Here’s a card game that encourages the participants to handle realistic workplace situations.

Purpose

To come up with suitable action ideas to deal with different situations that confront a new manager.

Participants

Minimum: 3

Maximum: Any number, divided into playgroups of 3 to 7

Best: 15 to 30 in groups of 5 or 6

Time

15 to 45 minutes

Supplies

Situation cards. A deck of 20 – 40 cards for each playgroup. Each card briefly describes a situation that is relevant to the training topic. A set of sample situations are included at the end of the description of the activity.

Pieces of paper for the players to write down their response to each situation.

Flow

Organize participants into playgroups. Allocate three to five participants to each group.

Distribute the supplies to each group. Make sure that all groups have a deck of situation cards, pieces of paper, and pens.

Brief the participants. Give a copy of the handout, How To Play Situation Cards. Ask the participants to read the instructions. Answer any questions to clarify the rules of the game.

Begin the first round. Ask each playgroup to identify the Prime Player and ask this person to pick up the top card and read the situation.

Play the first round. Ask the Prime Player to keep time for 2 minutes. At the end of this time, ask the Prime Player to collect the responses, mix up the pieces of paper, read the responses, and select the best response.

Continue the game. Ask the playgroups to select the next Prime Player and continue the game as before.

Conclude the game. After 15 minutes from the start of the first game, announce conclusion of the activity. Identify the player with the most points in each playgroup and congratulate these winners.

Debrief the participants. Ask the participants to discuss among their playgroups what they learned about the training topic. After a suitable time, ask each participant to pair up with another participant from a different playgroup and share their insights.

Use Situation Cards as a Template

You can use the structure of Situation Cards as a template for exploring different training topics such as these:

§Coaching
Leading a team
Managing mergers
Project management
Traveling in a foreign country
Outsourcing customer services
Conducting a performance review

Handout

How To Play Situation Cards

Get ready for the game. Place the deck of situation cards in the middle of the table. Make sure that everyone in the playgroup has pieces of paper and pens.

Select the Prime Player. Use any method you prefer to select one of the players to be the Prime Player. (Everyone gets a turn to play this role.)

If you are the Prime Player, here are your responsibilities:

Start the round. Pick up the top situation card, read aloud the situation, and place the card in the middle of the table with the printed side up.

Pause for responses. Ask the players to write a suitable action idea to effectively deal with the situation.

Collect the responses. When ready, ask the players to give you their response paper, with the written side down.

Shuffle the responses. Mix up the pieces of paper that you collected.

Read the responses. Read the responses. After you have finished reading all responses, announce the best one. Read this response again.

Score this round. Give the piece of paper with the best response to the player who wrote it. Ask the player to keep the piece of paper in front of him or her to indicate a point. Discard all other responses.

Appoint a new Prime Player. Identify the person seated to your left as the new Prime Player. During the subsequent rounds, participate in the game as any other player.

Conclude the game. When the facilitator calls time (after 15 minutes), stop playing. Count the number of response papers in front of you and announce your score. Identify the person with the highest score as the winner at your table.

Sample Situation Cards for a New Manager

A newly appointed employee has requested you to be her mentor.
Clashes between offshore IT managers and the local IT staff keep increasing.
Employees complain about time wasted in weekly staff meetings.
One of your colleagues complains about your negative communication style.
One of your colleagues has left the job, complaining of burnout. You have been given some of his responsibilities.
Your boss has resigned her job and left the company.
The president of the corporation calls you to congratulate you on your outstanding work.
The president of the corporation wants everyone to attend a training workshop on corporate ethics.
The president of the corporation wants you to revise the mission statement.
The president wants you to work with an executive coach to improve your leadership potential.
There is a significant decline in the market share of the three products your department is responsible for.
You are asked to make a presentation about your organization at the annual convention of the local chamber of conference.
You are asked to manage a design team currently located in Luxembourg.
You feel that the company is wasting its resources on a couple of useless projects.
You finished a project ahead of deadline and under budget.
You are appointed to be the leader of a team that is negotiating with a Japanese business group.
You are asked to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of a project completed by your predecessor.
You are asked to reduce your staff by two people.
You have missed several deadlines.
You have written up the annual goals for your department.
One of your colleagues lodged a sexual harassment complaint against you.
You receive the Employee of the Month Award.
You won a large defense contract. The local TV station is investigating possible corruption charges related to the award of this contract.
Your corporation has decided to become more “green”. You have been asked to come up with suitable strategies.
Your department has received the highest rating in an internal survey.
Your email in-basket is overflowing. You don’t have time to read and respond to all email notes.
Your manager wants an estimate of time required to complete a new project. You do not have the necessary information.
Your manager wants you to shorten the length of your weekly reports.