- Daria, why do we need a close-knit team?
The leader is 95% dependent on the team. More precisely, the effectiveness of the team greatly affects the final result of the company. "One in the field is not a warrior" - just about that. By itself, the leader will not be able to achieve anything, otherwise why is he called "Leader".
When the manager is mainly focused on fulfilling a more global task or goal of the organization, he misses the needs and interests of the team, this always leads to the fact that when the support and strength of the team is needed, the team is not ready, not motivated to provide this support.
When the question “it is necessary to stand on the barricades, implement the plan before the end of the month” arises, the team members usually have the following reaction: “Why do I personally need this, why should I spend my day off on this?”
When the team does not coincide in interests with the goals of the leader and the organization, it is difficult to move it to the implementation of the most important task. Here it is very important to know and respect the internal values and motivation of employees.
Be interested in how your people live in the team, show how it is similar to the goals and values of the organization, how they could be useful to it.
I had a case where I had to ask all employees to return to work by the end of the year, December 31st. It was necessary to fulfill the sales plan. I explained how important this is for me as a leader, how it will affect their motivation, how important it is for the company we work for, and how important it is for each of us, and without hesitation, they unanimously decided to go out on their day off and "finish off" the required number of units of goods to the plan that was expected of us. I was always "in touch" and rejoiced for each sold unit of goods, which brought us closer to the cherished figure. Naturally, we jointly celebrated our success afterwards.
Methods are used first non-material motivation and setting shared goals. First, a common goal, then the criteria for a joint result. Next: confessions, corrective Feedback, individual and general meetings, recognition of successes, praise, bringing to common responsibility, bringing to common solutions, expansion of functionality, and, of course, a joint celebration on the occasion of success.
Celebration from the heart, without denying yourself anything, the phrase "as you worked, so you rested" is very suitable here.
- What is important to follow in the process of implementing the plan?
The most important thing in all events, in my opinion, is when the leader shows himself to be an ordinary person, with all the weaknesses and interests, when he knows how to admit mistakes, if any, when he knows how to say "sorry", if he is wrong, when he knows how to change own decision if it does not coincide with the goals of the organization.
Good business always has human face, often behind this person, in the first place, is the leader.
- What are you most proud of in the end?
I am proud that my team has not changed for 14 years. Even when there were "hard times", people left for a short time and returned. They returned to their favorite atmosphere, team, interesting work. Today, these are people who have their own own businesses, high positions and work to their liking. They have learned a lot while working with us, they have grown personally and professionally.
- What are the main "material" results - what has improved in the company with the advent of a cohesive team?
Of course, the personal desire to become best seller and the best company for investing money was not in vain. Each salesperson has achieved a certain number of satisfied customers and huge amount recommendations.
For 14 years, with an almost unchanged sales team, customers have bought a car from us more than once and recommended us to their friends. Until now, many guys who are already working in another business, "on a personal request" send clients to their best friends.
The most important thing is to believe and trust the team! Understand that sometimes they know better than you what to do. Your task is to listen, hear, trust and help where your authority will help to achieve a common result!
Identifying issues related to psychological compatibility people in the team, building the most effective chain of interactions, strengthening the team, eliminating and preventing "inconsistencies" in communication - all these are the tasks of team building, also known under the magical term "team building".
What does it mean - "build team"? What will HR face in practice, who sees team building as a way to solve personnel problems? And not only personnel...
I want to start my story with the main structural unit of any successful business - with the team. In each modern company managers at all levels try to use this term, but only in the service sector can you instantly feel the difference between a “group of employees” and a team. These differences, identified by researchers Tuckman and Jensen ( Bruce W. Tuckman, Mary Ann C. Jensen) back in 1977, are given in table 1.
Tab. 1. Differences between a team and a group
|
Group |
Team |
| Independent individuals defend their own interests | Fighting for personal advantage is discouraged. Trade-offs are required and encouraged to maximize the collective outcome. |
| Group members treat work like employees | Participants perceive the work as their own business |
| New proposals are hard to find support. Interest lobbying required | Members apply their unique skills to work on team tasks. Other people's proposals receive development and support |
| Group members do not trust some of their colleagues | Participants openly express ideas and share information |
| Team members cannot get rid of conflicts that hinder work. Differences are perceived as obstacles | The conflict is perceived as an opportunity for the birth of new ideas and does not slow down progress towards the goal. |
| Group members prefer to strengthen their own positions | Participants try to understand the opinions of opponents |
The command in my understanding is group of people united by a common goal. It is a common goal and understanding of how to solve the tasks that define the team. It is very important to properly organize the work of employees, convey to them the general philosophy of the company - then it will be a real team, united by the unity of ideals.
Although people are the most valuable resource of any enterprise, it is important to keep in mind that in team building the main focus is not on roles. individual employees, but on the most efficient use of the total human resources. This approach allows you to act quickly and achieve the intended results. Building teamwork is much easier if people in the team have been working together for more than one year, and during this time they have mastered the basics of cooperation: understanding, mutual assistance, trust. But what to do if the “ship” needs to be built “from scratch” (this is how restaurant chains build their business), when recruitment also needs to start from scratch?
Based on my own experience, I can say right away that the task is very difficult, and, moreover, very responsible. A new large team, in which people do not know each other well, are not focused on a single goal, will not be able to fulfill the main task in the service sector - to ensure customer satisfaction, on which the most important indicator depends - the turnover of funds for a certain time ...
Portrait of an ideal team
To know what we are striving for in team building, let's draw a "portrait" of an ideal team. It is characterized by:
The presence in the state of at least one coordinator, whose task is to unite the team, taking into account the interests and characters of all other members.
Mandatory setting clear goals for the team and methodically tracking their implementation.
Satisfaction of team members with the work done.
High skills in organizing interpersonal relationships among all participants.
A certain degree of team independence.
Cooperative problem solving skills. The ability to quickly learn from your mistakes and correct the situation.
Motivation.
Today, there are many different team building methods that have come to us from abroad, but I will talk about my own practice. (Training programs for team building, widely offered on the domestic market, deserve a separate discussion.)
As far as diagnosing team cohesion, relationships within a group are the best indicator of the state (and overall presence) of a team. After all, looking closely at personal relationships in a group of workers, you can understand almost everything: the abilities and inclinations of each person, his position in the team, hidden talents and opportunities, weak sides and disadvantages. Employees are not a commodity in a store that can be put on the shelves. It is important to remember: 1) the uniqueness of each person is the main reason for the fragmentation of people within the team; 2) at the same time, people, as a rule, do not want to emphasize and demonstrate their uniqueness. Therefore, the task of an HR is to competently help employees find "those who are close in spirit", to gather them into certain groups, so that each of these groups, guided by general principles, rallied into a working unit.
In any team there is a person who occupies a leadership position. He equally successfully contacts with completely different people. Almost all employees listen to such a person, his opinion is taken into account, it is he who has unique qualities - “to raise everyone to the attack” and take into account the opinion of all team members. In the activities of any company, there are situations when such "opinion leaders" can not only provide support to other employees, but also give important advice to the company's management in solving complex problems or eliminating the consequences of serious problems.
In my opinion, it is necessary to start team building around such people. The leader will help you easily form a group, establish partnerships and friendships, taking into account the characteristics of other team members, etc. It is important not only to note the benefits that an opinion leader or group leader creates, but also to understand how to motivate a person who takes on such a big responsibility. Required condition for him - an opportunity for growth, the realization of his ideas. The management of the company is simply obliged to develop a certain career model for these people!
In order for a disparate group of people to become a team, its members must follow certain principles:
go towards a single goal, understanding and accepting it;
work for a common result, while spending an equal amount of effort;
be aware of their responsibility for achieving a common goal, but at the same time remember about interdependence;
build work on the principles of mutual assistance.
Only if these rules are followed, it is possible to create a team, get a synergistic effect - to achieve an overall result that is much greater than the sum of the results of each team member individually.
Vision + goal = leader
How is a team different from a normal group of people? First of all, she has a leader who directs her activities. All the benefits of teamwork can only be felt if a competent approach is used in team management. As the manager of several diverse restaurants, I always try to be an example for my subordinates, but in my work I prefer to operate with the category of “we” and not “I”. Our activity in the restaurant business is a live process, constant dynamics, constant development of events. I am guided by the fact that we are all elements of one large structure, where it is unacceptable to shirk responsibility, to show distrust of people, to put personal ambitions above the common goal.
The team leader is responsible for its work, for the correct setting of tasks and the competent distribution of powers. It is from the leader that you need to ask what he did wrong or what he did not do on time in order to properly organize the work of the entire team. The tasks are very difficult, but I will try to outline what a leader must do to achieve success and what mistakes he must avoid in his work with the team ( tab. 2). The table clearly shows that all processes in the team are "tied" to the leader. Moreover, it is important not to exaggerate, but not to underestimate his role in the team. It is impossible to put all the responsibility on one person and demand the impossible from him, but at the same time it is impossible to consider him only from the point of view of the organizer of the process. I do not like the phrase of some pseudo-leaders - followers of "formal" management: "The main thing is to organize everything", because organizing is not the main thing. Important - inspire. A true leader, like a pioneer, leads his team, lighting the way for her.
Tab. 2. Criteria for evaluating the work of a leader
| № | Performance criteria | № | Criteria for inefficiency |
| The relationship of divisions (departments) | Inability to accept the position of team members, disrespect for someone else's point of view | ||
| The relationship of employees within the same team | Absence crisis management. Inability to take the initiative in crisis situations | ||
| Prioritization of goals for the team. Understanding by each member of its tasks | Inability to acknowledge one's mistakes and evaluate one's role when teamwork fails | ||
| Evaluation and adjustment of team work | Insufficient involvement in team work processes. Ineffective communication | ||
| Providing training for each employee and the group as a whole | Neglect of time management. Inability to calculate the time required to complete tasks | ||
| Making your personal contribution to the team | Bias. Lack of understanding of the real situation. Making decisions based on subjective factors (position, work experience, etc.) | ||
| Regular meetings to discuss priority and secondary tasks. Team work analysis | Lack of trust in other team members | ||
| Making joint decisions to achieve the main goal of the team | Incorrect distribution of powers, which leads to a stop in the development of the team | ||
| A personal example of a leader for the team: stay true, don't give up and inspire all its members | Evasion of responsibility. Transferring responsibility for solving complex problems to individual team members | ||
| Willingness to change for the benefit of the team and to achieve a common goal | Downplaying the results of teamwork. Lack of encouragement |
Team spirit
We have come to the conclusion that the team work style helps to solve complex problems, especially in the service sector, and the team leader plays a huge role in it. But team building can only be called real and successful when the team has its own spirit. What is team spirit? The leader can be easily identified, but the spirit is more difficult.
And although business coaches most often use a foreign word team building, but it is worth making an excursion into history - and we will understand that we have accumulated a huge domestic experience in this direction. Who, if not us, knows what the “feeling of the elbow” is, which we felt during the May Day parades, subbotniks and voluntary-compulsory agricultural work! If we move from global scales to local scales - to the level of a specific company, we will find that the principles of team formation and the levers for managing this process are the same. The main core of the "team spirit" is a bright and attractive image of the future, in our case - the future of the company. It is this image that motivates employees to work with full dedication, and only the leader-leader can create it. A bright, inspiring image of the future is of exceptional importance for business development!
Once again, I emphasize that in our area restaurant business it is very easy to track positive and negative trends in a team. I would say that for us the team spirit is one of the main components of success. Based on my many years of experience, I can say that the team spirit should, first of all, be manifested in a quick and adequate response to the situation, in the skills of mutual assistance and mutual assistance.
Example: the waiter takes orders, the chef fulfills them, but suddenly, for some reason, the chain from taking the order to directly providing services to the guest is broken. Suppose the reason is an increase in the flow of visitors on holidays and weekends. Mutual assistance can be organized in such a way that one person meets the guest, another person takes the order, and the chef himself provides it, then the visitor gets the impression that the whole restaurant works only for him! We found a great way out of a difficult situation - we did the job together.
If “team spirit” is understood as “I approve”, which accompanies all the statements of the authorities, while the tasks set are not fulfilled, skepticism and ridicule over any initiative reigns in the company - this means that there is no team spirit! To prevent this, it is necessary to periodically diagnose the "problem areas" of departments or the organization as a whole. And most importantly, the manager of any restaurant should be an example for his employees, model of professional behavior. This approach will certainly affect the quality of work of all staff.
Since team spirit is intangible, many leaders believe team spirit another illusion. Attempts to reduce corporate culture to clichés are a big mistake of a leader. I also want to note that the slogan “We are one team” can only cover the entire staff of a small company. Only a fairly small group of people can become a team in the true sense of the word, for example, structural subdivision. And it is from such teams that a corporation is created.
Team spirit is the thinnest sphere, but it is also an integral part of the team. Of course, the scale of the enterprise affects the corporate culture. As experience shows, in large companies team spirit occurs after three or four years, in smaller ones - after six months. This is not an easy management tool, but it is a great acquisition for the company, an intangible asset that requires special attention.
The leaders of many companies who tried to influence the team spirit in the process crisis management, are often disappointed in team building and in their people, but - in vain. The fact is that the team spirit is not a momentary magic wand, it is a tool for long-term motivation, and not an emergency rescue of the situation. Dividends are received only by those who have made an investment.
In our company, the main team-building factor is a common goal, a mission that an excellent organization performs. But I think that I have not managed to form my dream team yet, because the very understanding of the ideal team changes over time. I can say that our entire team is trying to get as close to the ideal as possible, although we are all different, everyone has personal motives, desires, beliefs and ideas with which a person goes to work.
Are we building a team on a team?
The offer of team building services is very large in the domestic market. As the leader of a large and complex team, I have directly come across offers from various training companies. Indeed, the topic is very popular, even fashionable, there is demand ... But it is a pity that most of the incoming proposals that I had to consider are unprofessional. Most often, this is not a team building at all, but an ordinary rest for the whole team, an analogue corporate party. It is often very difficult to convey to the agents of training companies the very idea that team building is not at all what they offer ...
By team building I mean serious work with employees and the work of the employees themselves. This is not just sports, walking on coals or cooking barbecue, accompanied by funny contests. It is a change in the relationships between people and groups of people. Speaking about some “complex solutions” that include motivating employees to teamwork, business coaches often do not take into account the specifics of specific business processes, and often do not delve into them at all ... Maybe I was just unlucky, but in my practice I came across it is with such unqualified proposals: the events are absolutely not aligned with the company's task, which means that the achievement of the goal is unlikely. It is deeply wrong, from my point of view, to use the same concept of training in working with all clients without exception.
We cannot afford such experiments, it makes no sense for us to undergo trainings in the same way as trading companies or financial institutions. The catering industry is a set of specific business processes, often unique to each of our locations. Exposing a business to a serious threat of destabilization, figuratively speaking, taking a medicine that is worse than the disease itself, is very risky.
Team building in each specific company should be done by an experienced HR, manager, managers of various levels, if possible - together with a qualified business coach. No one will build your team for you, team building is the direct task of the leader. Your personal example as a leader - The best way achieving success in such a difficult and complex business as team building.
From my own experience, I can say that the team first of all needs a common goal and a single image of the future. With this foundation, you can build any staff training program, achieve effective interaction between employees.
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Today, managers unanimously say that the team in the company should be one. It has become very fashionable to use such a word in relation to the team as “team”. So, this very team should work harmoniously for a single result for everyone, that is, the success of the entire company as a whole. If you have heard of “team”, then you have probably heard such a thing as “team spirit”. Many have heard, but not everyone can accurately explain the meaning of these words.
In our time, it has become extremely fashionable to adopt foreign words, and often without explaining their meaning to people.
Let's get back to our team. In principle, everyone knew that the team should be a single team and for a long time already. Today, in order to rally the team to a greater extent, they resort to the practice of team building (in other words, this is team building, but you must admit that the first option sounds much better). If translated from English the word "Team building", literally it will mean "team building". The main purpose of team building is, first of all, the creation of the team itself, and after that, increasing its effectiveness. By the way, not many people know that the very idea of using team methods in management was taken from the world of sports. But it began to take root in management and business only in the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century. During this time, a whole science of team building has been formed. And today it can even be called one of the most promising models of corporate management, which makes it possible to ensure the normal, full-fledged development of the entire company. Team building, among other things, is and in fact the most effective tool in personnel management.
To form a corporate spirit, companies very often resort to the help of so-called animators who are engaged in conducting rope courses.
It is interesting that among a large number of people who say without hesitation that they work in a team, and the team is simply permeated with the whole team spirit, in principle, they have a very poor idea of what teamwork really is.
In fact, a real close-knit team is a real weapon in the hands of an experienced manager, and his strength can be fully felt by enemies and competitors.
I really want that after reading this article, you still understand to a greater extent what teamwork is, and the team as a whole.
Let's start with the fact that to create a real command, you must have certain components. The very first thing that all members of the future team need to learn is that they will take part in the game as part of a certain team.
I'll explain! In any game, you must have an opponent. AT this case, the opponents for your team will be the company's competitors. The main task will be to overcome such an "enemy".
It is also necessary to clearly understand that this game is a real reality, which means that everything must be done in full force. Making no mistakes. In such a game, all team members will have certain obstacles and goals that must be overcome and achieved.
In fact, absolutely any type of activity can be called such a game, that is, it will not matter at all in which area your company operates, since the basics and essence of the game will be the same for everyone.
If we are talking directly about business, then this is a real game. In addition, there are some prizes in it, and for each person their own - it can be recognition in the team or society itself, certain control possibilities, power and, of course, money. At the same time, there are certain freedoms, which include the very ability to conduct a certain business, as well as laws that are capable of resolving something. But at the same time, you should not forget about certain barriers, which, in turn, will keep you within certain limits, again, these are the same laws, but now they will prohibit something. And again I repeat that there is also an opponent, because without him the game itself is simply not possible.
You should not take the word "enemy" absolutely literally, let it be a certain competitor, which you will also need to get around in certain matters.
Psychologists are firmly convinced that a person, in principle, is not able to live without any kind of game, even if he does not take part in the game, he will independently, sometimes even unconsciously, create it. It is also not uncommon that a person, in principle, does not know that he is involved in a certain game, he simply, on a subconscious level, is fighting with someone, trying to get around and surpass someone. Subconsciously, a person will choose for himself an opponent of equal strength.
In fact, today we can say that such concepts as "team spirit" and "team" have begun to attract Special attention both business leaders and managers various levels for several significant reasons.
So, the so-called "Japanese miracle" had a special influence on this. The fact is that the very business culture of the Japanese was very simply fundamentally different from the one that took place in American and German companies. The fact is that the business culture of the Japanese was mainly focused on the collective spirit and the joint coordinated actions of the entire team, but for the Americans and Europeans, completely different principles were important - such as the spirit of struggle and constant competition, as well as individualism.
Over time, when the principles of classical management, which were based directly on a fairly rigid hierarchy and bureaucracy, ceased to be effective, the experience of Japanese managers was carefully and thoroughly studied, and then adapted for use in Western European and American cultures.
So, again we return to the question of what is so necessary in order to create and form successful company. You will never be able to build a team unless you have a leader who is fully capable and willing to lead the program to instill "team spirit" in the team. The main task of such a leader will be to create such an environment and culture directly within the team itself, in which all teams will and will be able to work as efficiently as possible.
By the way, the development of team spirit must be dealt with constantly and regularly. That is, if you decide to invite a special psychologist, held several seminars for the team, and after a lapse of time, that is, in a real situation, people began to feel a certain gap, then consider that you just threw money away and spent such precious time just like that. That is, the team spirit must be constantly generated by managers, and not be left to chance.
If you really want to create a real team inside the company, then get ready for the fact that this will require a lot of money (but believe that the effect is worth it). It will be necessary to conduct certain trainings and other activities, which are mainly aimed at introducing a corporate culture into the organization.
It is very important to be able to create an attractive and sufficiently bright image of the future of your company, and this image should be the motivation of employees to work at full strength with full dedication. This should be done directly by the leader.
So, when such an image is formed, it is necessary to determine the main goals of the company, as well as develop certain tactics to achieve them, because it is on their basis that certain attributes of the corporate culture will subsequently be created. Also, special attention is paid to the formation of the so-called “company mission”. It should be a completely small text, and it should be composed of short sentences and understandable words, such a text will be easily and quickly perceived by everyone who listens to or reads it. Thus, the main task of such a mission will be to convey to each employee of the company the image of the future company.
We go further, and now it is necessary to start forming a group that will provide all support and contribute to the introduction of new changes in the company. people who will be included in this group should really sincerely support all the ideas of innovation and transformation that are planned in the company, and they must also have certain experience, of course, necessary knowledge and influence. It is with such people in the team that you will have a chance to bring the whole thing to its logical conclusion.
After that, you will need to develop special systems for rewarding risk and generating new ideas, as well as a general system of events and payment, which will reward the most creative employees.
After all the above work has been done, a very important and crucial stage begins - this is the stage at which the transfer of authority will take place directly to the teams themselves. Also at this stage is already beginning practical work, the main goal of which will be the achievement of previously defined and planned goals. This stage is quite difficult, because it is necessary to carry out a number of actions aimed at changing structures and systems, the main task of which, in turn, is to solve and fulfill the main tasks of the company. this stage can also be called difficult because you will have to part with those employees who did not support the collective idea and your position on this issue as a whole, such employees are completely unprepared for any changes and changes. This is an important moment and an important decision for the head of the entire company, because as it turns out in real life, very often changes in the company simply “fail” and then employees who were opponents certain changes(at the same time, pay attention to the fact that these are the employees who occupy certain key positions), they begin to gather in their own groups and begin to fight, to some extent, already with you and your innovative ideas.
But this is not all that needs to be done to create a real effective team. So, as practice has shown, redevelopment of the working premises themselves is effective, moreover, in such a way that the team members are in the same room. In fact, this change allows you to achieve even greater efficiency in your work. For example, already in many American corporations and large companies, simply huge sums are spent annually on the development and implementation of office redevelopment programs. And it is worth noting that these costs pay off in a fairly short time.
In principle, the very process of introducing the principles of team spirit in a team requires painstaking, clear and specific work, and in such work it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of a particular company, as well as its management.
Of course, this process involves certain difficulties and difficulties. To date, specialists in the course of analyzing and systematizing data have identified the most obvious and common problems that can only arise when implementing these processes.
So, if you want to develop team spirit in your company, then be prepared for the fact that, in principle, nothing can be built from scratch. You yourself understand that the company itself has a certain structure, there are informal and formal relations directly between employees, there are job descriptions, reporting, that is, at a certain point in time, a certain distribution of roles has already been folded in the team, and at some point a psychologist appears who simply begins to “break” the established foundations and introduce the same team work principle of the team. At the same time, people will behave in completely different ways, for example, someone will simply remain indifferent to everything that happens, someone will perceive all innovations with a positive attitude, but there will also be those who begin to feel a threat to their careers, those who categorically do not will perceive everything that happens and will begin to wage a so-called covert or "guerrilla war" against the idea of \u200b\u200bteam spirit. Indeed, many people are very suspicious and distrustful of certain changes, and quite often they are quite ready to offer all kinds of resistance to such changes. That is why, if the head of the company decided to implement the principles of team spirit directly in his team, then he must be aware that in any case he will face obstacles that he will have to overcome, but he must do this absolutely calmly, efficiently and most importantly professionally (he should not “break” people, their views, he needs to use reasonable methods to transfer colleagues to his side and to the side of his idea, otherwise such changes will not be effective).
Another problem that most often occurs when creating and forming such teams is the emergence of certain conflicts between members of the group, as a result, relationships between people deteriorate, and they simply stop believing in new idea the team itself. This should not be allowed in any way, because at this stage people may have a desire to simply give up, stop this experiment and completely abandon innovations. And that means that everything cash, precious time, desire, strength and energy - all this was spent absolutely in vain.
There is also such a thing as "group egoism". Here, in the fight against this problem, it is necessary real leader, as well as a manager who is a high-level professional. The fact is that group egoism is a very dangerous phenomenon, which is why it simply cannot be allowed to develop.
Going further, and here's another problem that leaders usually face when implementing team spirit - disbanding the team. Imagine a situation in which for several years people have been working in the same team, and quite effectively, they have already got used to each other, to the habits and characteristics of each team member, but then there comes a moment when, for certain reasons, the head of the company decides to the termination of the activities of this group, therefore. group members are dismissed, perhaps to perform some other task. For the team members themselves, such a dissolution is a rather complicated, painful and, on the whole, extremely difficult process. The leader needs to devote enough time to this problem, since such a completely “non-combatant” mood of the team can have a negative impact on general indicators efficiency of the entire company.
A lot of employees are simply afraid of risk, afraid of innovation because of possible failures, by the way, that is why, in almost fifty percent of attempts to introduce the principles of team spirit, they end in failure. That is, the psychologist must competently prepare people for the innovations and changes that are coming in the company.
There is an opinion that if you want to induce someone to do something, there is only one way - to make this person want to do something himself. The same principle should be laid down in the implementation of the team spirit. So, your task will be very skillfully and professionally to “sell” to your employees a new idea of changes and changes in the company, but at that time they will have to “acquire” not the very general goal of these changes, but the benefits that they personally will receive wherein. To put it a little more simply, then you must infect colleagues with the “virus of enthusiasm”, that is, motivate them. It is extremely important to convey to employees the idea that they will personally benefit from the introduction of new transformations.
It seems that building a team is just fine, because you can do a lot for the company itself, but at the same time, its employees will also benefit. However, today there is also a view of the creation of teams, which considers this process as a very skillful and professionally planned form of exploitation of the company's employees themselves. Moreover, with this form, it is the creative potential of all employees that is very skillfully used, which in turn allows you to receive super profits from the company.
Generally speaking, creating such a team spirit is a very complex, well-thought-out and painstaking work that requires certain knowledge, as well as a considerable amount of time and effort.
Topic 2. Team spirit
Structure of corporate culture
Corporate culture- this is a qualitative implementation of positive corporatism based on a system of values and beliefs shared by the corporation community, which determine its behavior, nature of activities, maximization of corporate spirit and management, taking into account social and ethical responsibility. It becomes an attribute of a modern corporation, acquires a functional orientation, which predetermines the coincidence of its values and the employee's, a qualitative improvement in their joint life. Corporate culture, provides:
1. Formation of moral and ethical values and attitudes of the life of the corporation, inducing the potential of the intellectual and spiritual energy of human resources to effective implementation her mission.
2. Strengthening ties ( social partnership) employees with the management of the corporation, a sense of community (solidarity) of all levels of employees around values, norms, traditions and increasing their responsibility for the quality of activities.
3. Organization of work and order by human resourses in such a way that the activities of the corporation ensure high mobility, enrichment, social protection those who work in it.
4. Creation of a corporate identity aimed at developing a culture of quality, prosperity of the corporation, stimulating job satisfaction of employees and increasing social contribution to society.
5. Winning goodwill from the public outside the corporation.
Corporate culture, through the content of its elements, expresses the feeling general style organization and ensures its flexibility, prosperity and stability. Each organization (corporation) has its own culture depending on the specifics of the work, but its purpose is the same: rallying the workforce around common values and norms and achieving a corporate mission based on positive (democratic) corporatism.
A team is a group of like-minded people who work not only for a reward, but also for an idea. The team develops a special form of interaction (collective action) of creative individuals, providing motivational orientations and ethical values that underlie unity and mutual trust between team members.
The team (corporate) spirit is the “spiritual bonds” that hold together an active organizational life, give it an appropriate form and create a functioning corporation. It is a set of spiritual (spiritual) properties and functions that accompany labor economic activity: ideas, values, motives, aspirations, expectations, etc., which govern the behavior of workers and determine the cooperation of many in one collective work. These components create a spiritual and emotional background for the life of the company, which manifests itself in the moral and psychological climate established in it, the socio-psychological mood, and the well-being of employees. The degree of its intensity, the level of emotional intensity decisively influence the mechanisms, dynamics and efficiency of corporate functioning. Team spirit being necessary condition business success, implies the presence of formal moral, ethical and value-normative foundations - a moral code. All employees of the company (vertically and horizontally) should be imbued with it, which will contribute to the creation of a corporate spirit - a single team in the workplace.
The PR service regulates and controls the process of “merging” employees with the company, creating a sense of their belonging to a common corporate culture and fostering positive corporatism. It develops the principles of service ethics, internal relationships between the administration and employees. In particular, it develops a "team code" (QC).
QC is the basis for making management decisions incapable of infringing on anyone's interests, rights and dignity.
The CC establishes the rules of conduct, a certain type of relationship between all members of the workforce, which seem to be optimal in relation to the performance of professional duty.
QC is aimed at a policy of "retaining" personnel in accordance with the capabilities of the firm and fostering loyalty to it and loyalty: everyone who works in the organization must identify with it. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that employees are loyal first of all to their team at the workplace, then to the department, and only then to the company as a whole.
The team code depends on the management and industrial relations and may include the following commandments:
1. Each member of the team is equally important to us, and everyone has the right to access to participate in strategic planning.
2. We consider ethics and morality to be integral to our work and are committed to reviewing every decision against standards of fairness, legality and fairness.
3. Discipline and self-discipline is a recognized necessity, and our behavior, individually and collectively, will contribute to raising the prestige of the entire firm.
4. We believe that team spirit is the principle of our work and we will devote our time, energy and resources to maintaining the quality standards of goods and services at a high level.
5. When developing a solution, we do everything to take into account all opinions and interests: a jointly developed solution is carried out by everyone.
6. We will continually strive to maintain a high level of understanding and trust between us and the public through our words, actions and deeds.
7. We will take care of the security of the company and act on the principle that the team is open system and the people rooting for her will not harm her.
8. We guarantee that each employee will receive equal opportunities to carry out their professional duties and equally objective assessment of their work by management.
9. We will pursue a policy of "retention" of personnel and try to provide everyone with the opportunity for professional growth in accordance with the capabilities of the company, motivation and comfortable working conditions.
10. We will actively and consciously seek to preserve and protect environment from the possible harmful consequences of our activities.
In general, the actions of the team should be "transparent", information is available to everyone.
"Pass the balls"
The team is given a certain number of balls. She must carry them a certain distance without using her hands. Without using hands and putting or throwing them on the ground. You can carry your backs with your shoulders with your legs, etc. You also need to make sure that the balls remain intact.
Ideas from the game "Fort Bayard"
Collect as many cones in the forest as possible with a team in one run ( who does not participate is minus the team).
Move the pan with two sticks 1m, 1.5m or 2m long to the maximum distance.
"Just like me..."
Instruction: “Take a piece of paper and first sign the heading on it: “A person who has the same as mine ...”, and then in a column the following:
2. Eye color
3. Hair color
4. Zodiac sign
5. Favorite dish
6. Favorite drink
7. Favorite animal
8. Character Trait - Pride Trait
9. Character trait - the subject of embarrassment
10. Way of responding to danger
11. A way to meet the opposite sex
Now your task is to walk around the entire space for five minutes to find people who have what we have just listed, and ask them to put their painting in front of you in the same position as them. Paintings must be obtained for all positions. For one and the same position, you can get several murals.
"Threes"
Instruction: “Please break into groups of three people so that the second and third of the group are the least familiar people to you. Each of you will have approximately thirty seconds ( approximately, because I can stop time at any moment), to tell about yourself to your partners. When I command: "Transition!", Your task is to find two people with whom you have not yet communicated. In this new trinity, the same process is repeated. Only instead of talking about yourself, you talk about those two with whom you were in the previous three. Each member of the group should be able to tell. In your third trio (with whom you have not yet communicated), you will have to talk not only about your partners from the first trio, but also about those whom you learned about in the second. Etc."
"Hi!"
This game brings the group members physically closer to each other and brings an element of friendship to the joint work. At the same time, the game mobilizes the attention of the participants as they have to control both sides of their body at the same time. Each player can interrupt the handshake with his right hand only when he establishes a new contact - with his left hand. This promotes interhemispheric interaction.
The game is also interesting from the point of view of the development of interpersonal relationships, it requires a fairly high level of cooperation, since each participant simultaneously interacts with two members of the group at once. A great positive effect is the holding of this game at the end of the lesson. Thanks to her, the participants disperse in a good mood, and each of them receives their share of attention.
Instructions: “Please start walking around the room. I suggest that you shake hands with each of the group and at the same time say: “Hi! How are you?" Only speak these simple words and nothing more. But there is one important rule in this game: when you greet one of the participants, you can release your hand only after you begin to greet someone else with your other hand. In other words, you must continuously be in contact with someone in the group. Have you imagined how this happens?
When everyone has said hello to each other and the group is used to this ritual, you can start a second circle - with a different greeting, for example, saying: "It's good that you're here!" Alternatively, you can use this game at the end of class, in which case replace the greeting with a goodbye: "Thank you!" or “Thank you, you were such a pleasure to work with!”
"Strategy Game"
This is a highly animated game that combines movement and orientation in space in an interesting way. Already the first phase is very tense - you have to avoid someone who knows nothing about it. It is similar to what children sometimes play. The second stage - with the Defender in the middle - is far beyond child's play and requires a strategic assessment of the trajectories of two people. As a result, the game requires fast, careful movements, and, of course, everyone must be careful not to collide with other participants in the game. This game needs a lot of space to avoid collisions. Instructions: “We need a lot of space for this game, so please move tables and chairs aside to make room. Start silently moving around the room. Choose a member of the group and imagine that you are afraid of him. Of course, you should not be afraid of him in fact, it's just a game. Continue moving around the room, but in such a way that the distance between you and the person you are "afraid" becomes more and more, but in no case show him that you are avoiding him. (1 minute)
Now choose someone to be your Protector. You also should not show him that you have chosen him. While moving around the room, make sure that your Protector would be between you and the one you are "afraid of." You need to move as quickly as possible. (90 seconds)
Now you can look at what happened, and everyone will say who he was “afraid of” and who was his Protector.
"Knots"
Participants stand in a circle and extend their right hand towards the center of the circle. At the signal of the host, each player finds a “handshake partner”. The number of players must be even. Then all participants extend their left hand and also find themselves a “handshake partner” ( it is very important that it is not the same person). And now the task of the participants is to unravel, that is, to line up in a circle again without separating their hands. The task can be complicated by prohibiting all verbal communication.
"From matches - names"
Instructions: “Here lies a box of matches. Your task within 10 minutes of these matches is to lay out the names of all those present here, using all the matches in the box. One letter can belong to different names. You can't break matches."
Matches are issued at the rate of 10 matches per group member. If they don't make it in 10 minutes, the question is asked, "How long does it take you to finish?". If they fail again, then again the question, etc.
"Little Green Men"
Instruction: “Imagine that you went to rest with your group in nature. You are in the meadow. Around full of green grass, flowers. Butterflies fly. A little further away is a transparent clean lake, in which you just want to swim. The sun warms up nicely. And the best thing is that the whole group is here! Represented? On my command, you will go for a walk in this meadow: smell the flowers, chase butterflies, bask in the sun. And when I scream: “Attention! You were attacked by little green men! ”, Your task is to huddle together, hiding the weakest in the middle, and then shout in unison: “Let's fight back the little green men!”
Depending on how the group will look like a team during the exercise, it can be done several times, discussing their behavior after each.
"Seek and Find"
Instructions: Please separate into pairs and stand opposite each other. Now each of you must imprint in your memory the image of your partner - so that you can find him (her) later even with eyes closed. You have two minutes to see and remember what your partner looks like: what clothes he wears, hairstyle, hand shape, what is the width of his shoulders, waist circumference. Remember as many details as possible that characterize the appearance of your partner. ( 2 minutes) Now close your eyes and separate so that you don't know where your partner is. Also, give yourself time to get used to the situation. Move slowly and very carefully. I will take care of your safety and that the whole group can successfully complete this task. (15 seconds)
And now you can start looking for your partner, but only silently. Look for your special signs. When you think you have found him, before you open your eyes, say his name.
It is best to play the game on a limited playing field - not too big so that the partners can quickly find each other. Couples who have already found each other can move to the other side of the room to make it easier for the rest of the search process.
"Tell me about me"
The facilitator invites the group members to break into pairs. In the course of 5 minutes each tells each other about himself. Then everyone sits in a circle and each couple takes turns going to the center: one participant sits on a chair, the second stands behind him, puts his hands on his shoulders and talks about the person sitting as if from himself, introducing himself by his name, then they change. Pairs can be left from the previous exercise.
"Sit on the table"
"Irish Duel"
Instructions: Please choose your partner. I want to offer you a game called "Irish Duel". You must stand opposite each other so that there is enough free space around you so that you can move around each other during the game. Please place your left hand on your back at the level of your sacrum, palm facing out. This palm is your weak spot, your Achilles' heel.
Extend your right hand forward with your index finger - this will be your Irish sword. Your task is to touch your partner’s open palm with your outstretched index finger, while at the same time preventing him from touching your “vulnerable spot”. During this duel, you have no right to hold a partner. Since the Irish are a very peaceful people, the duel will last only one minute. Please pay attention to the fact that the room has enough free space- otherwise, the participants may “in the heat of battle” hit something. After the first duel, you can invite participants to duel with new partners.
"Family Photo"
The group is a family. The group is asked to select a mother, father, children, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other relatives and arrange them as if they were being photographed in a family photo. Discussion and interpretation - who took what place in the photo.
"How good we are"
Instruction: “You need to show how good you are. Make a presentation of your team. 10 minutes to prepare.
"Vampires"
Instruction: Imagine that we are in a medieval castle. And there, of course, according to tradition, there are vampires who come out of their graves for a walk at night. Now you can start walking around the castle space, at first with your eyes open, as it is still daylight. (30 seconds) And then the night falls, and you can close your eyes, but keep walking. Now I will touch one of you on the shoulder, and this will mean that this person is a vampire. And his task, as you probably guess, is to walk around and bite people. It just fits right in and bites. The person who was bitten also becomes a vampire, and, accordingly, also walks and bites. If suddenly it happens that one vampire bites another vampire, then the bitten one becomes a man. Every time after a bite ( and if you are a man, and if you are a vampire) must be shouted. So… (3 minutes). But now the morning is approaching, and the vampires urgently need to return home - to their cozy comfortable coffins. And vampires can now begin to dissolve on the walls of the room. And the "living" people remain in the center, joyful because they were able to survive another night. ( 30 seconds) And now you can open your eyes to assess the balance of power: how many cute, pretty vampires we got, and how many greedy, “living” people holding an extra drop of blood. Joke.
"Terrible Secret"
One of the participants tells a terrible secret about himself in the ear of his neighbor, for example: “I love picking my nose!” The neighbor passes this on in a circle, also in his ear, changing the phrase to read: "One of us likes to pick his nose!" In this form, the phrase goes in a circle, and the second participant, having let the first phrase go to two or three participants, sends a secret about himself after him: “I like to smear the rest of the gravy with a crust of bread.” The phrase goes around in circles in the variant: "One of us ..." When the secret goes around the circle and comes to the owner, the owner does not send him to the second circle, and thus the first part of the exercise ends when each secret has gone around exactly one circle. Then everyone says aloud what secrets they have learned. One learned that "we snore", that "we like to sleep", etc., until all the secrets were remembered. And then all the participants say in chorus: “And we will never tell anyone anything!”
"Treasure"
Instructions: Imagine that your group, while on a hike, found a real treasure. And after that you ended up with 1000 gold coins of ancient minting. Your task is to share this money. How you will do this is up to you. Determine the selection criteria and decision-making procedure yourself. You have 5 minutes for this. Forbidden: casting lots and distributing the reward equally. If you fail to divide the money within the allotted time, they will be confiscated from you.
"I wish you tomorrow..."
Everyone stands in a circle and takes turns wishing the neighbor on the right, themselves and the neighbor on the left something good for tomorrow. This exercise can be made ritual and finish the preparations with it.
"Deers"
Participants form two circles (external and internal), stand facing each other. The facilitator asks: “Have you ever seen how deer greet? Do you want to know how they do it? It's a whole ritual: with your right ear you rub against your partner's right ear, then with your left ear against your partner's left ear, and at the end of the greeting you need to stomp your feet! After that, the outer circle is shifted by 1 person, and the ceremony is repeated. The movement continues until all participants “greet” each other like deer and take their starting position.
"My name is... I love myself because..."
The exercise is done in a circle. Everyone alternately says two phrases "My name is ..." and "I love myself because ...". Do not be distracted by arguments and discussions about your desires. Just say them one by one, dispassionately and quickly.
"You and I are similar in that..."
Participants line up in 2 circles - internal and external. The number of participants in both circles must be the same. Participants in the outer circle say to their partners a phrase that begins with the words: "You and I are similar in that ..." (for example: you and I are similar in that we live on planet Earth, study in the same class, etc.). The members of the inner circle answer: “You and I differ in that ...” ( for example: you and I differ in eye color, long hair, etc.). Then, at the command of the leader, the participants in the inner circle move, changing their partner. The procedure is repeated until every member of the inner circle meets every member of the outer circle.
"Log"
The task of the group, fitting on the bench ( its width is equal to the largest leg size of the team members, its length is equal to the length of the team line), without stepping over its edge, swap places so that the first participant is in the place of the last, the second in the place of the penultimate one, etc. With a spade, the exercise starts over.
"Tower of Babel"
First you need to split the group into two teams. It is recommended to do this in the following way. You yourself choose two people who, in your opinion, have good communication skills and ask them out loud to be Team Captains for the duration of the game. After that, they go around the room and recruit the people they need into the teams. This must be done in such a way that the members of the teams are equally divided. Let's ask the teams to take their places ( in opposite corners, teams stand on a table and the required number of chairs). The teams disperse, sit down, and you report that from now on they should not speak Russian or any other well-known language. But it is not forbidden to speak with gestures, to invent a new language, some other signal system. But the participants must still understand your speech. Then call the team captains and hand them pre-composed and printed ( or handwritten) instructions. Have the captains read them and report to their teams. None of the team members should see the instructions, this should be carefully monitored by the leader and assistant. After some time, you can even take the instructions from the leaders, making sure that the leaders remember them. But, most importantly, make sure that the leaders do not see each other when giving instructions, because the beauty of the game is that the instructions are different. Each team is invited to perform a fairly complex action, and involve members of the opposing team in the implementation. The leader who has read the instructions must explain to his team what the coach wants from her, but there is a language barrier in the way, so the Leader must ensure that artistic and smart participants with a rich imagination and a well-developed imagination are chosen as leaders at this stage of the game . When the members of each team understand what they have to do, they will be forced to make contact with each other in order to involve the members from the other team in the common action. But the presence of different tasks creates difficulties, on the way to the resolution of which the same language barrier arises.
Leaders receive the following tasks for their teams:
A-Team: 1. Come up with at least 6 different military ranks, assign one of these ranks to each of those present, excluding the Leader and assistant, come up with a military uniform that is different from the modern one and introduce insignia. 2. Prepare the room to repel the aggressor. 3. Organize a banquet on the occasion of the enemy's non-aggression with two speeches (1 minute each), congratulations to the defense participants and awarding medals. Speeches should be made by one person from each team.
Team B: 1. Come up with at least six models of fashionable clothes, turn everyone's clothes into one of these models. 2. Organize a demonstration of these models for imaginary viewers. 3. Organize a banquet on the occasion of a successful demonstration with at least two speeches, one of which must be delivered by a representative of the opposing team, congratulating the participants in the demonstration and presenting gifts. The duration of the performance is also no more than 1 minute.
The tasks are designed so that the first part of them is similar for both teams, and the participants would not immediately guess that their tasks are different. However, by the end of the first part of the tasks, participants begin to suspect that they are being fooled. After completing the second part of the task, this suspicion will turn almost into certainty, and they will expect a catch from the third part of the task, but the third tasks are very similar to each other, which again introduces participants into painful reflections.
After all the tasks are completed, invite the teams to disperse again in the corners, in their playing places, if they have been preserved by that time ( but I must say that after all the actions, the hall sometimes begins to look more than strange, and the machine-gun nest of two chairs on the closet is not the most surprising!). You hand out sheets of paper to them and ask them to write in Russian what exactly each participant did, how he understood his leader. Then you collect the papers, return the participants to speechlessness and invite each team to discuss what task the rivals performed. In five minutes, each team must come to a consensus on this issue, and report this to the other team. This is where the game ends and the discussion begins. The discussion is conducted using video recording. (but you can do without it!). The topic of discussion is the issue of understanding and mutual understanding. What hinders this and what helps? At what point did each participant feel like they understood someone? At what point did the participant feel understood? Questions, questions... This is where the game ends. This game is quite difficult for the participants, so it should be played only in strong groups capable of improvisation and creativity. To make the task easier, you can, for example, let the leaders say three words each, if you see that all his attempts to explain the task lead to nothing.
Note: Pay attention to the fact that the leaders do not immediately guess the difference in tasks. And finally, it is not necessary to give these particular tasks. You can come up with others, simple or complex, short or long, based on the Leader's own understanding of what exactly the group needs at the moment.
All control of the game is carried out through the team leaders. If you often interfere in the game, the participants may stop perceiving the leaders as such, which will make it even more difficult to find a common language. To make the game end fun and well, ask the participants giving a speech at the final banquet to explain what exactly they wanted to say, what awards and for what each winner was awarded. When it turns out that the speaker spoke about the inviolability of front-line bonds and presented the medals "For the defense of the window sill", the participant who received this medal is very funny if she thought that a toast was being said to the beautiful ladies and she was being awarded a diamond brooch as "Miss Leadership Program 2014 "!
"Desert Island"
Instruction: “Imagine that as a result of a shipwreck you find yourself on a desert island. In the next 20 years, you will not be able to return to a normal life in your native land. Your task is to create conditions for yourself that could satisfy you. You can:
A) master the island, organize a farm on it;
B) establish a social life on it (create an organization, distribute functions, roles, responsibilities, etc.);
C) establish the rules and norms of living together on the island (in the form of 10 basic prescriptions).
For this you are given half an hour and complete freedom of action within the framework of paragraphs a - c. After the appointed time, everyone sits down around the mastered "island". The facilitator offers to discuss and analyze the impressions of the group members about what happened. Everyone can tell how he felt participating in the organization of life on the island, how he perceived the behavior of others, what he was satisfied with and was not satisfied with. You can devote 20 to 30 minutes to this conversation.
"Portrait of a Leader"
To complete the exercise, the group is divided into two groups.
You need to draw a portrait of the leader using paper and felt-tip pens. Try to reflect in the picture the qualities that you think a leader should have. You are given 10 minutes to discuss how you will draw and another 10 minutes to draw a portrait. During the work itself, complete silence must be observed. You can only communicate non-verbally.
quality. You have painted portraits. Now, one person from the group will try to explain to us what is drawn. The second group can ask clarifying questions. Next to the portrait, we write out the qualities that the drawn leader possesses. Now let's make one out of two quality tables. (The qualities of a leader are written out without repetitions). Write down these qualities on a piece of paper and tick off the qualities that you think you possess.
quality exchange. Look at each other. Many of you have the qualities that we have written. At my signal, you all get up from your seats and begin to move around the room in order to exchange qualities. If you see that some quality is pronounced in another, you are asking for a little bit of this quality, and it is not at all necessary that you yourself should not have this quality. Those qualities that you ask for, mark in the left column of your list of qualities, qualities that are asked from you, you mark in the right column. You can ask for the same quality from several people. You have 10 minutes for this activity. (After that, the sheets are signed and collected by the presenter).
"Terrible-beautiful drawing"
The group is divided into 2 subgroups. Each group is given a sheet of paper and one marker. It is proposed to draw a "beautiful picture". After that, the drawing is transferred to the neighbor on the right, and he makes a “terrible drawing” from the received drawing within 30 seconds and passes it on to the next one. The next participant makes a "beautiful drawing". This is how the whole circle goes. The drawing is returned to the owner. Discussion.
"Flying Eggs"
1. Increase cohesion in the group.
2. Demonstrate to the group the conditions conducive to the creative solution of the problem.
3. Explore the impact of success on the atmosphere in the group.
1. Instruction: “You have 30 minutes to complete this exercise. Your task is to launch the egg into free flight, so that it lands without breaking. You cannot pass an egg down from person to person, lower it on a rope, etc. During the exercise, pay attention to the process of interaction in the group and the decision-making strategy. Successful flight!"
2. The group is given 10 minutes to discuss the task. It is not allowed to touch the materials given to the group.
3. Then the group completes the task in silence for 20 minutes.
4. After dropping the egg at the general meeting, the group leaves to close without checking in front of everyone if the egg has broken.
"Unfinished Offers"
Instruction: I want to invite you to clarify the explicit and implicit rules that operate in our group. Write down all the rules that we discussed with you (3 minutes). Now, please write two endings for each of the following unfinished sentences.
This group does not want...
This group is dangerous...
From this group will be excluded the one who ...
This group can…
Issues for discussion:
To what extent are the group's rules clear to the participants?
How wide is the range of unspoken norms?
Which ones are useful and which ones are burdensome?
Should we jointly adopt additional rules in our group?
"Invitation to work together"
Instructions: I want to explore our relationship with you. I propose to do this in the following way: let each of you now imagine that he has the opportunity to communicate with me not in a group, but in any other situation. Think about what you would like to do with me. Write down on the cards in one or two phrases what came to your mind. Then put your signature and give the cards to me. I will read them aloud, and then we will have a joint discussion. During this discussion, I will talk about my inner feelings.
Issues for discussion:
– How wide was the range of desires of the participants?
- What desires are caused by the characteristics of the leader's personality, and which ones are more likely due to his role?
– What was the facilitator's reaction to the various desires of the participants?
- What forms of behavior of the presenter are unpleasant for the participants, and which, on the contrary, do they like?
"Group Mosaic"
An exercise is proposed that will provide an opportunity to compare our individual impressions of group work and understand how they are similar and how they are different. We will be able to see what we have already achieved and what we still have to work on. I will review your ideas and tell you about my understanding of what is happening. I would like you to team up in threes. Choose partners whose opinion you are interested in... Have each microgroup take a large piece of paper and a box of wax crayons or pencils... Please draw a picture that would reflect your view of what is happening in the group. Try to express in a drawing what we have already achieved, what we still have to do, in what atmosphere we work, how we communicate with each other, what goals we strive for, what feelings prevail in us, how we mutually influence each other. Present in your picture the most interesting aspects of group work for your subgroup, note what you like and what you are not happy with. You can use three colors: one color for what you like about the group, a second for what you don't like, and a third for neutral events. You have 1 hour for this...
After that, the participants of all triplets gather for a group discussion, having previously rolled up and put their paintings aside. Invite them to share their experiences briefly. Then each subgroup in turn lays out their drawings in the center of the circle. The authors first silently listen to the opinions and guesses of the other members of the group about the content of the picture, and only then give their own comments. Then it's time for the next three.
In the final discussion, you can carefully summarize and analyze what difficulties the group has already managed to cope with, what problems it faces in this moment and what challenges may arise in the future.
"Intergroup meeting"
An exercise in which each subgroup will be able to focus on its characteristic features that distinguish it from another subgroup or unite with it. I would like those who stand on point A to unite with each other in the same way as those who defend point B. All who take a neutral position, let them also unite and be observers. Groups A and B will now work separately from each other, preferably in two different rooms. Each group will have to complete three tasks:
1. Describe your group, noting what is characteristic of it and what unites its members;
2. Describe what you think another group has about your group;
3. Describe the idea that, in your opinion, the members of the other group have about themselves, how they see their group, what they think about it.
Make three different lists and try to write them in a language that others can work with your notes. In exactly one hour, I will give each group three lists compiled by the other group, and you will have the opportunity to get the point of view of its participants.
Observers can join any group, but still have the right to speak. Let both groups work separately, and after an hour, give them each other's lists. Now get to know the point of view of the other group and try to understand where your idea of the other group turned out to be not quite correct. What information about the other band was completely new to you? How can you explain the discrepancies found? What did you yourself do wrong, and what did members of the other group do wrong? You have one more hour. Finally, bring everyone together for a general discussion and invite both groups to share their impressions. Ask the participants if the information they receive will help them reach a compromise on the original contentious issue.
"Conflict and Cohesion"
Instructions: I would like to propose an experiment to you that will help you all to test the strength of our unity as a group. The significance of our relationship can be determined, among other things, by the extent to which they provoke conflicts between us. You all know the saying "Whoever I love, I tease." To those who are indifferent to us, we do not experience either particularly warm feelings or particularly hostile ones. True, we often believe that it is precisely in relationships that are significant and valuable to us that there should be no conflicts.
The presence in the group of a certain number of small conflicts is a sign that it is full of life and strength, and its members appreciate each other. I would like you to analyze whether we have enough small conflicts for an outside observer to say about us: "Yes, this is a close-knit group."
Divide into threes. Now you will need to do the following: draw a picture in the center of which symbolize what, in your opinion, is the basic unity of our group, that common starting point for all that unites us all. Then make a list of all the conflicts we have and draw them around the central image of the picture. At the same time, try to make it clear to the audience who is involved in a particular conflict. I hope you can find enough small conflicts. Do not forget to check and depict the extent to which I am involved in certain conflicts. You have one hour for this work...
During the discussion, let each group take turns presenting their pictures and explaining them. Help group members identify which conflicts they would like to leave behind, which need to be resolved by the participants in the conflict, and which they would like to get help from others.
"Give or take?"
This exercise helps participants actively analyze the remaining tails and focus on something important. This procedure will make it easier for them to leave the group. The exercise can be done in any group.
Instructions: During the work of the group, each of us had to hold back from time to time and not express everything that we would like. Therefore, we have all accumulated "tails" that unnecessarily internally bind us to the group. I would like to give each of you the opportunity to take a close look at all that is left unsaid.
Please take paper and a pencil and divide the sheet into two columns: the left - "What I did not add" and the right - "What I did not ask for." Write in each column the appropriate "tails" that come to mind. You have 10 minutes for this...
Now decide, please, what do you prefer in the end: to give something or to receive. You can choose any one "tail" from any column and get rid of it right now. What will you choose? (2 minutes.)
Who would like to be the first to get rid of their "tail"?
If you are running this game in the last class, there should be no discussion.
"Wax stick"
The group stands in a circle, shoulder to shoulder. One of the participants stands in a circle, closes his eyes, hugs his shoulders and, trying not to take his heels off the ground, falls smoothly, like a stick, in any direction. Participants standing in a circle hold their hands in front of them and with their palms gently push the falling person away, causing him to swing inside the circle like a pendulum. Feel your unity, the hands of your friends, trust them! And give thanks through your fingertips to the people inside the circle for all they have done for you during the shift. Let them feel calm, comfortable, as in a cradle.
"Sunflower"
In this small exercise, participants can symbolically express the rise and fall of the group and try to accept the breakup and the beginning of a new stage in life as a natural event.
The exercise is suitable for personality-oriented groups.
Instruction: Now, at the end of our classes, I would like to offer you a small exercise called "Sunflower". Stand in a wide circle, then sit on the floor and close your eyes...
Think about how you came to this group one by one and didn't know most of the other members... (1 minute.)
Now open your eyes and slowly rise up... Feel that you have gradually turned into a single group and become closer to each other... Close the circle to stand close to each other and put your hands on the shoulders of your neighbors... Imagine that all of you are a sunflower flower that slowly sways in the wind. Close your eyes and slowly swing first to the left and then to the right... (30 seconds.)
Continuing to move in the rhythm of the sunflower, open your eyes and look at the rest of the group. Make eye contact with each... (2 minutes.)
Now gradually stop, close your eyes again and take your hands off the shoulders of your neighbors... Realize that the sunflower has already ripened, and each of you will now turn into an independent sunflower seed... Take a couple of steps back with your eyes closed and slowly turn around.. Feel that the wind is now taking you away from the sunflower, that you are alone again, but at the same time you carry the energy of the germ...
Try to feel this energy in your body... Say to yourself: "I am filled with vitality and I have the energy to grow and develop"... (1 minute.)
Now gradually open your eyes... The work of the group is complete.
The role interaction of adolescents in the process of group games can be divided into four main stages:
Preparing the group to act out the situation.
Crystallization of the group in the process of "warm-up".
Improvisation or dramatization.
Discussion on the restructuring of the structure of roles and behavior in the group and society.
The topics chosen for role-playing improvisation should correspond to the life experience of the children playing. It is possible to carry out a dosed gaming procedure with a gradual complication of role-playing tasks.
"Coin"
Armed with a pencil, paper and a coin, the participants sit opposite each other. In each measure of the game, the participants covertly lay out their coins (on the table, on the floor, in the palm of their hand) “eagles” or “tails” up and, on a signal, simultaneously show them to each other. The time allotted for each measure is not limited: the signal is given only after the readiness of each of the players. One of them works "for approval". He wins the beat if both coins come up either heads or heads. The other participant works for "mismatch" and wins the clock when "heads-tails" or "tails-heads" fall out. The results of each cycle are recorded. The duration of the game is set in advance and can be, depending on the qualifications of the participants, from 25 to 50 cycles.
"Homeostat"
Participants sit in a circle. Everyone clenches their right hand into a fist, and at the command of the leader, everyone throws out their fingers. The group should strive to ensure that all participants independently roll the same number. Participants are prohibited from negotiating, winking and other illegal maneuvers to try to coordinate actions. The game continues until the group reaches their goal. In order to provide each other with the opportunity to assess the situation and take it into account, in the last measure of the game, after each throw, the participants fix for some time the position of their outstretched fingers. The game can also be used to clarify the relationship in the group. If you carefully observe the course of the game, you can notice one or more leaders in the group, under which the rest of the participants adjust. Perhaps the group will break up into several groups that have their own settings for the outcome of the game ( for example, half of the players throw out three fingers several times in a row, while the other half throws out one at a time).
"Wall"
Two participants stand opposite each other on both sides of a rectangular frame covered with dense matter. Partners must not see each other. At the signal of the leader, both players inflict a simultaneous injection with their index finger into the wall separating them. The goal is the minimum number of attempts to find a common point of injection, i.e., to touch through the matter with your fingertips. Usually, the partners look for each other by touch, adjusting the injection points depending on where the partner’s finger was squeezed out in the previous measure of the game. But it also happens that quick-witted players solve the problem on the first try, inflicting their injections into the center of a rectangular frame, since the center is a special, one-of-a-kind point on the canvas. To exclude the possibility of easy victories, you can slightly change the condition: inject injections not at any place inside the frame, but at one of several points (on both sides of the canvas).
"Choice"
Participants sit in a circle. At the facilitator's command, each of them must point a finger at one of their group mates, for example, at the one with whom he would like to pair up in some other game. The goal of the players is to achieve in one of the attempts such a choice in which the group would break up into pairs of participants who mutually chose each other. In each measure, “fatal” polygons can appear, and only some players gradually grope for each other and separate into pairs. Pairs can be withdrawn from the game. This will greatly facilitate the work of the rest of the participants. The game is most dramatic when the number of participants is odd, and someone must obviously be left without a pair. The game acquires a distinct orientation towards interpersonal relations if something significant plays a role in the choice of a partner, for example, living together in a hotel room.
"Robot"
A playing field is created - a vast space with scattered matches. Participants are divided into pairs (“robot” and “operator”). The task of the "operator" is to collect as many matches as possible with the help of his "robot". To do this, he gives the "robot" verbal commands, trying to control in detail and accurately the movement of his arms and legs, torso. The task of the “robot” is to unquestioningly and accurately carry out the commands of its “operator”. The robot's eyes are closed during the game. The host should emphasize that the "robot" should not play along with his "operator", he is just an obedient tool in the hands of the "operator". When included in the game, the “operator” begins to perceive inaccuracies in the movements of the “robot” not as mistakes of a partner in the game, but as their own. Instead of matches, you can offer any other motor task: draw a figure, tie a knot, go through a labyrinth, build a group sculptural composition, etc.
"Claw"
This exercise is based on the principle of the slot machine, which is very popular even among adults. The group is divided into pairs. One of the participants closes his eyes and folds his hand into a “claw” of several fingers. Another places one or more items on the table. His task is, with the help of a “claw”, obediently following all instructions, to grab an object and transfer it to another chair. The "claw" is designed so that it can move in all directions, maintaining the orientation perpendicular to the surface of the chair, as well as reduce and spread the fingers. In order to give this exercise a competitive character, it is advisable to limit the time of its execution. An even sharper and more dynamic form of the game is the competitive struggle of two pairs, each of which drags objects from the opponents’ chair to their own chair with the help of a “claw” until they are all focused on one chair. In the simplest version of the game, the owner of the “claw” is assigned the role of a robot not interested in the outcome of the task, capable only of mechanical execution of the commands of the “operator” (“Push!”, “Push!”, “Right!”, “Left!”, “ Up!”, “Down!”, “Capture!”, “Unclench!”, “Stop!”). With such a distribution of responsibilities, the exercise “works” mainly for the “operator”: it is he who mobilizes the ability to feel, since in order to successfully carry out the necessary manipulations, he must feel the “claw” as his own. A more complex option: the "operator" puts his hand on the shoulder or head of his partner and tries to control the "claw" in the language of pressure, compression, stroking, and so on.
"Docking"
The game is played in fours. Two participants sit opposite each other so that their knees touch and close their eyes. The index fingers of the right hands - "space stations" - are extended towards each other. The other two players stand behind those who are seated. On a signal, each of the standing participants begins, with the help of verbal commands or touches, to control the movements of the right hand of the person sitting in front of him. The goal of the players standing behind the chairs is to bring the ends of the index fingers of their partners together. A competitive version of the game is also possible: one of the players seeks to divert his “target” - the palm of the person sitting in front of him - from the “rocket” pursuing him - the index finger of the person sitting opposite. In this case, the palm should, of course, always remain within the reach of the fingers, and the face - beyond its limits.
"Anabiosis"
Participants are divided into pairs. In each pair, the players distribute the roles of “frozen” and “resuscitator” among themselves. On a signal, "frozen" freezes in immobility, depicting a creature immersed in suspended animation with a petrified face and a blank look. "Resuscitator" in a minute should rescue the partner from suspended animation, revive him. The “resuscitator” has no right to touch the “frozen” person, nor to address him with any question or words. Tools "reanimator" - look, facial expressions, gestures and pantomime. The success of the “resuscitator” can be considered the involuntary replicas of the “frozen”, his laughter, smile. Criteria for exiting anabiosis, which can vary from obvious violations of silence and immobility to subtle changes in facial expression, are set by the participants themselves
"Mirror"
Participants are divided into pairs, stand facing each other. One of the players makes slow movements with his hands, head, and whole body. The task of the other is to exactly copy all the movements of a partner, to be his “mirror reflection”. Having mastered the skills, the participants can try their hand at a more complex game, the task is the same, but the roles of “reflection” and “original”, follower and leader are not defined. Adjusting to each other, the players tend to move in unison. By observing the course of the exercise, you can identify the "natural" leader in each pair. Difficulties in reaching agreement are often associated with tense relationships between partners.
"On Guard"
The group is divided into two subgroups so that one has one person less than the other. The smaller subgroup sits in a circle, leaving one seat in the circle empty. A large subgroup - "guards" - is located outside the circle: each participant standing behind an empty chair is trying to lure someone from those sitting in a circle into it. To do this, he gives some signal to his chosen one sitting in a circle: a nod, a hand movement, a wink, an expressive look, and so on. Having caught this signal, the participant sitting in a circle must jump up from his seat ( armchairs) and move to free. Each of the “guards” standing behind the circle tries not to miss the player sitting in front of him. The participant is considered detained if the “guard” managed to put his hands on his shoulders before he jumped up from the chair. In order to orient the game towards the development of communication, and not the speed of reaction, the host can forbid the "guards" to look at those they are guarding ( each "guard" can observe the players, but not for his "ward"). In this game mode, the task of the lurer is to give a signal so that it is perceived by the addressee, but goes unnoticed by his "guard". The task of those sitting in a circle is to clearly capture the signals sent to them, and the task of the “guards” is to intercept the signals addressed to their wards.
"Fly"
Imagine a field of three cells. In the upper right is a fly. When the whole group has imagined this picture, you can start playing. Everyone walks in turn as follows: “One to the left” - and everyone mentally moves the fly. Then the second says "Two down", and so on. It would seem that you can move the fly indefinitely, if not for one rule - whoever moves the fly outside the imaginary field, he is out of the game. Of course, draw the trajectory of the fly, as well as an empty field ( and then drive over it with your finger or eyes) it is forbidden; only allowed to present. If a three-by-three square isn't enough, do a four-by-four or five-by-five. They say that experienced players are able to move the fly not only on the plane, but also in space.
"Shadow play"
First, cards are prepared, the number equal to the number of players. Roles are written on the cards. Let's say the action of your "performance" takes place in the "castle", then the list of roles can be as follows: King, Queen, Princess, Knight, Servant, Wanderer, Courtier. The cards are shuffled and dealt out so that no one sees what role the rest of the players have received. And then communication begins, in the course of which everyone plays the role he has inherited and at the same time tries to find out who the others are playing. You can express your guesses aloud, then, if you guessed right, then the “exposed” person drops out of the game, if you made a mistake, you go out yourself by opening your card. The game continues until it is finally clear who is who. And then you can play "tavern". A merchant, a thief, a sailor, a wizard, a robber, a detective gathered there...
"My Kingdom"
Having singled out one of its members (“protagonist”) from the group, the facilitator invites him to stand or sit in the center of the playground and imagine himself as a “luminary”, at a reasonable distance from which the “planets” - the rest of the group members, will be, and in such a way that those , whose "pull" is felt by him stronger, will be closer, and those whose "pull" is weaker farther. Now the “protagonist” needs, slowly turning around his axis, to inform each of those present in which direction and how far he needs to move, and the distance is fixed by the usual “stop!” command, but those who were not given it leave the site altogether . In addition, the "protagonist" can leave people in place and even bring them closer to him, if it turns out that the preliminary distance was too great. The results of such an arrangement should be regarded as a demonstration by the "protagonist" of his likes and dislikes. Their reality is revealed at the second stage of the game, when he is offered to evaluate the created psychological space (emphasizing that the space is psychological) from the point of view of the comfort that the “protagonist” experiences inside the resulting environment, and increase this comfort by changing the arrangement of participants and changing their composition. (i.e., returning one of the "expelled" to the site). The resulting scheme of relationships turns out to be more accurate, but still quite approximate, because it is excessively “desirable”. However, she can present new, quite interesting and unconventional information to the facilitator. However, it is undesirable to fix the relationship scheme on a board or on paper - it is better to do it later, from memory. It is impossible to allow a group discussion of this scheme - here it is worth defending the right of everyone to their own space and their own perception of this space. And, finally, it is not recommended to make more than three participants a “luminary”, because the game can just bore the group.
Another description of the game "Your Space", the psychological meaning of which is aimed at: 1) deepening the self-awareness of one of the participants in the classes; 2) approval in the eyes of the group of the significance of the personality of a particular participant; 3) revealing indirectly (through the implementation of the game task) the relationship of a given person to each of the members of the group. The course of the lesson: the psychologist singles out one teenager from the group and offers to stand or sit in the center of the playground, and all other members of the group are asked to crowd closely around him. After a pause of two or three minutes, the psychologist tells the teenager the following: “Now you are turning into a luminary, at different distances from which there will be numerous planets - other people. Those of them whose attraction you feel more strongly will naturally take a place closer to you. Those whose attraction is weaker will be located further away or completely detached from you. Close your eyes, focus.... Now open your eyes. Slowly turn around your axis. Tell everyone around you in turn in which direction he (or she) should move away. Until the person moves away to a distance corresponding to your inner sense of attraction, command: “More ... more ... stop!”. Those to whom you never said "stop" generally leave playground. You have the right, of course, not only to remove, but also to leave the person in place, or bring him closer to you up to 30 cm. Let's start!” After placing the participants in the game around the “star”, the psychologist gives the following instruction: “Now you have created your psychological space. Are you good in it? If not completely, you can make any changes in the location of the people around you. Achieve such an arrangement in order to feel a sense of comfort within this environment. The arrangement of the players after the first instruction can be considered as a demonstration of the sympathies or dislikes of the teenager. However, among the participants in the game, removed to a considerable distance or even "expelled", there are often those to whom the teenager gives special preference, but wants to hide this from the group. In the same way, among the playing children, left close, there may be persons who are indifferent or even antipathetic to the adolescent. The arrangement after the second instruction to a greater extent reflects the true system of relations of a teenager. A subsequent group discussion of the teenager's actions is not recommended. At the end of the game, the psychologist announces: “The right of any player to form his space in this game as his intuition tells him. People can be very similar in their way of thinking, but everyone has their own intuition.” After that, you can offer to be a “luminary” to another teenager. However, it is not recommended to conduct classes with more than three teenagers - "luminaries", as this can quickly get bored with the rest of the group members.
"Special guest"
The participants of the training are informed that after some time one of the members of the group ( for the role of the protagonist" it is desirable to choose persons who do not belong to the number of "stars") leaves the room and enters only when called. Seven people will be selected from the rest - a grand jury, which, according to a five-point system, must evaluate all subsequent actions of each of the participants. The person behind the door is the guest of honor of the group ( foreigner, representative of the sister city and etc.), who chooses his own national identity. Another member of the group will become the guest's guide and interpreter, and the rest of the group must make the guest of honor feel at home. Members of the grand jury, independently of each other, have the right to reduce the mark of those who behave too dryly or too familiarly, obsequiously or rudely, constrained or cheeky. Rude, familiar or cheeky can be taken out of the game. According to the jury members, the average for each participant will be displayed. This game is uncomplicated and, with obviously comical effects (exotic clothes, unusual language), is a clear pleasure for those involved. However, along with this, it is also very serious, because the requirement of courtesy in relation to the guest of honor is far from always fulfilled, and first of all by those who are unfriendly towards the "protagonist". They are offended by signs of attention to the guest, and behind ostentatious friendliness they often hide a mockery or even a direct injection, sacrificing the jury's assessment for this. Such behavior must be noticed and commented on by the leader, who may even raise the question of removing a participant who systematically violates the rules from the game.
Another description of the game "Honored Guest", which is aimed at solving the problem - the formation of a positive status in a teenager in a group and positive forms of group interaction. The psychologist explains the essence of the game: “Now one of you will leave the room for a while and wait outside the door until he is called. From the rest, we will select seven people for the jury, who will evaluate the behavior of each participant in the game on a five-point scale. The challenge is this: the person at the door is your guest of honor. Imagine that he is a very respected person, has a lot of merit. When he enters the room, each of you will try to shake his hand, ask him something, tell him something, in general, make sure that he is not bored. The jury members, making a decision independently of each other, lower the score for those who behave with the guest too dryly or too formally, obsequiously or rudely, constrained or uninhibited. According to the evaluations of the jury members, the average score will be displayed.
"Living Sculpture"
One of the participants is seated or laid on a platform or table and announced as a "lump of clay", from which anyone can fashion it as a sculpture as he imagines it. Rough touches to the "clay" are prohibited - only a light touch is allowed. The "material" can resist, and if the "sculptor" behaves too unceremoniously, and declare itself "crumbled", after which someone else will act as a sculptor. The facilitator should carefully monitor the reactions of the “protagonist”, who initially resists those to whom he attributes hostile intentions, and, on the contrary, is exposed for “molding” by those he trusts. After the end of the game, "sculpting" can be the subject of discussion, which is desirable to be carried out as follows. The "protagonist" and "sculptor" independently write down their opinions about the concept of the sculpture, after which both notes are read out, and the group begins to discuss the inconsistencies identified in them.
"Bad Company"
Twelve people participate in the game: Leader, Authority, Appropriate (two people), Toady, Jester, Puppets (two people), Disgruntled (two people), and Downtrodden (two people). Initially, the performers of these roles should be selected by the presenter himself, but necessarily from among volunteers, but in the future it is necessary to invite viewers to one or another role and generally change the role within the most “successful”, primitive group, so that everyone is “in the shoes” of everyone. The most important element of the game is the rules for the interaction of its participants, the implementation of which must be closely monitored by the leader and, in addition to him, one of the non-players. These rules are:
Sneak - anyone, except Approximate, Authority and Leader
Jester - everyone except the Leader
Puppet - only Discontented and Leader
Anyone cuts off the downtrodden, he - no one
A player who breaks the rules is transferred to the Downtrodden, but if the Downtrodden himself violated them, then he can not only be condemned in unison, but simply expelled.
There are a lot of forms of theatricalization: a gang of gangsters, a pirate ship, a primitive tribe, a pack of wolves... After the end of the game, it is advisable to have a discussion.
"Sit on the table"
Your group must, on my command, sit down on the table as quickly as possible so that all members of the group are placed on the table. There should be no feet on the floor.
"Little Green Men"
All participants walk around the room, and the leader shouts out a phrase indicating the danger: “Attention! Little green men attacked you!” After the danger signal, all participants in the training should immediately gather in a close group, hiding the weak in the middle, and then say the phrase: “Let's fight back the little green men!”
"Galactic Council"
Imagine that you are on a planet where the Council of Galactic Civilizations is located. Your group represents humanity. A representative of the Galactic Council enters the room and asks one of you to go to the Council to represent the Earth. Decide which one of you will go. After some time, a representative of the Galactic Council asks someone to go to Earth. Then these invitations and requests are repeated. Thus, a ranking of leaders is compiled.
"Who is who"
Get up quickly from the chairs to the number of people, how many fingers the leader will show. Interpretation: usually the leaders of the group get up, who, after getting up, sits down, plays the role of “conscience” in the group.
"An Unconventional Greeting"
You need to come up with an unconventional greeting and show it to the group.
"Gift"
On pieces of paper, we write what we would like to give to each of the members of the group. "Gifts" are collected in envelopes and simultaneously handed over to the participants. Participants must make a ranking of gifts and explain it.
"Thumb Talk"
The group is divided into pairs. Partners put forward, towards each other, their right hand, clenched into a fist, but with a protruding thumb. The thumbs begin to "talk" to each other:
Fingers met, became interested in each other and began to get acquainted
The fingers met and agree on where and how they will spend tonight
The fingers did not agree and quarreled, they scold
Fingers hurt each other
Fingers are looking for an opportunity to make peace
Fingers reconciled
"Blind Handshake"
One of the group members is blindfolded, he slightly stretches his right hand forward. The rest of the participants take turns approaching him and shaking his outstretched hand. The protagonist must distribute them into three groups Parent-Adult-Child, depending on the handshake. Interpretation: the place of the protagonist in the group is determined by the number of selected people in a particular group. (For example, if the largest group is "Parent", then the protagonist feels that he is in the "Child" group)
Greeting "Running Lights"
The participants sit in a circle, one of them says to the neighbor some very short greeting phrase, for example: “ Good morning!" The neighbor should get up as soon as possible, repeat this phrase and sit down again, and his neighbor should do the same, and a wave of standing up and repeating runs in a circle, like in the stands during the World Cup. Please complete this task as quickly as possible.
"Parting"
Look, please, and remember your neighbors on the right and left. Now we will get up, and before we leave this room, we will tell our neighbors individually that you like their behavior.
"Who am i"
(It is advisable to conduct the training after the group has already got to know each other quite well. To conduct the training, it is necessary to create a warm trusting atmosphere in the group). Participants are invited to tell about themselves as about some kind of thing (object), i.e. to associate oneself (one's behavior, character, life principles) with a real-life object. The story is about the subject itself: what it is, its characteristics, small parts. At the end of the story (or in the course of it), the other participants can ask questions of interest to them regarding this subject, associating them with certain features of a person.
"Founders"
You are the crew of a space starship, located at a distance of several million light years from your home planet. Suddenly your engine fails. The entire crew gathers in the wardroom and the on-board computer reports: “There is one escape pod on our ship that can only accommodate five people ( for a group of up to 15 people). Not far from us is a planet with an environment very similar to the planet "Earth", its atmosphere is breathable, there is fresh water and forests. Your task is to form a team of the capsule as quickly as possible, as the starship may explode at any moment. When choosing a team, you need to take into account the following factors: you need to establish life on a new planet, continue a healthy human race, not lose your knowledge and skills, preserve the culture, history of our planet, etc., the crew must include people who can quickly find the right decision in the current situation, distinguished by efficiency, endurance, sense of humor, the crew must be psychologically compatible.
Selection mechanism. (The training is conducted in absolute silence, accompanied by appropriate music.) The group sits in a circle with their eyes closed. The facilitator touches a group member (preferably not the leader) with his hand, after which the participant opens his eyes and looks at another participant, whom he would take with him into the capsule, after which the participant closes his eyes again. The host approaches the selected participant and the situation repeats. The training continues until one of the participants forms a team ( at the fifth touch of the leader, the participant stands up and says the phrase: “The team has been formed. I don't need anyone else.) At the end of the training, a discussion is held in which the participants talk about their choices. For further work, it is desirable for the moderator to record the choices made by each participant
"Collective account"
Participants stand in a circle with their heads down and not looking at each other. The task of the group is to name the natural series in order of number, trying to get to the largest one without making mistakes. In this case, three conditions must be met: firstly, no one knows who will start counting and who will call the next number (it is forbidden to negotiate with each other verbally or non-verbally); secondly, it is impossible for the same participant to name two numbers in a row; thirdly, if the desired number is called out loud by two or more players, the leader demands to start again from one. The facilitator repeats to the participants that they should be able to listen to themselves, catch the mood of others, in order to understand whether he needs to remain silent at the moment or the time has come to announce the number. In some groups, participants are smart enough that, without agreeing, they begin to consistently pronounce the numbers of the natural series in a circle. Having discovered this, the facilitator may praise the participants for cohesion and resourcefulness, but suggests that this technique be abandoned. Experience confirms that more cohesive groups are more successful in this exercise.
"Drawing with a guide"
Short description. The group is divided into pairs, one of the pair is blindfolded. The “guide” leads the partner to the drawing on the wall and, using only verbal instructions, helps him finish drawing the elements of the drawing. The purpose of the game is the removal of excitement, interpersonal contact, the experience of helplessness and responsibility, trust in a partner. The number of participants in pairs. Notes: drawings must be prepared in advance. During the game, pay attention to what is happening with the "blind".
"Confidence Fall"
One of the participants falls on the substituted hands of the others from a higher position, with his back. The task of the group is not to drop it. Before the fall, the participant asks: “Are the belayers ready?” To which those below respond: “Ready.” The "falling" then asks the facilitator "Fall?", to which the facilitator replies "Fall". The fall is made with crossed and clasped hands pressed to the chest with an absolutely straight body. The deflection of the body makes it difficult to catch the falling one and "spoils" the impressions of the falling one. You can experiment with the height of the fall (the minimum comfortable height is a table, a window sill). The purpose of the game: the experience of overcoming distrust and fear, trust and support. The feeling of "high" in the falling. Number of participants 7-15. It is the facilitator's responsibility to ensure the safety of the participants. It is important to strictly follow the rules, otherwise the exercise stops. Be sure to first see and take part in the exercise, and then spend with teenagers. After completing the exercise, it is necessary to conduct a discussion in the group.
"Magic Squares"
Short description Participants are given a pack of straws for a cocktail, scotch tape and scissors. The task is to build a tall tower using the materials provided. Attach or hang the tower to any surface. 10 minutes are given to discuss and choose a strategy for performing the exercise (without touching the proposed objects), then 20 minutes to create an invented design, and this is done silently, and for each spoken word a penalty is 0.5 minutes. Number of participants 10-15. Be sure to have a group discussion after the exercise. The exercise can be offered to several groups at once, which introduces a competitive element into the execution process.
"Log"
Participants stand in a line on a log, a bench, marked on the floor with a strip (slightly wider than the length of the foot, long enough for everyone to stand close to each other). The task is to swap places so as to stand in the mirror image order. When stepping over the line or falling from a log, the participants stand in their original position and start all over again. You can mark the time, and after completing the exercise, offer to do it in less time and set your own record.
The purpose of the game is group cohesion, identifying leaders, finding constructive ways to solve problems. Body contact. Number of participants 10-15. The exercise can be offered to several groups at once, which introduces a competitive element into the execution process.
"Raft"
Legend. After the shipwreck, the ship's crew ended up in the middle of the ocean on a small raft. Participants are offered a large sheet of drawing paper, on which they should all fit without stepping on the floor. The size of the sheet is selected depending on the size of the groups - it should not be very difficult to fit. On the "raft" you need to hold out for 30 seconds. Then a “shark” swims up to the “raft” and a small piece of drawing paper is cut out (approximately 1/8 of a piece). The task is repeated. And so on until ¼ of the original sheet of paper remains.
The purpose of the game is group cohesion, interaction, finding constructive ways to solve problems, bodily contact. Number of participants 7-15. The exercise can be offered to several groups at once, which introduces a competitive element into the execution process.
"Blind Train"
Participants grapple into a small train in twos or threes. The one in front closes his eyes and obeys the movements of the latter. The one in the middle is neutral. The game is played silently. It is interesting when at least 5 trains are moving at the same time. The purpose of the game is detente, rallying. Experience of responsibility and trust or distrust in a partner. Attention to bodily sensations. Number of participants The more the better. Physical contact is actively included, which can cause a variety of emotions in adolescents. Based on the material of this game, one can speak of “bodily” manifestations of trust and distrust.