I was with a group of 8 managers. They hired me to coach and develop along with them what they called “techniques and systems to motivate their teams”.  What I called The productivity of our people is dropping and we have punished them, yelled at them, offered $$ incentives, and created a Thunderdome process. Holy shit more of the same is not working…we need help! And help is what I do.

The day was like like most, we opened with I2U2ME2WE, developed objectives, cleared up when the bathroom and snack breaks would be perhaps the most important part, and started.

What?

I shared with the group;

Adair’s Eight Rules in Motivating People

1. Be motivated yourself
2. Select people who are highly motivated
3. Treat each person as an individual
4. Set realistic and challenging targets
5. Remember that progress motivates
6. Create a motivating environment
7. Provide fair rewards
8. Give recognition

When I shared the above 8 rules, you would have thought that Jesus himself popped out of that screen. They reacted very positively to the 8 rules and quickly wrote them down.

It was as if they were looking for these 8 Rules their entire managerial careers, and I just showed them the light!

So What?

We were able to choose 2 that the team did really well.

• Give recognition
• Be motivated yourself

Armed with the above successes, and some time sharing examples of how those 2 are done well within their teams, we created some amazing steps for progress.

We finished with the team choosing JUST 1 area to focus on within their team over the next week, all the managers chose to focus on the same area – Treat each person as an individual.

The next 3 hours were spent discussing what that meant in their work and how to achieve the goal. I offered some coaching and understanding of self-directed behavior, treating people like adults, and managers responsibility for focus on the individual for team performance.

Now What?

Every time you speak with, interact with, or intervene with someone you never know the possible outcomes of that interaction. The 8 managers develop their own action plans and methods for Treating each person as an individual. And with their thinking and knowledge, plus existing motivation some changes will occur.

What do you think?

Looking at the 8 rules in motivating people, which does your manager or you do really well? How do you know that it is done well? Ultimately who is responsible for motivating employees or you to do the work? Do you have any examples of what motivates you?

michael cardus is create-learning

Thunderdome image from Makes Me Smile

8 Variations of Infinite Loops

Takes a fresh and creative approach to a common teambuilding activity. Each variation can be used as a stand alone, or can be sequenced into an experiential learning and team building program. These variations all focus on creating better teams that are able to work together to solve problems and innovate solutions.

Here is 1 variation ‘Partner Separation” which is the Team Building Activity that sparked the variations…for ALL 8 and they are very excellent you can purchase the entire Team Building Book. 

To Purchase the Paperback for $17.00 – CLICK HERE

To purchase the Kindle e-reader version for $10.00 $3.99 – Click Here

What others have said

“I admit it. I’m a big fan of the work Michael Cardus does with teams. I like what he does and how he does it. Michael is able to use simple activities to help individuals and groups make profound shifts. Case in point: Michael’s new e-book "8 Variations of Infinite Loops" provides you with a simple team building activity that you can now use to help the groups you serve learn powerful leadership lessons. The "Infinite Loops" game is a tried and true activity for a reason but oddly, few know how to get the most out of the activity – - luckily, Michael does. The variations he shares are wonderful and best of all, Michael provides detailed debriefing (processing) strategies which is so important. Thank you Michael!”

- Tom Heck of the International Association of Team Work facilitators (IATF)

michael cardus is create-learning

CLICK HERE

8 Variations of Infinite Loops takes a fresh and creative approach to a common team building activity. Each variation can be used as a stand alone, or can be sequenced into an experiential learning and team building program. These variations all focus on creating better teams that are able to work together to solve problems and innovate solutions. To purchase all 8 variations Click Here

Partner Separation

Outcomes & Objectives:

• Get to know others
• Exercise in solution finding
• Developing resiliency
• Communicating lessons learned throughout the group

Materials:

• 1 Infinite Loop per/person. See How to make the Infinite Loop on page 7.

Group Size:

• Ideally 6 – 20 is a good size.
• Larger and smaller groups can accomplish this activity. With adjustments, this activity can be led for as few as two, or as many as 2000 or more.

Time Frame:

• 20 – 45 minutes, including processing.

Preparation:

Ensure that you know how to complete this challenge. Practice, practice, and then practice more. Simply reading this will not prepare you for the possible challenges and the questions you will get from the group.

Go through all of your Infinite Loops and check the knots. Always have more Infinite Loops than people you are expecting.

This activity can take place while people are sitting at a table and/or standing. Make sure that there is sufficient space for people to spread out and move around as necessary.

Instructions and Facilitator Script:

This can be confusing to many people and it should be, allow for confusion and frustration.

Here is one way to introduce the activity. You may choose to modify it for your needed outcomes.

“In a moment, we are going to be involved in a process of problem solving, and working with our brains and team mates to find solutions to complex problems. When working in teams and finding solutions, it doesn’t matter to your brain whether we are separating Infinite Loops, crunching numbers on a spread-sheet, or learning something new. To your brain, solving problems is solving problems. The more we can, as a team, solve problems and then discuss how we solved problems, what was learned and how to apply that back to our lives, the better equipped we will be when these challenges arise outside of here.”

At this point, have the participants get with their partner. There are many ways you can do this, you decide what is best. If there is an odd number of participants make one team of three people, the set up is the same.

Have these guidelines written on a flipchart paper or on a slide.

• The overall objective is to get everyone free from their partner so they can walk away.
• One partner places their wrists in the loops. The other partner then places one of their hands in one loop, takes the other end of the rope and intertwines once with the partner’s rope before placing the other wrist in their loop. You will want to physically show people how to do this.
• Once the partners are connected, the ropes must remain, at all times, on the wrists they started on.
• Partners cannot switch ropes, or take their hands out of the ropes.
• The knots must remain tied as they are and you cannot physically alter the ropes or knots or partners.

Allow a brief time for questions and clarification. Be careful not to reveal too much, this is supposed to be challenging.

As the activity progresses, walk around and observe the teams. Look for information and specific actions that can be brought up during the processing time. For example, if one team or one person knows the answer do they share and help the rest of the team or do they keep the information to themselves? The objective is for the information to spread and everyone to be free from their partner. This is when your judgment as a facilitator is needed. How much do you interfere with the team? When should you comment?

Allow the group to work on the task for about 10 minutes. Next, ask everyone to stop and gather around you.

Ask some initial questions:

• What is your initial reaction to this activity?
• What if anything is working so far?
• How are you measuring progress and setbacks?
• How might you act if you knew the solution?

“In a moment I am going to show you the solution. Following that, you are going to go back to your partner and practice for three minutes. Practice getting separated, then reconnect, then separate again. Even when you think you know it, keep practicing, we want to move your skills from rote copying to personal mastery of this process.”

Verbal Instructions this can be tricky, practice.

• Step 1: Partner and you face each other.
• Step 2: Grab the middle of your partner’s rope
• Step 3: Take your partners rope and it goes from your elbow UP your palm
• Step 4: Over your fingers
• Step 5: Down the back of your hand
• Step 6: A slight pull and you are separated!

Allow at least three minutes for practice and mastery. Walk around and offer tutoring and help as needed. Remind the teams to keep practicing this skill.

Following the three minutes for mastery, pull the team together for some processing.

Facilitator Notes:

As mentioned earlier, YOU MUST MASTER THIS.

Sometimes when separating, the ropes will wrap twice around each other this happened because you sent the rope to the wrong wrist. This explanation is often the most challenging to explain. Practice will make you a master at this.

Remember that this challenge is about finding solutions and developing resiliency. Let the team struggle. When you feel the energy dropping, you may supply some clues.

Potential Processing Questions:

· At what point did this activity seem impossible?

· What made you continue, even though it may have seemed impossible?

· What was the objective of this challenge?

· Did you notice that in the beginning everyone did the same thing?

· Why was that?

· On a scale of 0 – 10; with 0 being “give up easily” and 10 being “never give up” where would you place yourself?

· If you were two points higher on the same scale, how would you approach problems differently?

· Do you currently approach anything like that already, even a little bit?

· Looking at what you accomplished so far, what lessons can you take with you?

· How might you apply those lessons outside of here?

This is a sample of my new Team Building Booklet 8 Variations of Infinite Loops. This is 1 of the variations….for ALL 8 and they are very excellent you can purchase the entire Team Building Book.

CLICK HERE

michael cardus is create-learning

“For all rational beings stand under the law that each of them should treat himself and all others never merely as means but always at the same time as an end in himself. Hereby arises a systemic union of rational beings through common objective laws, i.e., a kingdom that may be called a kingdom of ends (certainly only an ideal), inasmuch as these laws have in view the very relation of such beings to one another as ends and means.” – Immanuel Kant; 433-434. Groundings for the Metaphysics of Morals

In my exploration of work and teams I see a great tension between how people want to act, feel forced to act, know they ought to act, and the actions the work system rewards.

The above section from Kant speaks of a ‘Kingdom of Ends’. A world where everyone treats others “as an end in himself”. This Kantian line is used in many philosophy classes and I hear versions of it in the the companies, teams and Managerial-Leaders I work with.

What does it mean to use someone as a means and not an end in and of themselves. It means they were used as a tool to promote ones own self-interest. They (the means) feels and was treated as a non-thinking, non-rational, non-person.

It’s heard within workplaces in phrases like:

• This company just uses you and then throws you out
• Bring ‘em in and Burn ‘em out
• If you don’t like it, there are no chains of the door. You can quit anytime
• I feel used
• My manager just used me to accomplish his goals
• We never get credit for the work done
• The only way to motivate these people is to kick them and threaten their jobs
• People at that lower-level of work are only motivated by money
• We don’t pay you to think
• etc…

With all the literature out there about Employee-Engagement and Autonomous work teams, and Empowered work team, Leadership etc… you would think that what Immanuel Kant wrote in 1785 would have been better inculcated into the world or work.

It has and I together we are moving towards this Kingdom of Ends.

So What? 

We are only as knowledgeable as what we know, and many work teams and Managerial-Leaders come through broken systems that believe the above statements to be true. Even when we know and feel that we ought to treat people fairly and as Self-Thinking, competent adults who are able to complete the work…We are faced with Organizational-Systems and deeply held folkloric beliefs that are contrary, and we cannot overcome a deeply embedded system that is broken.

Plus we want to believe what we are doing is just, so as Managers we increase our own confirmation bias and notice only the actions and behaviors that reinforce our beliefs, that in turn work to reinforce our actions. That cause people to behave in the way you expect them to behave, which only reinforces the beliefs you held…Causing any idea of respect and a Kingdom of Ends to crumble around us.

Forcing employees to either act like a victim or get revenge.

Now What?

I am not sure I know the answer.

It starts with understanding that people are different, and have different capabilities, values, wisdom, skilled knowledge and desire to work. That Work is a psychological necessity for every person. Illustrating Competence and Respect for people in every level of the organization. Ensuring that Management has at that time, the right ability to handle the Complexity, Values the work, necessary skilled knowledge, Wisdom of the how and why, plus NO extreme behavioral issues.

Looking at the system and determining what you want to have happen. Developing strong Organizational-Practices that enable people to work to their individual capacities, to exercise their creative freedom to make choice and use this knowledge to solve problems.

What do you think?

What does it look like, feel like, sound like to treat a person as an ‘end in and of themselves’? What can you do, today to treat people in a more fair and ethical manner?

michael cardus is create-learning

image by jmurawski

From a discussion and blog comments back and forth with friend and TeamBuilding colleague Anne Thornley Brown of Executive Oasis, then to a Girl Scout program I volunteered some time with for friend Tracy Diina…

Got me thinking about Team Building & Leadership how to make an impact;

Making teams and leaders better, through improved team processes and individual effectiveness. Resulting in increased productivity and people who love the work they do.

Facilitating team development programs can be tough.  The people don’t have to LOVE the team building, in reality a percentage will hate anything you do. What matters is did you deliver, facilitate whatever you call it – the results that were expected and that you promised.

Being involved in this field of experiential training and development for almost 20 years now I am still learning how to make teams and leaders better. Plus it’s still a mystery. 

Thinking about this and talking with TACC (the amazing Christine Cardus) I realized.

With teams and individuals I quickly find what THEY enjoy doing, what their strengths are and do more of that.

If I find they don’t enjoy what we are doing I STOP IT! and do something else.

That is the secret to facilitation.

Quickly find what works and do more of it. If something is not working, STOP IT! 

Resistance to the activity, facilitator, theories, application, etc… are all going to arise during your work. How you, as the facilitator handle that is what you are paid for. Generally you can respond in 1 of 3 ways.

• Resistance – you choose to fight the team and people and do what you think is best. Sticking to the agenda and program design.
• Knocked Down – you just fold and become a limp noodle, choosing to allow the resistance to take control of you and your facilitation.  
• Find what works – you are able to understand the resistance and use it to your advantage finding the small wins and bright spots then building upon those.

I prefer to Find What Works, and that has worked really well for me.

How do you Find What Works?

This is where YOUR EXPERIENCE and knowledge to make decisions and solve problems is tested. This is where you have to turn the processing and reflection tools back onto yourself.

What do you think?

I’m sure you have met with resistance in your team building & leadership programs, how do you make it work? What tools and method do you use, or can you recommend to improve the the decision making and problem solving of us and yourself?

Plus if you are looking for a train-the-trainer team building program…check out what I have to offer—>click here.

michael cardus is create-learning

image by teamstickergiant

In 2009 out of desperation with a group one day I created a Team Building Activity called ‘Bottle Tower’. I shared the activity with Thiagi, you can see it on his gameletter here.

People contact me asking about the “Right way to lead the activity”… Below is one interaction.

Mike, I saw your Bottle Tower activity on Thiagi’s website and have a couple of questions. What is the most effective size of the water bottles and I assume they are filled with water, rather than being empty. Correct? Also, being a visual learner, I wonder if you have any visuals of what successful towers would look like. Many thanks. It looks like a great activity. I have a team of 13 software developers that I am doing a cross cultural workshop for. Appreciate your input…

Do you see what is wrong with this request and question? Think like an experiential facilitator. 

My response…

When I originally came up with the idea it was with 25 Hard Plastic Nalgene Bottles. Since then I have led it with all types and sizes of bottles.

The size and kind of bottle doesn’t matter much, the bottles can be full or empty – that is up to you as the facilitator to decided.

Being that I believe in facilitation and that ‘my solution won’t work for you’ my response to the photos is – Try it and see what happens.

The power of any experiential activity is not in Following the Rules…it is in how people work together. The activity is just a vehicle to focus on teamwork and creativity.

Just like at work, you set guidelines and telling people the ‘right’ steps to take is micro-managing. Give them the guidelines you control the process, they are in control of the path they take to achieve the end goal – which is a tall Free Standing tower of bottles with a rope, used in some context.

Think about;

• 1. What is the goal of the company.
• 2. How will you contribute to the people achieving that goal.
• 3. How might the bottle tower be a catalyst for planning and work with the group.
• 4. In what ways will you, the facilitator, make that happen?
• 5. How will they know that you are contributing to their work?

Take some photos of the tower and share them with me. and let me know how you facilitated the experience.

There is no ‘wrong way’ to do this…I am wrong, the wrong way to do this is to NOT have the participants find meaning in what they are doing.

You are a talented and smart facilitator, and using your judgment is what they are paying you for.

Perhaps I didn’t answer his question…

His response…

Mike, sorry to say my co facilitators want to go with another team building activity. They are concerned about the outcome…want to see pictures of possible outcomes. I explained this is about the process not the task but…. Personally, I like this activity and plan to use it on another occasion and I WILL send pics. Thanks again for your input. Have a nice weekend

What do you think?

How would you have responded to this request? As a facilitator how much control do you have? What is the purpose of leading an experiential activity?

Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Plus if you are looking for a train-the-trainer team building program…check out what I have to offer—>click here.

michael cardus is create-learning

image by by gingerpig2000