after the group had ordered. The enthusiastic and focused waitress came over to give me a menu and take my order. After glancing around, it appeared that I was ordering after most everyone in the restaurant had ordered. In fact most people at their tables had food. I waited for my food, waited and waited. It was as if the waitress took my order but the kitchen was not preparing my food. The waitress checked in several times to ask me what I wanted. I kept assuring her that I just wanted my food. At no point did she explain my lack of food; not even my trembling or frothing mouth made a difference. Lack of collaboration and coordination between the wait staff and the kitchen staff resulted in me becoming a complaining and unhappy customer.



The restaurant staff could have used a round of tennis ball transfer. Then they could see and experience the impact of lack of coordination and collaboration.



You’re probably thinking – what is he talking about? Tennis ball transfer is one of my new and old favorite team building game to use with clients. Each participant holds the end of string attached to a smallish steel ring on which a tennis ball sits. Business types at the end of the rope, now that is a cliché. The task: the group of said business people must take said tennis ball off one stanchion and leverage it down to balance it on another stanchion. Lack of collaboration and coordination results in the tennis ball crashing to the floor instead of being lifted. In this tennis ball game the facilitator, aka I the bald one, takes on the role of the customer. At the end of the game the group rates themselves as delivering poor, ok and extraordinary customer service. Then the customer, me, gives the group feedback. Most of the time the group rates themselves much higher than what I rate them. The rating gap illustrates how the group is disconnected from the truth.



So why do I, the balding bloodsucking coach, make my clients, business people, engage in this activity? Practice! We all can see the wisdom in the epithet of “practice makes perfect.” Even, Malcom Gladwell makes the case for practice in his book The Tipping Point. So are these business people practicing? Do they actually gain customers and increase revenue by playing this game? No. However, like running through tires on a football field, hitting padded stanchions and doing high knee drills this activity replicates a scenario in the game of business. More specifically, Tennis Ball Transfer teaches collaboration. In this game everyone needs to pull at the same time; a lesson that business people could use help in.



I recently worked with a business to improve the relationship and performance between the purchasing, receiving, production and accounting departments. There were myriad of issues confronting the groups. One of them was that parts would get delivered without a packing slip or purchase order. When that happened the receiving department would quarantine the part (put in a particular part of the floor). The theory was that once in quarantine it was not to be touched; however, in reality members of the production department would just go and take the parts because they were needed to complete the project. Oh and did I mention they would not tell anybody? Their action created havoc with the inventory control department and also with the purchasing department being able to track the order. I was brought in to meet with key members from each of the departments. During our meeting I had them play Tennis Ball Transfer. We used the game as a basis for discussion about the impact of different departments on each other and to create methods for improving coordination and support between departments. In this game when there was a disconnect we would dialogue about it, discuss the issues and most importantly learned from.



The most important feature of these stoopid games is that with a good facilitator they can be used as a practice field from which business people can practice get better and improve. All the while games create is a safe environment with no real customer in sight. God knows that business could use more practice sessions like this. Just ask any hapless customer.

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MBX Case Study Part 2

Crucial Issues at MBX

The three critical issues that hampered MBX’s progress were lack of goals, staffing and adequate communication. First, the company struggled to develop goals and objectives. The management style was based on experience and instinct. They operated without the aid of any useful instruments and had no real accountability and direction. Second, there were unsatisfactory staffing procedures. There were no values utilized in hiring and recruiting. This allowed for poor hiring practices, high rate of turnover and overall lack of teamwork. Lastly, the CEO lacked necessary leadership skills. This lack of leadership created challenges for the future and left the Leadership Team with an uncertainty about the direction the company was headed.

Getting Started
Bruce met with the Executive Management Team and Core Leadership Group to begin “Breakthrough Business Planning”, commonly referred to as “huddles.” The Leadership Team met to discuss every significant issue plaguing the company-goals, objectives, vision, values, hiring, management structure, employee development, team building and operational successes and failures. They also participated in what CMI calls, “stupid games.” These games are a simulation of the workplace and are designed to provide a learning experience. They show companies how things operate “back at the ranch” and guide employees on how to improve communication and teamwork. The Leadership Team took a firm grasp onto these issues. Justin Formella, Web & IT Director, certainly appreciated the intervention. “This approach has been instrumental in changing our thought process to everyday problems and issues. The collaboration helped to create a team atmosphere that was otherwise not present.”

In addition to the strategies, conversations and games, the deliberate and constant activities and follow up meetings all contributed to strengthening MBX. “These activities insure that we are paying attention and moving forward toward our strategic goals,” says Tom Crowley.

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There are no mistakes

 A principal I live by is that everything happening in an organization happens by design. The same applies in Stupid Games. It’s like this: don’t plan, and pay the price. Don’t listen, and pay the price. On the other hand, collaborate, and move the ball. Solve the problem, and be successful. If you put quality into the preparation and planning of the Stupid Game, you will get quality results. Stupid Games can be used frequently to make points and bring a group together. Typically, businesses will utilize outside facilitators and resources to facilitate the games, but internal people can also be trained to facilitate.

One last thought: picture me in a large field by a hotel; we are not talking Kansas here, the day before I cavorted on the Great Wall of China. My company was working with a major cellular communications firm with the goal of enhancing teamwork between various groups of engineers. During the session in the field, an excited Chinese engineer in Beijing emotionally exclaimed, “These are not Stupid Games! These are good games!” Yes, indeed.
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Teamwork

The final lesson of stupid games that I will discuss is teamwork.

I worked with a manufacturing company that suffered from declining profits due to production and quality problems. To get to the bottom of the issue, we played the “Plank Game;” picture interlocking Lincoln Log like wooden planks that must be assembled in a particular way. (A description of the game and how to play is included at the end of this article) I divided the group into three teams. Each team of nine was given a diagram from which to assemble its set of planks. Each set was similar but not inter-changeable. The groups had to construct all three sets of planks in less than 20 minutes.

The game started strong, with one team finishing the set-up in 14 minutes. The members of that team immediately rose to help the other teams. Together, they assembled the remaining sets in four more minutes for a total setup time of 18 minutes. This is also a fine time. However, the first group to finish overlooked the idea that they could invite the other teams to build their designs on top of the already-completed set. This technique would have allowed them to avoid “re-inventing the wheel.” If they had done this, they could have saved significant time.

In the post-game debrief, we looked at applying the principle of “sharing between groups” and what could be gained by being more interactive and communicative at work. They were then able to design a process to enhance communication and performance during shift handoffs. Production quality and relationships between the shifts have improved markedly since the session.

 

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Satisfying the Customer

Another valuable lesson of Stupid Games is they can teach groups about great customer service.

I worked with a client that was focused on improving its customer service. This company hired a firm to survey its customers. The survey results indicated that the company’s customer service was below average. The company decided to focus on improving its service and its relationships with customers. I was brought in to help the company leadership group develop action plans for improving customer service and customer relationships.

To start the session, the group played one of CMI’s classic games: lower-the-tent-pole-to-the-ground. (See the end for a full description of this game. Is this article valuable or what?) The participants had played this Stupid Game in the past and were confident they would be successful.

As a precursor to the exercise, I said, “The marketplace has changed, so don’t be fooled by these tent poles. They’re super-duper and way different than before.” After pausing for effect, I added the instructions: “I’m the customer. I want you to lower this tent pole to the ground while balancing it on your index fingers. None of your fingers can ever lose contact with it. All fingers must be under and perpendicular to pole. No other body parts can touch the pole. You have three minutes to do this. The faster you can get the tent pole to the floor the better.”

The activity started. The pole went up instead of down. Fingers lost contact with the pole. People yelled, and blamed each other. (That is how this activity typically goes.) Then the groups calmed down. Everyone focused on completing the task. The participants started listening to each other and eventually lowered that darn pole to the ground. They felt good about it and gave each other high fives. They had collaborated and worked as a team. Good stuff. However, throughout the exercise, no one talked to me, the customer. This was very sad. I, the ignored customer, was sobbing quietly in the corner while sucking my thumb. How did this happen? Why was I so … neglected?

 After the game, we discussed the task of lowering the pole and defined good customer service. We agreed that the team worked together. Then we talked about how the neglected customer in this Stupid Game actually mirrored what was happening to customers “back at the ranch.” The group completed the task but they did not make me a raving fan customer. They did not update me or give me attention of any kind. If I used them again I would definitely want to talk about price. I asked the group whether they displayed good customer service during the exercise. The answer: no.

“How could the customer have been more involved in the process?” I asked. “Did you clarify his expectations prior to undertaking the task? Did you ask for any feedback during the task? And after completing the task, did you thank this customer for his business or explore with him what other services he might need?”

The answer to these questions, too, was no.

I asked, “When you saw that you were going to be late, did you tell the customer?”

“No,” they said.

“Does that ever happen at the office?” I asked. “Is the customer always notified of late arrivals and deliveries?”

“No,” they said.

“How does the customer feel about this?” I asked.

“It’s been a complaint,” they admitted, shooting one another looks of realization. Their looks also communicated that they were finding me quite annoying and might want to hurt me.

I said, “Fixing the communication problem and keeping the customer in the loop during this game will help you find ways to keep your customers better informed once you are back at your business.”

Therein, beloved reader lays the method to my madness. There are similarities between what happens during Stupid Games and what happens in the participants’ businesses. Playing Stupid Games provides the group a practice field and allows them to discover obstacles to successful work. They can take what they learn from our discussions back to work and use to implement solutions to problems.

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Planning

Planning and great execution make the difference both in Stupid Games and in the real business world. Dwight Eisenhower said something to the effect of, “During the battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but prior to the battle, planning is indispensable.” Stupid Games teach groups this lesson.

In some of the games, as in life, you can wing it and still be successful. In the business world there are definite times where winging it can work. However this method can also lead to failure. This is what happens in the stupid game called “The Cube.” 

Picture, if you will, a giant cube made of white PVC pipes. The cube is perched on top of a bucket. It looks like it belongs in Chicago’s Millennium Park. The objective is for participants to move through the cube to earn points without knocking the cube over. The consequence for knocking the cube out of place is that you lose all your points and the group must begin all over.

Groups must plan in order to be successful at the Cube. Everyone needs to know when he or she is making the pass and exactly what technique will be used. Even if the group does not follow the exact plan, the planning supports the group’s success. Making time to plan is an invaluable lesson that, when utilized back at work, will support improved team performance.

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Practice

Another lesson from Stupid Games is the value of practice. When people realize that practice is necessary, drama ends and people relax. Participants understand that it is okay to make mistakes and learn from them. That is what happens when you practice. With my long standing clients, I use the same stupid games repeatedly. Although the games might exasperate the leadership groups, the participants recognize their value. Over time, groups who play these games are better at listening, executing and performing tasks with together. In this case practice does make perfect.

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Listening and Learning

What do groups learn by playing stupid games? One of most common excuses I hear is that no one was appointed the leader. But is that true? Hogwash, I say. Lack of leadership does not drive failure, rather the inability of the group to listen to and hear each other.

Listening makes the difference. Once members of a group listen to one another, anyone can lead; understanding and problem solving occur, people focus and work together. This is one of the lessons groups learn from Stupid Games.

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Stupid Games

Before I start, let’s define what a “Stupid Game” is. A Stupid Game is a team building activity used to teach business principles and ideas. In corporate training and development, the games are called “experiential education.” Wow, does that sound highfalutin and fancy.

Groups need to practice to successfully perform and execute tasks. The military gets it and calls it “boot camp.” Theater and dance groups get it and call it “rehearsal.” Sports teams get it and call it “practice.” Often, however, business groups do not get it and for the most part do not practice. Typically, business groups have low group performance. Do we see a correlation?

That is where Stupid Games come in. These games allow groups to examine their own behavior in order to discover how they can improve their performance. The notion is simple: a group solves problems during games the way it does back at the office. The major difference between these contexts is if the group does not perform well at work, there are consequences internally and with customers. If the group does not perform well at the Stupid Game, it is a big-time learning opportunity. There are no consequences for failing at the Stupid Game except learning, having fun, and perhaps even laughing.

For the past 20 years, I have used Stupid Games as a modality for teaching and training our clients. I do not like admitting this, but I am not good at these games, nor do I particularly like them. (I want to be truthful given our relationship. How is that for being vulnerable? Can I have a hug?) Stupid Games are invaluable.  Over the next couple weeks I will highlight how stupid games give groups a practice field where they can learn, plan, practice, develop skills, work together and improve performance.

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There Are No Mistakes

A principal that I live by is that everything that happens in organization happens by design. The same applies in stupid games. It is like this: Don’t plan and pay the price. Don’t listen and pay the price. Argue and fight and pay the price. Collaborate and problem solve, move the ball. Solve the problem and be successful. The Axiom of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ is abundantly clear in the land of stupid games. If you put quality into the preparation and planning of the stupid game you will get quality results out.

One last thought: as a Chinese engineer in Beijing exclaimed in a emotional manner, “These are not Stupid Games! These are good games!”

Yes indeed.

For more information about CMI's team building events click here.

Plan to Plan

Planning and great execution make the difference both in stupid games and in the real world of business. Over and over our clients demonstrate the power of what Dwight Eisenhower said: “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” Stupid games give us direct access to this lesson. In some of the games, like in life, you can run and gun and still be successful. But with the stupid game ‘The Cube,’ if you run at that puppy it will eat you up and spit you out.

Picture, if you will, that a PVC cube glares down at the group daring them to come forward and accumulate 26 points. The Cube is big and white, made of gleaming PVC pipe perched on top of a bucket like something from Millennium Park. Any slight push or graze by the group as they attempt to pass through the cube sends it tumbling to the ground. The consequence for that failure is that you lose all your points and the group must begin all over again.

Groups must plan in order to be successful at the Cube. Everyone needs to know when they are going and what they are going to do. Even if they don’t follow the exact plan, the discipline of planning supports the group’s success. That is an invaluable lesson when lived. Group planning works.

For more information about CMI's business planning process click here.

Can You Hear Me?

Listening is what will make the difference. Once a group is listening, anyone can lead. Once ‘listening’ is present, understanding and problem solving occur naturally. People can focus and work together. Prior to this there is reaction and yelling. Listening, the power of listening is one of the lessons I have seen groups get from utilizing stupid games.

Another lesson that groups learn from stupid games is the value of practice. For many groups it is a revelation to discover that to improve a group’s performance will take conversations, learning and practice. When people realize that practice is necessary while playing a stupid game, the drama suddenly ends and people relax. They get that it is ok to make mistakes and learn from them. That is what happens when you ‘practice.’ We learn that we can be safe with each other.

Learning about failure is still another lesson that can be learned in stupid-game land. There is failure and then there is failure. Whenever humans learn and develop, there is failure. There are failures from not doing something that needs to be done as well as from doing the wrong thing. The problem is that there are real consequences for failures during real business.

I have seen corporate groups play the same game over and over again and yet still get value from them. The standards can change, the parameters can change, what people learn can change, and it still is all training and development.

In business, when a group alienates a customer there are consequences. With a stupid game when the group alienates the customer (who is really the bozo facilitator pretending to be a customer) there is learning and development. This goes back to the games as a practice field that is safe and in which members of the group can learn and develop. There are no long-term consequences on the practice field.

For more information about CMI's team building events click here.