DiSC Team Building & Leadership simulations and activities can add application and understanding to your existing programs. There are many variations from conversational models to highly active models.
Contact Mike… to discuss how to increase the learning and utilization of your DiSC training program.
D – Quick Choice
DiSC Team Building Activity; Used to flex the D-Dominance Preference
Objective:
For participants to experience a D – Dominance type culture. In this activity all people are asked to use their Dominance to accomplish a task that has a tight time frame and a decision must be made.
- Requiring quick action and decisiveness
- Driving quick action
- Moving the team forward
Materials:
- DiSC behavior profile
- People have knowledge of the Dominance area of DiSC
- 4; 3 to 5 foot lengths of ropes or string of different colors
Group Size:
- 4 to 6 people per/team
- If you have more than 6 people then make more teams of no more than 6 people
- Questions Contact Mike
Preparation:
Prior to beginning this activity an explanation of the D-Dominance behavior of DiSC and a discussion of the pros and cons of using each person’s dominance should take place.
The set up requires you to prepare the following before the activity begins.
Take the 4 ropes of different colors and tie one of them into a large loop. For example you have a red, yellow, white and green rope. Tie the green rope into a large loop, by tying an overhand knot connecting the loose ends together. Take the remaining ropes and thread them, one at a time through the green rope. Once you thread a rope through the already tied loop, tie the rope into a loop itself, do that all the remaining ropes; until you have something like the image below.
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Ensure that one of the ropes Connects through all the other ropes like a key ring, so when you hold the main rope the others are all connected, like a key ring to that central rope; like the image below.
Bundle each ‘D-Quick Choice’ separate from the others.
Once people arrive DON’T let them see which rope is the connector – keep them in a bunch.
*If you are preparing for multiple teams you can choose to use the same color that is the connector for all the teams, or use a different color. Either choice will lead to an interesting discussion and learning.
Instructions and Facilitator Script:
*Keep this moving fast and high pressure – you want teams and people to experience using the D in their behavior. This requires quick decisions and action.
Once the teams are created say something along of the lines of the following:
“Now that we have explored the Dominance in our behaviors it is important to build and utilize that part. In a moment you will be placed into a simulation that requires quick thinking, insufficient knowledge and resources to choose and from. At times in each of your roles at work you must make a choice, a choice that as a team you feel is best. Due to time-constraints and the increasing complexity of your work the need to make a choice fast and then be able to learn from that choice is necessary.”
Place a ‘D-Quick Choice’ bundle on each table that the teams are sitting at;
- One per/team of 4 to 6 people. Ask them to NOT TOUCH IT.
“Now that each team has a ‘D-Quick Choice’ rope bundle don’t touch it please. In a moment your team is going to solve the following challenge.
- As a team you must reach a rapid decision, without touching or moving the ropes. You will have 90 seconds to choose the rope that connects all the other ropes together. Like a key ring through several keys.” Show an example.
- “If you choose the correct rope, it will connect all the ropes to that single rope, and the ropes will hang like a chain that is wrong.
- READY GO! 90 seconds starts.”
Walk around and ensure that the teams follow directions, at the end of 90 seconds yell STOP! Or blow a whistle to get their attention.
Once the focus in on you again, go into the learning and reflection see below.
Connections and Concepts
Sometimes the idea of Dominance can be seen as a bad or negative trait amongst teams, this activity is meant to highlight that we all need to have a certain amount at the proper times. I explain this to teams as finding the necessary Normative Value of each behavior. If we exceed the normative value it then becomes a negative impact on getting our work done.
In exploring DiSC with teams I share that understanding each person has all 4 behaviors and they are used in different capacities. We need people to be Dominant and make decisions quickly BUT not so much that they neglect to be Conscientious. Plus we need people to be Conscientious BUT not so much that they fall into paralysis-analysis and cannot make a choice, flexing their dominance.
D-Quick Choice allows teams and individuals to use that ‘Dominance’ part and explore when and how to best use it.
Take time with the group and find examples of when a choice has to be made quick and when taking too long may be damaging to their work. This connection to team-work and making choices will prove powerful.
DiSC Behaviors You’ll Notice
Being that we are asking EVERYONE to flex their Dominance and we have purposely increased the pressure with a short time-frame, ambiguous options and a high need for control.
The Dominance behaviors will be high;
- Dominance D’s High need for control – Low need for affiliation; Rush into action very little to no planning needed. The planning you will notice will take place in a flurry of individual activity. Quick to move and share their opinions slow to listen and discuss ideas. Will measure progress by the results they achieve. Become easily frustrated once they fail to see results on an individual basis. They are accepting of objections and conflict they just move on to try another variation for achieving results.
Learning and Reflection
Following the 90 seconds of choosing the rope which connects all the others, teams are always eager to see if they were right.
Ask the teams;
- Which team is 100% sure they have chosen the right rope?
- On a scale of 0 – 10 with 0-being unsure; and 10-being sure; where would you place your teams choice?
- If you were one step higher on the same scale what would be different? How would you know that you were more correct in your choice?
Taking turns, ask each team which rope they think is correct. Ask them to grab the rope and let’s see. It’s always fun to have the entire group watch and see if the other teams were correct.
Following all the teams reveal of the rope they chose here are some discussion questions;
- What was your initial reaction to this challenge?
- Those of you who are higher on the D-scale, did you feel any added pressure?
- Those of you who are higher on the C-scale, what was this activity like for you?
- Can you describe how choices were made?
- Supply the group with an example of a good choice, during that activity?
- How was success measured?
- Reflecting upon your own DiSC preference, did you notice and feel some of your Dominance shining through?
- How was this activity like your work?
- In your role at work how are choices made?
- In what ways are you mindful of your preferred behaviors at work when making these choices?
- Describe what it would be like if you were absolutely comfortable and sure that the choice you made at work was the best choice?
- Has that ever happened? Even a little bit?
- Thinking about DiSC and Dominance; in what ways might you use this activity to improve your team decision making? What else? What else?
- If you do one of these ideas, how will you know it was successful?
- How will others know it was successful?
Allow for group discussion then conclude with a wrap-up of the learning and action plans for the future or move on to what you have planned next.
Variations
- Give more time
- Give less time
- Use all the same color rope
- Have more rounds and make new teams each round
- Instead of having the people flex their ‘D’ ask them to use a different DiSC preference
- Lead the activity as a simulation is decision making
- Have the team decide the color of the connector rope WITHOUT ever seeing the ‘D-Quick Choice’ rope bundles
- After initial 90 seconds have one person stay and all the other team members find new teams to join, then repeat the process again
- Use longer / shorter / thinner / fatter ropes
- be creative let me know what you come up with!
Hire Mike to facilitate Team Building
Need experiential and hands-on ways to create lasting memories and content in your programs / workshops / and lessons.
Mike is your answer. He will create and develop customized activities and simulations for what you need. Contact Mike (mike@mikecardus.com)
Mike will come to you to facilitate the action learning and processing, or can just send you a document with videos and photos of how to do everything you need.
Mike will make you a success and your next meeting and training program better than ever.