Chainlink

•  Explore different personal learning styles
•  Linking the activity to individual profiles
•  Improve instructional skills
•  Improve accuracy of communication skills
•  Teamwork and Group Management
•  Information Management
•  Individual effectiveness
•  Observation & Feedback Skills

Chainlink replicates some of the pressures of being ‘a link’ in an internal supply chain. Few people working in organisations do not find themselves, at times, both customer (or user) and supplier. You may be waiting for the IT team to fix your computer so that you can supply management accounts to your Board in advance of a meeting – you are a link in a chain.

This exercise puts every participant into the role of both user and provider of information. It asks them to focus on more than one task at once: the construction and supply of a product to a ‘customer’ and the liaison with a ‘supplier' who is fulfilling a previously placed order.

The relationships are limited by restricted communication: face-to-face meetings are rare and therefore valuable. The communication generally occurs in writing, representing the ‘remote’ communication (usually electronic; text / email / phone calls) now relied upon in the majority of global organisations.

The exercise raises some important issues of task and resource management, prioritisation and resource allocation. 

•  How does an individual make informed decisions about where and when to apply effort? 
•  How do pressurised individuals in internal service departments know which demand is genuinely urgent and therefore which to respond to? 
•  How are people encouraged to move from thinking about their own needs to those of others? 
•  How do we get things ‘right first time’ to avoid the need for re-work or correction? 

Chainlink also demonstrates very clear differences in individual working style. How do teams respond to differences in the amount of contact, interaction, preparation time, detail and feedback which individuals need? In this way, it is an ideal exercise to use with teams who have completed personal style profiles (e.g. MBTI) and will be able to see the different preferences in action.

As an activity participant you are one of up to 8 participants in this activity in which you find yourself in the position of being both customer and supplier.

As a customer, you have a requisition that you need to be delivered to you by the end of the exercise.
As a supplier, you have an order which must be in the hands of your customer by the end of the exercise.

Each participant has a requirement to build something for their customer whilst at the same time managing their suppliers to ensure that they deliver on time to the correct quality.

An alternative activity version is supplied for groups of more than 8, or where the opportunity to provide some rehearsal on providing feedback based on behavioural observation is useful. The observer version pairs an observer and participant together, swapping roles as they progress through the 60 minute activity.

Delivery

Product prices shown do not include delivery costs We use international and local courier services to provide a fast, secure and traceable shipping service to our customers. Typically we will ship within one working day of receiving your order (if received by 14.00 local time), and your goods should be with you wherever you are in the world within one week!

Returns

We provide a 12 month unconditional guarantee. If you have any problems with our materials, we will replace any defective parts, or you can return the product for a refund.