Tools & Resources FAQs

No, not for the Workshop or Toolbox products.

Every learning tool in the Workshop and Toolbox range is designed to be used by any trainer, facilitator or line manager who has confidence in working with groups of adult learners, and is comfortable in working with activity based and experiential learning.

Our Powertool range are more complex simulations and activities that do require some support from RSVP Design but can be provided remotely in most cases.

We do however deliver train the trainer programmes for clients on subjects such as experiential learning facilitation, creative training design, facilitation and review skills, and of course on using activity based learning tools produced by RSVP Design and other organisations - just contact us if you would like to discuss a custom-designed training Workshop. Telephone +44 141 561 0387 or email sales@rsvpdesign.co.uk

All our tools have been developed in response to real client problems. (Many of these problems are discussed in the downloadable product information sheets at the bottom of each product page on the learning tools and resources or online store sections of the web site). The tools which are developed to help solve these customer problems are extensively tested before they are released in the toolbox, workshop or powertool format.

However if you would like further information before purchasing a learning tool, or using it for the first time please do not hesitate to call us, or drop us an email.

Design Office +44 1539 567 640 annalder@rsvpdesign.co.uk

Sales Office + 44 141 561 0387 sales@rsvpdesign.co.uk or in the USA +1 888 702 0023 or ussales@rsvpdesign.co.uk

Yes.

We provide a range of trainer and facilitator training sessions aimed at using this type of activity based learning within an accelerated programme. Please check our Open Programme sections for dates and content descriptions.

These sessions can also be adapted to work with a particular learning & development team, and we have worked in this way with many clients in the past.

However if you just want to ask us a few questions we''d be delighted to try and help, so please contact us.

Almost any of the experiential activities can be used to rehearse the skills of giving and receiving feedback. However, to link to the themes of the programme I would suggest three that you might find particularly useful.

1. 'T-trade'. This RSVP Design toolbox is described as an exercise in negotiation and building better business relationships. It involves three small groups meeting to negotiate for scarce resources in order to achieve income and optimise their results. It offers a lot of insights into individual styles and behaviour and therefore rich opportunities for feedback. The individual strategies which people adopt, their competitiveness or willingness to collaborate with other groups, their ability to influence and their willingness to change their own position in relation to other's needs are all obvious as the exercise develops. This can be linked to the 'cultural' theme of the programme: how does the individual behaviour we adopt and the type of relationship we build with others impact on the perceived culture of our team/department/organisation?

In addition, there is no one 'right' answer to this task which is helpful if the activity is to be run on a number of occasions.

2. 'Workstations' This RSVP Design toolbox gives a lot of insight into the different ways in which individuals communicate and manage information. It is a shorter activity (about 20-30 minutes) and is ideal for less senior groups in the organisation. The activity involves sharing a lot of information and needs clear supervision and control. Different individuals envisage very different ways of completing the task and the way in which they try to 'steer' the direction of the activity offers much opportunity for feedback.

3. Making particular reference to the 'cultural impact' theme of the programme, you would find 'Simbols' (another toolbox activity) of value. This requires the group members to establish a shared process and a common language if they are to be successful. Once the initial problem has been solved, Simbols becomes a straightforward process but one which uses detailed and complex information and makes a lot of demands on people's ability to understand and remember information. Often people get 'left behind' in the process and the exercise demonstrates how effectively individuals can coach, support and encourage others and how willing they are to admit to their own uncertainties or ask for help. Again, there are many opportunities for giving and receiving feedback.

It depends on what facilitation is required. A simple product demonstration to an interested group can be arranged to suit a potential client’s timing and location for reimbursement of travel costs. If this location is outside the UK there may also be a charge for travelling time. A recommended minimum time of 3 hours is required to allow any group to gain something useful, and up to 1 full day may be provided. We often link such a session to a meeting of HR or L&D professionals and use our tools to provide some trainer training in areas from how to be more creative in designing training to advanced facilitation skills -see  trainer training .Costs can be provided on request at +44 141 561 0387 or sales@rsvpdesign.co.uk

Yes, we frequently work with a Corporate Cartoonist in our client development programmes. Often we use an interview process before a programme to develop a set of images which are further refined during the programme, and finally produced after the programme to provide some digital imagery. This can used as shared output from the programme to be challenged by other members; aspired to for the attending or wider group; or to help the team maintain focus on important goals.

All the imagery contained in the Images of Organisation toolbox has been developed from real conversations inside real organisations.

We can develop bespoke image content for clients either during a development programme as described above or through an interview process where we can get people to describe feelings, emotions, aspirations etc. to us.

Images of Customer Experience was produced following feedback from customers who wanted a set of cartoons for use in Customer Service situations.

We can also create these as a more conventional packs of 'playing cards' where minimum order quantities begin at 100 x packs, and have completed this for other organisations.

Please contact us for further details by emailing sales@rsvpdesign.co.uk or call +44 141 561 0387

I guess it all depends on the learning outcomes you are seeking and the type of learning intervention you are designing.

The way Cultural Connections works you could play it with 1 player or play it with a group of 48 players - either one player has all the cards, or each player only has 1 card each (or anything in between!).

If you want to create debate around different international cultures and customs within the group of 16, then a single Cultural Connection pack could work fine. Even if a player doesn't hold a question card they can play a part in debating what they think is the correct answer to someone else's question, and then justifying their suggestion, as the group comes to a decision. It's then more of a group discussion/consensus than just testing the knowledge of the individual holding the question card.

However if you wanted to actually test the group, and they should know all the answers, you'd probably want to work with a smaller group of 2 to 6 players, where they get to personally answer several questions from several cards in their hands. The instruction cards in the pack suggests a group of 2 to 6 players, so that those players have several questions to personally answer when all the cards are dealt. However we have many customers who use this activity as a way to generate discussion in a larger group.

If you want it to be a relatively short discussion session, and expect the group to have little knowledge of the answers, you could also use just half the pack. The numbering system is such that card numbers 1-24, and 25-48 can be played as two separate independent groups, so .......... Split the group into two sets of 8 players, give one set of 8 players cards numbered 1-24, and one set of 8 players cards numbered 25-48 and see whether each separate group can form the required 3 complete loops of 8 cards; then compare/contrast the learning/knowledge within each separate group!

As the game is self-working one facilitator could observe two groups, and provide hints/ support if required using the answer card.

Cultural Connections is also now available as an iphone and ipad App from the Applestore - see here

You can purchase a Challenging Assumptions toolbox (2 x puzzles in each box, with facilitator guide) online, or offline by calling our CA order centre (Dennis Samuelson) with credit card details, on 1 888 702 0023, or can fax back credit card details to our Head Office in the UK, on +44 141 887 3613. Email ussales@rsvpdesign.co.uk for a $US order form,

Thanks for your interest in our tools and attending Geoff’s Workshop!

Yes we can ship the Webmaster® to Australia and regularly ship all over the world. Shipping costs will be calculated based on the shipping country destination entered when registering on our website.

Webmaster® can be completed in either 2 or 3 sections.

The two section version when complete needs an area of approximately 20 feet (6.1m) x 5 feet (1.5m)

The three section version when complete needs an area of approximately 30 feet (9.1m) x 5 feet (1.5m)

The product can be used either indoors or outdoors.

The DM1 maze will work on any floor substrate, but the DM2 will not work if there is metal in the floor.
The DM1 uses an RF detector, and is therefore more expensive.