Article by Ken Thompson, 06 Apr 2017
I am sure there are many different ways you could do this but here is one of the easiest and the most fun and it is also free.
Have them play SpaceTeam; a fun mobile and tablet app that teams of up to 4 players can play for 5 minutes to get them into the idea of team-based computer games. The players simply download SpaceTeam to their phones or tablets then connect into the game by Wi-Fi: (iphone/ipad download and Android download)
SpaceTeam works by sending different team members instructions about things which need to be done to stop the spacecraft crashing. But here’s the fun part only one member gets the message and it requires a different member to do something about it! So when you get a message on your screen you need to shout it out to the other team members only one of whom will be able to make it happen on their screen. All this is done at high speed in a hilarious way with lots of silly names for the different controls on the ship such as Beveled Nanobuzzers, Auxiliary Technoprobes and Four-stroke Pluckers.
So 5 minutes of SpaceTeam will have every one collaborating with their team members and understanding the dynamics of a team game. Better still the room will be full of energy and everyone will have a smile on their face. Note: If you need to use SpaceTeam with more than one team at the same time you need a second Wi-Fi connection - I normally bring a mobile dongle portable Mi-Fi to handle this . Find out more about SpaceTeam.
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Ken is a practitioner, author and speaker on Leadership, Collaborative Working, High Performing Teams, Change Management, Project Management and Business Acumen. His work has featured in major publications including The Guardian , Wired Magazine, The Huffington Post and The Henry Ford Magazine. Ken has also spoken at many international events including TEDx, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), Learn Tech (London) and NASA.
Ken is Managing Director of Business Simulations Ltd.
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