Leadership Games
Make a Shape

Title & Description

Leadership Games- Make a Shape is a game about communication that explains the importance of goal setting and articulating your goals to your team.

Purpose

• For icebreaking purposes
• Illustrating leadership and communication in the workplace

Team Size

About 5-8 players

Materials Required

A piece of rope about 2 metres long

Time Required

10 minutes

Instructions

1. Tie the rope into a ring large enough for everyone to hold a section of the rope with both hands.

2. Everyone stands in a circle facing each other.

3. Everyone with both their hands hold a section of the ring of rope while standing up.

4. The instructor gives instructions to form the rope into a particular shape, say a circle.

5. The group attempts to coordinate their movements and then lay the rope down on the floor with the shape as instructed.

6. They are asked by the instructor if the shape is to their satisfaction.

7. Repeat steps 1 – 6 with a more complex shape (a dog, flower or what not), but this time round without speaking and only using hand gestures.

8. Repeat steps 1- 6, this time round without even hand gestures.

9. After the whole game is over, the instructor can ask the participants about their experience with trying to communicate during the game.

10. The instructor then can explain the analogy that he is trying to make during the game. The explanation is below.

This exercise can be used to illustrate the importance of communication in leadership. Sometimes as leaders we don't know the importance of communication our goals and objectives to our members. As such, we get people who give vague results.

But you can't blame them. Vague instructions beget vague results.

Therefore articulate your goals as clearly as you can.

Specific instructions give precise results!

Debriefing Notes

1. How did you feel when you could not communicate with your team?

2. How do you think this communication problem relates to your workplace?

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