Teams and other task-oriented groups are pervasive in the workplace as well as in everyday life. The role of teams is becoming more and more important as organizations learn the great benefits of putting the power of teams to use. The ever accelerating speed of technological change is creating an environment where teams are needed to bring the expertise of several organization members together. Learning about teams and how to function successfully in a team is no longer an option. Like understanding new technology, it is becoming indispensable for success in a career and in life.
TeamPowerâ„¢ is an educational board game specifically designed to teach important skills and concepts for working in all kinds of groups and teams.
Players learn four sets of skills: Task skills (for getting the job done), Interpersonal Skills (for cooperating effectively with other team members), Self-Management Skills (for maximizing their own contributions), and Leadership Skills (for members who want play a leadership role in helping the team achieve its goals.
There are three sets of cards: The yellow All About Teams cards give information about the benefits of teams, the problems teams can face, different kinds and functions of teams, etc. The red Problem Detective cards describe behavior by fictitious team members. Players must describe the problem that the behavior is likely to create and what they would say in private to the team member to reduce problems in the future. The blue In Depth cards give the players a better and more detailed understanding of the sixteen Team-Powerâ„¢ skills (four skills in each of the four sets of skills). All three decks include cards that deal with ethical issues.
The game can be played by individuals or by teams of players, who later examine the skills they used as members of a team playing the game. There are separate sets of rules for individual and team play.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn the positive actions that team members can take to help their team succeed.
- Learn self-management skills to maximize their contributions to the team and success as a member.
- Learn important communication and other interpersonal skills that can be transferred to one-on-one and other situations.
- Learn task skills that will help them contribute to the team's success.
- Learn leadership skills that not only will help their teams move forward, but also will be valuable for advancement and continued success.
- Learn ethical standards to guide behavior in teams and in the everyday work environment.