Tools for teams - fun and serious

Team tools must be both fun and serious: 


I found this pencil sharpener the other day. It is not for pencils but for carrots. This tool is both fun and serious. You can peel the carrot and you can sharpen the carrot. But why sharpen a carrot? Well. Just for the fun. The slices you sharpen off you can eat. Both functions are working very well.

Exactly the same expectations you may have to a team tools. It must be both serious and fun.

In Copenhagen, Denmark you can walk into TIVOLI - a huge and ancient amusement parc. TIVOLI opened in the year 1843. If you read TIVOLI backwards it says I LOV' IT. 

TIVOLI is serious in so many ways (safety first, traditions, good looking parc from all angels, well kept, moneymaking) and fun in so many ways (scary, fun for all ages, concerts).

This is why a number of museums have used the term 'Tivolization' - where the customer experience is both fun and serious. You learn something while you're having fun. Laugh and learn. 

The very same experience you must deliver as a leader in front of your team.

And here is how you make sure that your team tools is both fun and serious:

The team tool will not be good fun by it self. It could be picture cards, dialogue cards or a rope (a reviewing tool). In itself it's no fun. The method it is used by must be funny. Ask your team to talk in pairs within a time frame. Ask your team to present them selves based on the picture they choose. Ask your team to choose a standing point on the rope and defend their view in trios. 

The method makes it fun. And the method can be twisted, changed, modified or varied again and again:

😑Stand on one foot while explaining.
😕Switch off the light during the exercise.
😲The one who ask the question must answer first.
😬Swop your cards when your transaction ends.
😂Ask everyone to acknowledge their partner before ending transaction.
😜Hand out two or more cards to choose between, before asking.
😵Ask everyone to write down one idea from each conversation, they have had, right after they had it.
😮Ask all pairs to put down their two (or more) cards in order to try spotting any conformity.

When you purchase a team tool an instruction always follows. It will suggest 2 or 3 methods. These methods can be twisted with the above ideas.

Have fun and seriousness.

Visit LEADERSwarehouse.com and locate your collection of fun and serious team tools HERE


Michael Meinhardt
LEADERSwarehouse.com 
☎ +45 71 92 55 63 ✉ info@LEADERSwarehouse.com

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