The Pfeiffer Handbook of Structured Experiences: Learning Activities for Intact Team and Workgroups

Citation

Narasimhan, K. (2005), "The Pfeiffer Handbook of Structured Experiences: Learning Activities for Intact Team and Workgroups", The TQM Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 5, pp. 486-487. https://doi.org/10.1108/09544780510615979

One of the pillars of total quality management is the establishment of various types of effective teams to provide an environment in which individuals can learn and grow. And experiential learning has been found to be the most powerful mode of imparting lessons even off the job. These two handbooks are ready‐to‐use learning toolkits for trainers and consultants to employ in workshops and seminars. They provide a number of activities which can be used to improve personal development and teamwork. The activities range from 15 minutes to 3 hours in duration.

Jack Gordon, a freelance writer, has edited a series of books/training aids covering workplace training and development. His articles and columns on training subjects have appeared in publications including The Wall Street Journal. For 15 years, he was the chief editor of North America's leading monthly Training Magazine.

The experiences are organized according to the level of participant involvement, beginning with relatively low‐risk activities, and progressing to highly involving exercises. The goals for each activity are clearly stated; also clearly specified are the group size, materials and time required, the physical setting and the process to be adopted and variations, if any.

Learning Activities for Personal Development includes 118 learning designs grouped into four sections. The designs are geared towards personal and professional growth and development.

Section I, on Communication and Values, comprises 29 activities that deal with communication (verbal and nonverbal) listening skills, and language barriers. They also help probe into personal and organizational values such as gender roles and stereotyping and preferred styles in personal and working relationships and how these can influence interpersonal communication.

The theme of Section II is Leadership and Decision Making. Many of the 26 activities pertaining to problem solving and decision‐making (for example on brainstorming, motivation, interviewing, and competition and co‐operation) are appropriate for people in any hierarchical level. However, some of the activities on delegation and appraisal are specifically intended for management‐level participants.

There are 38 activities in Section III on Personal Growth, which focus on learning and development as people by exploring an individual's potential and sharing thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. Hence, these activities are more suited to be used with willing participants rather than those that have been instructed or forced to attend.

The final section on Classroom and Consulting Techniques is intended for self‐development of trainers and consultants. It comprises 25 activities on “icebreakers for training sessions”, forming smaller groups from large ones, and professional development activities for sharpening skills or challenging ones own preconceptions as a trainer.

Learning Activities for Intact Teams and Workgroups includes 122 ready‐to‐use learning designs grouped into three sections. The learning outcomes are clearly stated. The learning activities are more suited for learners in the same team or for the same organization. The goals for each activity are clearly stated; the group size, materials and time required; the physical setting and the process to be adopted and variations, if any, are clearly specified. The activities are organized beginning with relatively low‐risk activities and progressing to highly involving exercises.

The theme of Section I is “Communication and Trust” and comprises 37 designs ranging from experiencing one‐to‐one positive feedback to communicating within a team. They are intended for building skills and obtaining insights about effective interpersonal communication and how to improve it.

Section II comprises 46 activities on Roles and Processes. Activities in this section include those on information sharing, exploring group dynamics, stress, and conflict‐management styles; team building and development agenda setting, role clarification, and experiencing feedback.

The important theme of Leadership and Decision Making is covered in Section Three that comprises 39 activities, some of which are specifically intended for managers. The activities include both verbal and non‐verbal problem solving, information sharing, inter‐group competitions, negotiating and consensus‐seeking. The activities can be used not only for exploring the ways in which leadership is exercised but also for eliciting the ways in which it ought to be.

Jack warns that inexperienced facilitators should proceed with caution when using advanced designs, as they may generate resistance, defensiveness, or strong emotional reactions among participants. The emphasis being on individual development, there is no requirement that learners work together on the same team or for the same organization.

These two books are excellent resources for corporate trainers and consultants. They can be bought as a single paperback edition titled Pfeiffer Handbook of Structured Experience Set (ISBN: 0‐7879‐7670‐9) for £111.00/∈155.00.