Home Add to Favorite Contact Submit  
             29 March, 2024
 

    
Category:  Articles » Business » Team-Building

 

Team Building Activity - Mind Spin - Brainstorming, Problem Solving, Creative Thought Development

Popularity:
         Views: 2987
2008-04-29 05:01:14     
Article by Michael Cardus

Mind Spin

Purpose: Brainstorming, creative thought development, team problem solving.

Participants: 10 - 25 (can be more or less see below for some variation suggestions)

Time: 10 - 45 minutes

Supplies: Index Cards, Pens or pencils, round tables

Preparation:

Break the group into teams of 3 - 5 participants. Ask each team of 3 - 5 participants to sit at separate round tables (the round tables help although are not necessary).

Place a large stack of index cards in the center of each round table

Have the topic or idea to be "brainstormed" written on a white board or power point slide - "What can we...? "What can be done to ...?" ex. "How can we better understand the needs of our customers?", "What can be done to improve the quality of this product?", "How can we increase our throughput?"

Flow:

Ask each team of 3 - 5 participants to sit at the tables. Each participant is dealt 5 blank index cards. The remaining cards (~100) are placed in the center of the table.

Explain that this is going to be a brainstorming session that will be individual as well as team based. Within a brain storming session there are no wrong or right responses and no idea is off limits.

The participants are going to have two, five minute rounds to write down as many solutions as possible on the index cards - one idea per card (one idea written on one card). If they use more than the five index cards grab another card from the center pile.

After an idea is written on the index card the participant SLAMS the index card down on the table face down to their right (face down is the side that the idea is written on). The SLAM is important - the sound and the vibration of SLAMming the card on the table adds a tangible feeling to the "Mind Spin" that makes the activity more fun!

If at some point a participant cannot think of any solutions to the topic question they may grab one card from the top of the participants pile to their left. They have 3 options before SLAMming the card down to their right;

a) Simply SLAM it down to your right after reading it and grab another card from your left...

b) Read it, be inspired by it, SLAM it down to the right and grab a blank card write down your inspiration...then SLAM your idea card to the right...

c) Read it, add to it with a question or comment, then SLAM it down before grabbing another card from your left...

Ask the participants to continue until they hear the train whistle, bell etc...

Once round 1 is complete - the facilitator gathers all the idea index cards (from ALL teams) and shuffles them. The facilitator them evenly distributes the idea index cards to the small teams. Ask the participants in each team to distribute the idea index cards amongst team members and place them face down in front of each participant.

Round 2 - Begins the same as round 1 - this time if the participant reaches an idea block they grab an idea index card from the pile in front of them - then they SLAM it to their right. NOT until all the cards from round 1in front of the participant are gone can the participant grab a card from their neighbors pile to the left.

Ask the participants to continue until they hear the train whistle, bell etc...

Once round 2 is done the facilitator gathers all the idea index cards.

What does the facilitator do with all those index card ideas?

Read through them - there will be several duplicates - while reading through the ideas the facilitator can create broad categories for further discussion or choose the top 10 ideas to discuss further.

Facilitation Tips:

The SLAM makes this "Mind Spin" activity even more effective.

Encourage participants to keep moving! This is a fast paced LOUD activity - if they have no ideas grab the one to their left - I have seen ideas make their way around a table 10 to 15 times.

The idea behind the 2nd round is to really wring out the ideas and to encourage the full spectrum of thoughts.

Variation:

This activity can be used for many purposes:

What was gained from our time together?

What are we going to do differently in the office tomorrow?

What kind of coffee pot should we buy for the office?

Where is the family going to go this year on vacation?

What are the qualifications for our new associate?

What are your goals and expectations from this training?

Any question or problem that you and your team are facing (that you wish to have the team and groups input on) can be used in the Mind Spin.

Specialized in: Corporate Team Building Programs - Teambuilding Workshops - Corporate Team Building - Youth Team Building - Train The Trainer Workshop - Train The Trainer Team Building - Buffalo Ny - Rochester Ny - Syracuse Ny - Albany Ny - Non-profit
URL: http://create-learning.com
Print article      Bookmark this page
Related Articles 
Achieving Goals - 3 Ways to Encourage Performance Improvement (Popularity: ): Your organization has several goals. These goals have been aligned at the division, department, and staff level. Your employees even have specific goals in their performance plans. But this doesn't necessarily mean that all those goals will be achieved "when" you want and "how" you want. So what can you do to encourage your employees to deliver the kind of performance you want? Try these three strategies.1. Give employees a ...
Successful Business Owners Weigh in on How to Keep Older Employees in Workforce (Popularity: ): A March 5, 2007 article in the L.A. Times entitled "U.S. Looking for Ways to Retain Older Workers" highlights a critical issue not just for employers, but for our country's economic welfare. The article explains that recent expert testimony before the U.S. Senate's Special Committee on Aging concluded that "A wave of retiring workers will weigh down U.S. economic growth in the coming years, unless ... employers take steps to ...
Performance Appraisal (Popularity: ): Performance appraisals are of great need for the effective work and 'health' of a staff. Performance appraisals assist in developing individuals, in improving company's performance, and in effective business planning. Performance appraisals are usually done every year for all the staff in the company.Performance appraisals are also necessary for person's career and successful business planning. Appraisals are significant for the motivation of a staff, correct behavior, effective communication process, and ...
The Importance of Mastermind Groups in Business (Popularity: ): One of the points no one mentions in business is the importance of mastermind groups. You can often hear or read that you need a mentor to take a step ahead for your business. When I am working with my employees or collaborators I realized that I discover many more things than when I work alone. You can get more even if you have partners to work with. With partners ...
The Heart of the Mentor - Drawing From Experiences (Popularity: ): Those of us who have been mentored know that it takes an extraordinary person to touch and affect people's lives in such a unique way. Mentors must be many things, but they must primarily be a person who draws everything there is to be gained from an experience. Experience teaches us wisdom, knowledge, morality, and human nature to name a few. But a mentor internalizes the feelings and emotions gained ...


Related Business 
Mind Mapping and Brainstorming Software (Popularity: ): Create the best looking mind map online and share it to others. Enjoy mind mapping by brainstorming collaboratively on ideas and projects. Mindomo and Mind Mapping provide you the best way to capture your thoughts and refine them later. Why? Because Mindomo has the easiest representation of your mental model and your thought process.
Creative Advantage (Popularity: ): Offers a comprehensive approach to strategic innovation which integrates training, facilitation, leadership development, team building, brainstorming and new product development.
Nova Mind Software Pty Ltd. (Popularity: ): NovaMind is the best overall Mind Mapping application available, with the ability to create stunning looking Mind Maps in just a few minutes. You can use it for brainstorming, project planning, problem solving, study, giving presentations, and personal effectiveness. NovaMind is available for both Windows and Mac, and your license key will work on both platforms. if you are using NovaMind at work and at home, you only need one ...
Best Team Building (Popularity: ): Offering cutting-edge, highly effective team building activities, corporate events, fun ice breakers and comprehensive professional development workshops customized for your group. Programs are designed to enhance team and individual growth by promoting problem solving, innovation, communication and strategic planning skills. Available across North America.
The Creative Problem Solving Group-Buffalo (CPSB) (Popularity: ): Offers consulting services for developing creativity and creative problem solving skills in organizations. Located in Buffalo, NY.
Learning Unlimited (Popularity: ): Experiential corporate team building, management problem solving and relationship skills development training techniques. Located in Oklahoma.
Clear Mind Training (Popularity: ): Company based in Manchester, UK offers tailor made and specific courses in communication skills, stress management problem solving, conflict resolution, team building, goal setting and training for trainers.
The Center for Creative Learning (Popularity: ): This site offers resources and many free downloads (in PDF format) on creative learning, Creative Problem Solving (CPS), and talent development.
CEO Consultants (Popularity: ): Training in creative problem solving, improving organizational productivity, new products and concept development, and leadership development.
Executive Development Inc. (Popularity: ): A training and development company providing workshops and software around decision making, problem solving, team skills, creativity, and meeting management.