Team balance

Team Balance is a lively, practical, task that may look familiar but is a deceptively difficult team activity to master. This is a flexible resource that can be used to practise or attempt many managerial, leadership, change, project management and other team tasks. The development focus can include task or project management and efficiency; individual or personal impacts; and team development and operation. It is an ideal task to be used in repeated, short durations throughout a ‘theory intensive’ programme. Participants become active, engaging with the Team Balance and changing environment as they leave their seats, gather round the board and grasp the strings.

It is an ideal activity to use in Assessment Centres, allowing observers to view a wide range of soft skills and behaviours, adding to evidence collected in other more formal situations.

The activity requires the manipulation of (a series of ) balls through a labyrinth - the labyrinth board is held off the ground by strings held by each player, and the ball is manipulated purely by the forces exerted through each string. The labyrinth has two sides - one more challenging than the other - with a series of start and end points, and optional target labels to build up a series of increasingly challenging tasks.

Learning Focus

• Change Management
• Collaboration
• Effective Communication
• Goal-setting & Monitoring
• Improving Performance
• Instruction & Delegation
• Problem Solving
• Strategic Thinking

Group Size

• Ideal: 8
• Possible: 6 - 16

Duration

• 20-40 Minutes plus review