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Simbols™

Simbols Case Study

"So put your half daisy with the red side up next to my half daisy with the orange..."RSVP Design's SImbols toolbox used in Brazil

"Is your daisy the same as my flower?"

"The flower with 6 petals or 4?"

As they work together to assemble a visual puzzle, team members need to do three things.

Set up and manage an effective communication system that everyone understands and can use efficiently.
Develop a dialogue which will lead to a common understanding of abstract concepts.
Deliver, against very tight time and quality targets, a successful solution to the problem they face.
Excellent communication is not enough: the team must also demonstrate excellent project planning and process improvement. Teams respond to the challenge the activity offers, enjoying 'pitting their wits' against the problem and seeing tangible proof of improving performance. In addition, they develop key skills that are of significant value in team briefing, coaching, instructing and delegating task responsibility to others.

Simbols is a challenging activity that can be done in two different ways, either as a whole team (ideally between 5-15 people) or as three sub-teams, each responsible for part of the task. The exercise takes approximately 45 minutes, followed by a review to focus on the skills needed to ensure that a task is "right first time".

What do I get?

A carefully researched and designed group learning activity from RSVP Design's toolbox range. The activity uses a lightweight single-sided, metallised write on /wipe off board supplied with the game materials. The activity comes complete with a set of magnetic components, full participant briefing instructions, facilitator's manual and a suggested review process, based upon predicted learning outcomes.

How does it work?

Up to 30 individuals receive printed coloured cards which have to be assembled, under challenging conditions, into a complete pattern. The  participants need to act quickly to to set up a new and efficient communication process, improve and develop this and then use it to implement a solution against tight time deadlines.

What are the learning outcomes?

The facilitator determines the key learning through the use of the review process. Key learning can be identified in areas of:

  • Achieving shared understanding between individuals and sub-groups
  • Offering support and alternative communication strategies to others
  • Taking opportunities to improve performance and quality
  • Managing time and information under pressure
  • Agreeing an acceptable level of risk in developing solutions

Give me an example of how it is used.RSVP Design's Simbols toolbox used in United Nations, Rome

1. The UN World Food programme consists of multi-national teams, whose members speak many different languages. Simbols has been widely used within WFP to illustrate the importance of achieving genuinely shared and understood meaning of abstract concepts. The activity has illustrated the diversity within teams, the different perceptions that people bring to their work and the difficulties that can arise from making assumptions about other people's understanding. Simbols is used to identify and practise key communication skills in a challenging environment. The visual element of Simbols means that it can be delivered effectively in any language and across cultures.

2. Simbols feedback from a user

Just a bit of feedback on Simbols!

I've used it with clients on Impact and Influencing programmes and it's been extremely effective in highlighting significant learning points in the use of language and behaviour.

However, when I used it with a client, who are starting out on a Leadership Programme, it worked beautifully.  The Client (a college) are going through a significant amount of change; the work I'm doing is with the Senior Leadership Team (36 people).  The managers work in silos, there is a cocktail of cultures, no common purpose and no streamlined processes.  We used two packs of symbols and had the two teams working in 'healthy competition'!!

The exercise, completed successfully by both teams, addressed all the above issues ... and more... and the delegates thoroughly enjoyed it!

Worth every penny!!!

Thanks

Catharine

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