Goals Exercise

Materials List

Procedure

 Materials:
Assignment Cards (print on slides that follow) Blocks - 30 square blocks each for two teams = 60 blocks total, of 2 or 3 colors

Notes:
Two teams of up to 10 members each Assignment priorities 4 primaries 2 observers Assemblers Paper clip the assignment cards closed so they wont accidentally be viewed by others.

Procedure
1. 2. 3. In this goals exercise, we will form two groups and attempt to execute a goal. We will then debrief after the exercise. Break participants into two groups. Say, these cards will determine your jobs at Acme Fence Company. You may pick the role you wish, but you may not pick a role that is the same as your current role at work. You may not open the cards to determine the role you wish. You may open a card once you have determined it will definitely be your job during the exercise. Please do not share your cards with other participants. You should base your judgment of each others job roles from the job titles, just as is typical in a real-work setting. Let group members determine assignment roles. Hand out building blocks. Hand out assignment cards for each group based on the following priority in order to assign up to 10 participants per group:
1. 2. 3. Primary participants - Design Manager, Sales Manager, Production Manager, Materials Manager Group Observer Production Team Member - hand out in order - marked on each card.

4.

5.

6.

Acme Fence Company has been trying to get Consolidated Premier Homes as a customer. The Sales Mgr has made many trips to the customer, and has been given an opportunity to build a prototype model fence and give a presentation to the customer. Your team must design & build this prototype, and deliver a presentation to the customer that will last no less than 10 minutes. All the managers must participate in the presentation. Production Team Members may also participate in the presentation if you would like. You will have 20 minutes to build the prototype and prepare the presentation. Allow the 20 minutes, making sure the Group Observers take notes. Have each group conduct their presentations. Debrief as to team roles, whether it was a good goal, and any conflicts that developed. How was this like / not like a real work setting?

Design Manager

Group #1

You are the design manager. It is your job to insure the customer gets the best product in the industry, that it meets all their needs, and that it is extremely safe. You want to use as many blocks as possible on the prototype. Budgets for next year will be based on resources used. The accounting department uses the previous years budget to determine the following years funding. Last year, you ran short on your budget and had to cut projects because you had been too diligent saving your budget dollars the year before. This made you look bad to your internal customers because you couldnt support their requests. You wont be short-changed again. !!

Sales Manager

Group #1

You are the sales manager. It is your job to insure the customer is delighted with the new prototype. You must come back from this customer visit with an order! A large portion of your pay is sales incentive, and your sales goals are very high this year. You need this order, or your son wont be going to the college he has picked out. Of course, you cant share this with the group, though. The issue of sales incentive is a sensitive one, and other managers resent that you get an incentive at all. Consolidated Premier Homes is a tough customer. Their customers are wealthy homeowners, and they wont settle for anything but the best. The fence must be both very fancy (lots of color) and solidly constructed, or you wont have a chance at the order. This presentation must go well.

Production Manager

Group #1

You are the production manager. It is your job to insure the customer is delighted with the product after it goes into production. Your opinion is that the sales manager doesnt have a clue about what it takes to get the product built. You just know hes going to try to add every bell and whistle possible to this prototype, and then cut both the price and shorten the delivery to get the order. You want a good product, thats as simple as possible and uses as few blocks as possible. That way you can delight the customer with on-time delivery and no quality problems.

Materials Manager

Group #1

You are the materials manager. It is your job to insure raw materials get to the plant in time to supply production with their parts. Materials just sitting on the racks tie up value capital, though. Your bonus this year will be based on how low you can keep inventory. You want the fence to be built of as few colors as possible to minimize inventory necessary to build product once you get the order.

Observer

Group #1

You are the observer. It is your job to observe, but not contribute any remarks or work to the group. Take notes and be prepared to comment on what you observe. Be looking for: * Whether the team has a common goal * Do there appear to be issues that cause conflict? * Group interaction * Group conflict, and conflict resolution methods

Production Team Member #1

Group #1

You are a production team member. You want to do a good job with minimal conflict. You dislike conflict on the job a great deal, and have been nicknamed The Peacemaker because you try to get everyone to cooperate with each other.

Production Team Member #2

Group #1

You are a production team member. You have no idea why they put you on this team, because they never listen to what the production people say, anyway. You never miss a chance to point this out, either. These managers wouldnt know a fence from a hole in the ground. They couldnt build a fence unit if their lives depended on it.

Production Team Member #3

Group #1

You are a production team member. Finally, youre getting your chance to shine. You have good ideas, but your immediate supervisor never gives you a chance to implement any of them. Youre going to make sure you impress management with your innovative ideas, so you can get a chance at a promotion.

Production Team Member #4

Group #1

You are a production team member. You are glad to hear Acme is finally working toward selling to a customer that builds premier homes. Youre sick of building the same old simple stuff, and are looking forward to producing more complicated fences. You want this fence to be something really special.

Production Team Member #5

Group #1

You are a production team member. Youre hoping this team meeting thing will be over soon, and that it doesnt make you stay late. You just want to get home, and will try to make this go quickly.

Design Manager

Group #2

You are the design manager. It is your job to insure the customer gets the best product in the industry, that it meets all their needs, and that it is extremely safe. You want to use as many blocks as possible on the prototype. Budgets for next year will be based on resources used. The accounting department uses the previous years budget to determine the following years funding. Last year, you ran short on your budget and had to cut projects because you had been too diligent saving your budget dollars the year before. This made you look bad to your internal customers because you couldnt support their requests. You wont be short-changed again. !!

Sales Manager

Group #2

You are the sales manager. It is your job to insure the customer is delighted with the new prototype. You must come back from this customer visit with an order! A large portion of your pay is sales incentive, and your sales goals are very high this year. You need this order, or your son wont be going to the college he has picked out. Of course, you cant share this with the group, though. The issue of sales incentive is a sensitive one, and other managers resent that you get an incentive at all. Consolidated Premier Homes is a tough customer. Their customers are wealthy homeowners, and they wont settle for anything but the best. The fence must be both very fancy (lots of color) and solidly constructed, or you wont have a chance at the order. This presentation must go well.

Production Manager

Group #2

You are the production manager. It is your job to insure the customer is delighted with the product after it goes into production. Your opinion is that the sales manager doesnt have a clue about what it takes to get the product built. You just know hes going to try to add every bell and whistle possible to this prototype, and then cut both the price and shorten the delivery to get the order. You want a good product, thats as simple as possible and uses as few blocks as possible. That way you can delight the customer with on-time delivery and no quality problems.

Materials Manager

Group #2

You are the materials manager. It is your job to insure raw materials get to the plant in time to supply production with their parts. Materials just sitting on the racks tie up value capital, though. Your bonus this year will be based on how low you can keep inventory. You want the fence to be built of as few colors as possible to minimize inventory necessary to build product once you get the order.

Observer

Group #2

You are the observer. It is your job to observe, but not contribute any remarks or work to the group. Take notes and be prepared to comment on what you observe. Be looking for: * Whether the team has a common goal * Do there appear to be issues that cause conflict? * Group interaction * Group conflict, and conflict resolution methods

Production Team Member #1

Group #2

You are a production team member. You want to do a good job with minimal conflict. You dislike conflict on the job a great deal, and have been nicknamed The Peacemaker because you try to get everyone to cooperate with each other.

Production Team Member #2

Group #2

You are a production team member. You have no idea why they put you on this team, because they never listen to what the production people say, anyway. You never miss a chance to point this out, either. These managers wouldnt know a fence from a hole in the ground. They couldnt build a fence unit if their lives depended on it.

Production Team Member #3

Group #2

You are a production team member. Finally, youre getting your chance to shine. You have good ideas, but your immediate supervisor never gives you a chance to implement any of them. Youre going to make sure you impress management with your innovative ideas, so you can get a chance at a promotion.

Production Team Member #4

Group #2

You are a production team member. You are glad to hear Acme is finally working toward selling to a customer that builds premier homes. Youre sick of building the same old simple stuff, and are looking forward to producing more complicated fences. You want this fence to be something really special.

Production Team Member #5

Group #2

You are a production team member. Youre hoping this team meeting thing will be over soon, and that it doesnt make you stay late. You just want to get home, and will try to make this go quickly.