TO BREAK THE ICE OR GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER

My uncle, My nephew

Objective:

o Get to know each other and communicate more. Realize the infinite number of details that

go unnoticed in people, and yet are important to them.

Description:

■ Introduction: "An uncle of yours went to Europe before you were born. They do not know
each other. How will you recognize them when they come to meet you at the airport? They
are going to write him a letter giving him a description of their personality so that he can
recognize them. However, it is not allowed to indicate the clothes they will wear, nor the
color of their hair, eyes, height, weight or name. It has to be a more personal letter: their
hobbies, what they do, what worries them, the problems they have, what they think about
things, how they have fun, what they like and dislike, etc ..."

■ Once the explanation is done, 20-30 minutes are given to write it down. It is done in total
silence. Background music can be played.

■ All letters are collected. And everyone is given one that is not their own. And you are invited
to read it as if it were your nephew's.

■ Each person reads aloud the card that corresponds to him or her, and has to guess which
person in the group it corresponds to. It can be given two opportunities. If you don't guess,
anyone else in the group, if they think they know, can step in. After guessing who it
corresponds to, you ask yourself what data has given you the clue or what has misled you.

■ Notes: To celebrate the meeting, uncle and nephew give each other a hug. It is advisable to
warn them to conceal their handwriting if it is to be used for identification purposes.

MY FAVORITE ANIMAL

OBJECTIVE

Presentation of the participants.

■ Self-discovering personal values and beliefs.

 ■ Integrate related subgroups.
TIME:

■ 45 Minutes

LOCATION:

■ Normal Classroom

■ A large, well-lit room with work tables.

MATERIAL:

None

DEVELOPMENT (WITHOUT FORMAT)

■ The Facilitator points out to the participants that sometimes we associate people with
animals because of the way they act or look and that animals can help us describe a
little bit of who we are.

■ The Facilitator asks the participants to each think of an animal with whose characteristics
they identify in some way.

■ In a moment of silence, each person thinks of the animal with which he or she identifies.

■ At the end of the previous activity, the Facilitator asks the participants to introduce
themselves and then to share the animal with which they feel identified. The others take
the opportunity to ask why they feel identified with a certain animal.

■ Together they try to identify characters known to all with an animal. You can also try it
with some groups or institutions, or even with the group itself.

■ The Facilitator divides the participants into affinity groups according to the selected
animal.

■ The Facilitator guides a process for the group to analyze how what they have learned
can be applied to their lives.
LEADERSHIP
THE LEADER OF THE BLIND
OBJECTIVE

■ Analysis of leadership styles.

■ Allows the study of the issuance and reception of orders.

■ Explores the emotional elements involved in resisting or accepting command.

TIME:

■ Duration: 60 minutes

Ample Space

■ A large, well-lit room with a large area for participants to form subgroups.

MATERIAL:

■ A table in the center of the room.

Pitchers with water and glasses.

5 bandages with their clasps.
■ Masking Tape.

DEVELOPMENT (WITHOUT FORMAT)

■ The Facilitator asks for ten volunteers from among the participants to come forward.

■ Two groups of five people each are formed.

■ The first group is provided with four bandages and the second with only one.

■ They are asked to use the blindfolds to cover the eyes of as many people as an equal
number of blindfolds for each group.

■ The people who have been left without blindfolds in each group will play the role of
leaders of the blind.

■ The Facilitator marks a grid on the surface of the central table where he/she places five
glasses with their mouths downwards and places two pitchers with water pointing out
their levels on the sides of the glasses, each pitcher corresponding to a group.

■ The task of the groups is for the blind to fill the glasses with water and carry them around
the room without anyone removing any obstacles that may have been left in the way. All
 this action will be led by the non-blind.

■ At the end of the blind men's walk, they have to empty the glasses into their respective
jars and leave them just as they found them.

■ The discrepancy in the initial levels of the jars is checked and the process of the
experience is analyzed.

■ The Facilitator guides a process for the group to analyze how what they have learned
can be applied in their lives.
CHIEF WANTED

OBJECTIVE

■ Allow participants to examine their personal criteria of a good boss.

■ Compare preferences about managerial qualities.

■ To make participants aware of their weaknesses and strengths in management issues.

TIME:
 90 Minutes

MATERIAL:

■ Five advertisements soliciting candidates for management positions.

■ Sheets of paper and pencil for each participant.

■ Flipchart sheets and markers.

DEVELOPMENT (WITH FORMATTING)

■ The Facilitator explains the objectives of the exercise.

■ The Facilitator reads the advertisements aloud or displays them on a projector. (The
advertisements should be soliciting candidates for management positions that relate to
the participants' occupations).

■ Sheets and pencils are distributed to the participants.

■ Groups are formed according to the ad they liked the most. They are given a copy of the
advertisement to rely on during the exercise.

■ The groups are asked to list the essential and desirable characteristics that the
candidate should have.

■ Each group presents its list of desirable and essential attributes, while the rest of the
groups ask questions to clarify doubts.

■ They reconvene in groups, and individually evaluate themselves based on the terms of
the group criteria. Group members then discuss their self-assessments and suggest
improvements for other members.

■ The group meets in general to comment on the experience, in the following order:

o Members' reactions.

■ Reports of group discussions.

■ New knowledge of oneself.

■ New learning about requirements or directive characteristics.

 ■ Participants' plans to apply in work or home situations.

• The Facilitator guides a process for the group to analyze how what they have learned can
be applied in their lives.

CHIEF WANTED

For example:
I am looking for personnel for the production management area.
• Highest level of education Bachelor's degree

• Experience in the production industry

• 100% English

• Excellent presentation

• Dynamism

We offer:
Base salary.
Benefits of law
Food and gasoline bonuses
TROUBLESHOOTING
CHECKERED LIFE
OBJECTIVE

■ Demonstrate the value of bringing everyone's ideas together in the context of the team.
■ To show the importance of looking at problems from various angles.
■ Engage attendees in a stimulating problem-solving exercise.

TIME

■ 30 Minutes

MATERIALS

■ an acetate of How many frames do you see?

■ Projector and screen

DEVELOPMENT (WITH FORMATTING)

■ From a brief introduction, project the acetate on the screen.

■ Ask each person to answer this question: How many pictures do you see there? Clarify
that this is an individual activity to be performed in private. When each participant has his
or her answer, he or she should write it down on a sheet of paper so that no one can see
the number he or she writes.
■ When everyone has written down their answer, organize them into groups of 4 to 6. Ask
them to agree on the correct answer as a team. Wait 10 minutes.
■ First ask the number each person gave in their answer. Keep the total of how many
different answers there were in the group. Then say: "There were (for example) eight
different answers. Why so many? Some of the usual answers are:
o We see things differently

o We have different backgrounds

o Our education differs

o We interpret the problem as we see fit.

 o Instructions were not clear
o We did not have enough time

■ Request consensus response. Ask the team with the most correct answer to come to the
projector and show how they arrived at their number.
■ The correct answer is 51.

Ask a question:

What did this activity demonstrate about teamwork?

What lessons did you learn from the activity that have application to your own team?

HOW MANY PICTURES DO YOU SEE?

THE TURNING POINT
OBJECTIVES

o Help the team navigate its way through the process of making an ethical decision.
o Increasing awareness of the team's moral values.

TIME

o One hour

MATERIALS

o One copy for each person of the Case Study: The Decisive Moment

LOCATION:

o A lounge with tables and chairs for seating

DEVELOPMENT (WITH FORMATTING)

o State the purpose of the session

o Distribute the time The decisive moment. Allow time for each person to read the case.
Responds to all requests for clarification
o Facilitate a discussion with some or all of the following questions:
o What is the ethical dilemma facing the team?
o Which key stakeholders would be affected by the decisions and what are their
potential concerns?
o Are there any possible legal issues in the case?
 o Does this problem infringe on company policies, cultural norms or ethical codes?
o Does the topic clash with any of your personal values?
o Would you unequivocally disclose your decision to your boss, family or a
journalist?
o Ask the team to make a decision on the case.
Questions
What is your decision?
How do they justify it?
What did you learn in this activity about the topic of ethical decisions?
How would they apply their new knowledge to future dilemmas?

Variants:
Arrange the case to suit your activity.
Turn the exercise into a debate.

THE CASE STUDY

The decisive moment

Instructions: Read the case carefully and decide what the team should do and why.
The product that your team conceived and now maintains has been replaced by a

new version. Despite all efforts to ensure that the new product has all the capabilities of

the previous product plus some improvements, this is not the case.

The team is well aware that this is the result of several pilot tests of the new

product. Through the leader, the team has complained to general management and

made a strong call to either pick up the old product or return the new one for further work

and refinement. But the general management refused, arguing that the problems are

being fixed and will be resolved in due course. In addition, it is clear that the company

incorporated the additional profits that the new product would generate into its financial

projections. Management also says that in tests conducted at customer sites, customers
have not complained.

The team knows that if a customer protested, management would immediately

"recall" the product. The participants meet today in preparation for a plant visit to one of

their largest customers and anticipate a question from one of the representatives about

their opinion of the new product, because they value the team's expertise.

If the customer asks them what they think of the product during the visit, what

should they answer?

TROUBLESHOOTING

SITUATION ANALYSIS
OBJECTIVE:
o Devise methods to address the team's regular issues.
o Practice problem solving in the context of the team.
o Examine process issues in troubleshooting equipment problems.
TIME
o 45 - 60 minutes
MATERIALS
o Copies for each participant of the "Situation Analysis" cases 1-4 o Flip charts,
markers, tape and paper

DEVELOPMENT (WITH FORMATTING)

o Review the relevance of the cases for your company and adapt them as necessary or add
other situations.
o Explain the purpose of the activity
o Distribute the situations. Allow 10 minutes for each step. Ask each group to choose a
spokesperson to present their recommendations.
o As reports are presented, facilitate discussion by asking for feedback from the other
 teams. Probe if you feel that a team has not sufficiently considered the difficult issues in
each case.

Questions:
o What did they learn about being effective partners?
o What are the things that help the team deal with case issues?
o As a result of the activity, what new behaviors would you add to your list of team
standards?
Variants:
o Put on some fun!!!!. Ask them to vote for the team with the best and most in-depth analysis
of the situation. No one may vote for his or her own team. Announce the competition
before the teams are given to their task.

SITUATION ANALYSIS

Case 1. Critical multifunctional problem in the equipment

You notice that another team member takes less than his or her fair share of the load.

■ If you were the leader, what would you do?

■ If you were another member, what would you do?

Case 2. Time is wasted in team meetings

You conduct a team meeting. Time is wasted in irrelevant conversations.

■ What would you do at that moment?

■ What would you do in the future?

Case 3 Establishment of personal priorities

You are a member of a part-time product development team working on a major new product.
However, he also has other responsibilities with the ongoing work of his department.
You must set your priorities to decide what to do first.

■ What questions would help decide these priorities?

Case 4. Gaining acceptance

His team has devised a plan to make some notable improvements in customer service.
However, the plan requires some heavy upfront spending related to new systems as well as
restructuring the customer service function.
Their sponsoring manager has never objected to anything the team has done but has not been
very interested either.

■ How should the team approach it?

■ What would be the team's long-term strategy with her?

THE BRAND MANAGER

OBJECTIVE
To provide the participant with experiences on time management.

■ Compare individual and group time management.

■ Identify criteria to be followed in time management.

TIME

65 Minutes
LOCATION:

■ Normal Classroom
■ A large, well-lit room with a comfortable seating area for the participants.
MATERIAL:

■ Answer sheets 1 and 2.

■ Activity sheet.
■ Pencil or pen.
DEVELOPMENT (WITH FORMATTING)

■ The Facilitator distributes to the participants the list of activities that you, as Brand
Manager of the J & E Company (which is engaged in the manufacture of household
products), must perform.
■ After reading the activities to be carried out, the Facilitator indicates to the participants
that these should be recorded in their agenda (answer sheet "1"), so that all the activities
are carried out in the required time.
■ After the previous activity, the Facilitator asks the participants to meet in groups of five
and discuss the individual agendas and a coordinator is appointed to present the group's
opinion (fill out answer sheet "2").
■ The coordinators present the opinions of their respective groups and the reasons why this
time arrangement was reached.
■ The Facilitator guides a process for the group to analyze how what they have learned can
be applied in their lives.
 WORKSHEET

THE BRAND MANAGER

INSTRUCTIONS

You are the brand manager of J & E Company, which is dedicated to the manufacture of
household products and is located in Xochimilco. You have to make an urgent trip to
Washington D.C. for a period of one month; your plane departs at 9 p.m.
It is now 9:00 a.m. and you must manage your time in such a way that you can perform
the following activities before leaving for your destination. If deemed necessary, some of the
activities listed may be suspended or delegated. We also remind you that you have the
support of a secretary for the performance of your duties.
LIST OF ACTIVITIES DURATION
Meeting to evaluate packaging redesign with the Industrial Engineering (60 minutes)
Department.
Analyze brand results over the last month, and issue corrective actions if (120 minutes)
necessary.
Call from the General Manager requesting information about the brand. (10 minutes)
(60 minutes)
Meeting with the Group Manager to evaluate projects in progress.
Meeting with the Board of Directors to discuss final details of his visit to (90 minutes)
Washington, D.C.
Go out to lunch with the Account Executive of the Advertising Agency to discuss (120 minutes)
a new communication strategy.
Call supplier "X" to make some changes to the design of the display being (10 minutes)
manufactured.
Pay credit card at the bank. (30 minutes)
Prepare a document indicating the new brand exhibition policy in the self-service (30 minutes)
channel.
Talk to your mom to say goodbye. (10 minutes)
Go to the plant to check production problems. (40 minutes)
(60 minutes)
During the day you will be required to make several personal calls
(120 minutes)
The Sales Manager of your Company informs you that the Purchasing Manager
of the "Aurrera" self-service stores is with him and that a work meeting will be
held to discuss different aspects of the display and point-of-sale material.
sales that affect your brand.
(20 minutes)
You must bring urgent documents to the Finance Department today.
We remind you that you need to arrive at the airport 1:30 hours before your flight
departs to check in. It is usually a 30 minute drive from your Company to the
airport.

THE FOUR POSITIONS

OBJECTIVE

■ Stimulates the creativity of the participants.

■ Encourage a spirit of competition among participants.
TIME:

60 Minutes
LOCATION:

■ Normal Classroom
■ A large, well-lit room with a comfortable seating area for the participants.
MATERIAL:

■ Blackboard or flip chart.

■ Flipchart size sheets.
■ Brushes, glue, glasses and old newspapers.
■ Score cards to record the results.
■ One table per booth.
■ What is necessary for the teams to be able to write.
■ In addition, it will be necessary to prepare the necessary material for the different
tests chosen.
DEVELOPMENT ( WITHOUT FORMATTING □)

■ The 4 test stands are prepared, plus 1 stand for garments. Each of these positions is
focused on a very specific subject and content: manual testing positions, physical testing
positions and cultural testing positions. It is of course possible to set up other positions
based on subjects other than those mentioned above.
■ The stalls will be distributed in a large room or in different rooms, depending on the
premises available. In any case, prepare a separate room for the garments.
■ In addition, a large flip chart will be placed in a passing place where the teams' points
will be recorded.
■ Each team moves to the post of its choice and requests a test. To do so, choose a
number between 1 and 10 (since the total number of tests is 10 and they are numbered
beforehand without the participants' knowledge).
■ The team then receives instructions and must practice the test they have been given.

■ Subsequently, this team will no longer be able to apply for the same test, in case it is
presented again in the same position. Therefore, each test cannot be performed more
than once.
■ There are two possibilities: If the team passes the test, it collects a voucher equivalent to
one point. If the team fails the test, it will have to move to another location to pay for the
pledge. Receives a penalty slip to be presented to the Facilitator in charge of the
garments. Once the team has validly paid for the garment, the team must return to the
point where it had failed, provided with the penalty slip, duly signed (or with another
distinctive sign) by the Facilitator in charge of the garments.
■ In the room of the Facilitator in charge of the garments, there will be a flipchart sheet per
team, as well as a pile of newspapers, upholsterer's glue distributed in cups, brushes,
scissors and rags. In addition, he/she will have prepared tokens on the front of which a
more or less long saying will be written. When the team arrives at the garment room,
he/she gives the Facilitator the penalty token received at the place where he/she has
just failed. The Facilitator randomly draws one of the cards containing a proverb, the
team will immediately get to work, which consists of cutting out the letters of the proverb
from the newspapers provided and pasting them on the flipchart so that the proverb is
constructed.
■ As soon as the garment is attached, the team gets its signed penalty slip back. The team
then returns to see the Facilitator of the position in which they had failed.
■ The team then returns to see the Facilitator of the position in which they had failed. The
latter collects the voucher, notes in his or her personal file that the team has passed the
test, as he or she has paid for the repair garment and finally gives the team a one-point
voucher.
■ When a team has passed a test at a given station, it first goes to the Facilitator in charge
of the marker flipchart to receive the one-point voucher and then goes to another station
of its choice to try to pass a second test. It is also allowed to return to the position he/she
has just left (however, a rule can be included that forbids passing two tests in a row in
the same position).
■ Logically, two teams cannot speak together in the same position. At the start of the
game, if there are more teams than places, the teams that have chosen their places the
fastest will pass the trials, while the others wait at a certain distance for a place to
become free. The same wait may occur during the course of the game or after having
paid a pledge to return to the post to display the penalty slip.
■ The Facilitator guides a process for the group to analyze how what they have learned
can be applied in their lives.
TERRITORY

OBJECTIVE

■ Experience the effects of negotiation activity.

■ Increase boldness in various negotiating strategies.
■ Practice collaborative strategies by solving integral problems.

TIME:

Duration: 150 Minutes

LOCATION:

Ample Space

A room that can accommodate all participants for planning or discussion, and an empty
room or a designated area within the general meeting room that is large enough to physically
accommodate the group.
MATERIAL:

■ One copy of the Territory Instruction Sheet for each participant.

■ Two copies for each group of the Territory Terrain Sheet. (This sheet is the
The Facilitator should prepare a map of the room prior to the activity.

■ A pencil for each participant.

■ A roll of crepe paper (cut 10 cm long) in different colors for each group.

■ One roll of masking tape for each group.

DEVELOPMENT (WITH FORMATTING)

■ The Facilitator will form teams in the way he/she considers convenient, for example:
numbering them to form groups, allowing them to freely choose their teammates or choosing
the groups in proportion to sex, etc.

■ The Facilitator will distribute one copy of the Territory Instruction Sheet and a pencil to each
participant and two copies of the Territory Field Sheet to each group. The Facilitator will
read the verbal Instruction Sheet:
 o Each group will meet independently.
o Team participants have twenty minutes to:
a ) State how much space in the designated area of the territory they will claim for
their team.
b) To develop a plan to obtain your space, and
c) To decide their negotiation strategies.
o To mark the activity in stage one, it has to be carried out in a non-verbal way, by
the team representatives, working simultaneously.
o The spaces claimed during stage one must correspond to the plan submitted by
the team.
o The elected team representative shall have the authority to negotiate space and
change boundaries in favor of the group.
o Once the activity has started, no new representatives may be elected.
o All team representatives will agree to allocate space at the end of the six
negotiation stages or all space will be penalized.
o The winning team will be the team with the most physical spaces at the end of the
sixth round.
■ Teams work to demarcate the configuration of the space they want to claim on the Territory
Land Sheet and choose a representative to serve as a negotiator for the group.
■ After twenty minutes, or when each team has submitted a copy of its plan to the Facilitator, it
will be announced that stage one will begin. A roll of crepe paper is given to the
representative of each team (each team receives a different color) and a roll of masking
tape and is sent to the room or area where the territory will be divided. Using the crepe
paper roll (and the copy of the Territory Terrain Sheet as a guide) each representative
separates the space claimed by his or her team, making sure that the activity is conducted
quietly and that no changes are made during this round. The other team members remain in
the team meeting area while their representatives carry out the task of separating the
claims. (Five minutes).
■ The Facilitator announces the time and leads stage two, the team strategy planning meeting
will begin. (Ten minutes).
■ The Facilitator monitors each of the following stages. Before starting each one, mark the
time and reiterate the instructions for the next stage.
■ At the close of stage six, the Facilitator declares the winning team, based on the criteria
established at the beginning of the activity.
■ Group members are instructed to stay in their meeting areas to discuss their overall
reactions to the activity and review the strategies they will use in their negotiations.
■ The Facilitator regroups the teams and they report the outcome of their discussions. (Five
minutes).
■ The Facilitator analyzes the strategies employed by summarizing the strength or weakness
report and supporting them with key words or ideas. The Facilitator gives a short lecture on
negotiation strategies, using the list previously generated by the group as a starting point
and adding as needed. (Fifteen minutes).
■ Participants identify general themes that emerged during the report. (Five minutes).

■ Teams meet again to discuss the application of what they have learned and analyze
negotiation situations. (Ten minutes).
■ The Facilitator guides a process for the group to analyze how what they have learned can
be applied in their lives.

WORKSHEET

TERRITORY INSTRUCTION SHEET

This activity comprises six stages.

Each team will represent, the amount of space they will claim, on two copies of the Territory
Plot Sheet they have been given. A copy of this plan will be given to the Facilitator prior to
Stage 1.
STAGE 1. (Five minutes):

An elected representative of your team will mark the space claimed by the team with the
colored strip of paper that has been assigned to your team. This has to be done quietly with
representatives of all groups working simultaneously. Representatives will return to their team
meeting areas to report their results as soon as their tasks have been completed.
STAGE 2 (Ten minutes):

Team members will discuss by choice the results of the separation activities and their
strategy for stage 3.
STAGE 3 (Fifteen minutes):

Group representatives will return to the territory and may make changes. Representatives
will discuss their plans and negotiate with other representatives during this stage.
 STAGE 4 (Ten minutes):

The teams will meet again to discuss the results. Representatives will receive training and
instructions from other team members during this time.
STAGE 5 (Ten minutes):

All team members will accompany their representatives to the territory and observe how they
negotiate what their representatives agreed to with the representatives of other groups. The
desired changes should be made by the team representatives. Only representatives may
negotiate or make adjustments to equipment limits.

STAGE 6 (Fifteen minutes):

Teams meet in their team meeting areas to discuss their final strategies. Representatives
will return to the territory for final negotiation and/or make final adjustments to its boundaries.
The time will be announced and this concludes the last stage. The Facilitator announces the
winning team.