You can write stories for training in three different types of grouping: individuals, pairs, and teams. This activity enables the participants to experience these three configurations and discover the relative advantages and disadvantages of each.

Synopsis

Participants write three stories related to selected training topics. They write the stories in three grouping arrangements: individuals, pairs, and teams. During the debriefing, the participants discuss and discover the advantages and limitations of these types of grouping arrangements for writing stories.

Purpose

To select the most effective grouping arrangement for writing stories for training.

Participants

Minimum: 12
Maximum: Any number
Best:18 - 30

Time

45 to 90 minutes

Supplies and Equipment

Paper and pencil
Timer
Whistle

Flow

Brief the participants. Explain that the participants could write a story in three different work groupings:

Writing alone (independent writing)
Writing with a partner (co-authoring)
Writing in a team (or in a committee)

Ask the participants to think back on their experiences with these three different writing configurations.

Select a training topic. Explain that the participants are going to write stories that could be incorporated into adult training activities. Announce a few sample training topics (such as delegation, diversity, coaching, giving feedback, interviewing, evaluation, and teamwork. With inputs from the participants select a training topic that would be of use to most of them.

Organize groups. Divide the participants into three equal-sized groups. For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that you have divided 12 participants into three groups of 4 members each.

Specify the first assignment. Explain that all participants would create a story that deals with the same training topic. Announce a 10-minute time limit for working on this story. The participants do not have to complete the story within this time limit. But they should begin creating this story.

Assign different tasks. Explain the story-writing task to the members of the three groups:

Members of Group 1 should work independently to write individual stories.

Members of Group 2 should work in pairs to co-create a story.

Members of Group 3 should work in one or more teams of 3 to 5 members to create a story.

Select a new training topic and switch the tasks. At the end of 10 minutes, blow the whistle and announce the conclusion of the first story-writing task. With the help of the participants, select another training topic. Ask everyone to write a new story on this topic under these changed assignments:

Members of Group 1 should work in pairs to co-create a story.

Members of Group 2 should work in one of more teams of 3 to 5 members to create their story.

Members of Group 3 should work independently to write individual stories.

Remind the participants of the training topic for the story and the 10-minute time limit.

Repeat the procedure for the third round. Blow the whistle at the end of 10 minutes and announce the conclusion of the second story-writing task. With the help of the participants, select the third training topic. Ask everyone to write a new story on this topic under these changed arrangements:

Members of Group 1 should work in one of more teams of 3 to 5 members to create their story.

Members of Group 2 should work independently to write individual stories.

Members of Group 3 should work in pairs to co-create a story.

Remind the participants of the training topic for the story and the 10-minute time limit.

Conclude the activity. At the end of 10 minutes, blow the whistle to signal the conclusion of the third story-writing task. Proceed to the debriefing discussion to increase the participants levels of self-awareness.

Debriefing

Relate to the story-writing tasks. Ask the participants to think of what they experienced and what they produced under the three types of story-writing tasks. Based on this reflection, ask them to answer and discuss the following questions:

Which type of grouping (individual, partnership, or team) worked best for you? Which grouping did you like the most?

In your typical writing projects, which type of grouping do you use most frequently: individual, partnership, or team? Which grouping do you use least frequently?

In what context (in terms of topics and objectives) does the individual story-writing approach work best?

What are the advantages and limitations of the individual story-writing approach?What suitable arrangements improve the effectiveness of the individual story-writing approach?

In what context (in terms of topics and objectives) does the partnership (co-authoring) story-writing approach work best?

What are the advantages and limitations of the partnership (co-authoring) story-writing approach?

What suitable arrangements could improve the effectiveness of the partnership (co-authoring) story-writing approach?

In what context (in terms of topics and objectives) does the team (or committee) story- writing approach work best?

What are the advantages and limitations of the team (or committee) story-writing approach?

What suitable arrangements could improve the effectiveness of the team (or committee) story-writing approach?

Action planning. Ask the participants to come up with a to-do list of changes they want to make in their future story-writing projects.