Tower Building exercise: Learnings and Experiences...

Tower Building exercise

In the Tower Building exercise there are many learning on personal as well as professional level. These exercises are also used extensively in the corporate for Team Building exercises.

I have learned few lessons from these exercised performed in the class.

Fostering Communication:

The communication between the participants is very important for success of any organisation. The person who was placing the blocks needs to communicate in perfect way with the supporting person so that the coordination is maintained. Communication is the key for performing the activities in tandem with other person. Leaving any gap in this process can cause the efforts to go in the conflicting directions and cause the tower to fall.

Experience:

While working in the project, the communication between the project site and the coordination office is very important for the completion of the project. The slight miscommunication in the specifications of the materials can cause havoc in the project. Even while using the electrical equipment, the person working on the maintenance for the equipment’s needs to be in perfect understanding with the operation people. In case the equipment’s are left live and the maintenance person starts working on them, it can cause a fatal accident and damage to the property.

Setting a Goal: While working on the exercise the even the single person or in case of the group, a vision was needed to form. The goal was a tool for focusing on the activity and giving the 100% efforts to achieve it. The goal in very much needed in the corporates to have a common target to achieve. The clarity in this respect gives momentum to the staff and the management to achieve them. A goal is like a Lamp, in story of Birbal, where a person stands in the cold water of the river with only a lamp insight. The goal gives a motive for the organisation to fight the challenges coming in the way to achieve the target.

Experience: I was a part of a Solar Project of 25MW, in my company. This was the biggest project in solar at the time of its conception. Our company had goal for the project, to complete it in the record time. The team for the project was given a task to complete this project within Seven Months. To meet reputation of the Department, team decided to complete it within Six Months. After deciding the goal, every person went extra mile to achieve the seemingly impossible task.  The Tower Building was a reminder of the same.

Deciding responsibilities:

In the exercise the roles of the persons were decided and a proper authority is given. The person building the tower should not be disturbed so that the tower does not fall. On the contrary they can give suggestion to him to make a better and taller tower. This shows the clear division between the implementer and the planning and managing wings of the organisation. Everybody is expert in owns field. He knows the trades of the business and can take decisions on the tacit knowledge gained with experience. Detractors can also say that, a person from different background can provide a better and different solution to the problems. So, there needs a limit, boundaries between the authority of people to make the process move smoothly and flexibility is also possible.

Experience: In the project activities, the critical and important decisions are always taken by the Project Head and he is assisted by others to support the decision based on the specific requirements. While implementing the decision, people can take their decision on the last stages of implementation. This gives certain flexibility at the time of execution and changes can take place on requirement of the site conditions. 

Three monks: Learning and experiences...

Three monks

Initiation at crises times: In the times of crisis, the belongingness towards the organisation and towards co-workers increases drastically. It is also reflected in the film, when the time of crisis came everybody tried to do their efforts, moreover they were coordinating with each other for attaining the desired results. The efforts towards extinguishing the fire were focused and directed. These gave the monks a sense of belongingness towards each other and the effects of the event can lead to long term relationships.  Crisis can act as a juncture that changes the organisation and its people and can lead to miracles.

Example: While working on a group project in Engineering, our group was not in talking terms as there was disagreement regarding the project methodology and approach. Even after group meetings and extended discussions there was no consensus about the project. On the mid review of the project, our guide gave warning to fail all of us if we did not complete the project on time. The threat was very terrifying for everyone. From the very night we sat down and everybody agreed on the targets and assigned specific responsibilities. After that incident we were working in a good, supportive team spirit.  

Unity works: From the childhood we are told by our parents, teachers and elderly people that unity works better than individual actions. The story of the three monks also suggests that the unity while working can create improved methods and work can be done more efficiently. In a group people have different backgrounds, different ideas and thinking, that gives various perspectives regarding the task to be performed.  Also the unity can act as a gel between the people and retains the motivation levels even in the crisis times.

Example: In my company, we were a team of 20 people, working on different dimensions of the same project. To see the progress of the project we all had work along with each other and complement each other for the next task. This way the team was successful in completing the project in record time.

Clear division of work: While working in a team, there should be a clear division of work and responsibility. The division of work gives clarity in the tasks to be performed, avoid conflicts while working.

Example: In the company, we were only four people responsible for managing the supply to the site. As the site had more than 500 products to be delivered we decided to have different sections of the site under each person. Some items were common for all and some were unique. We clearly defined the roles and responsibilities of each one and worked accordingly. In case of conflicts and problems we approached our manager for resolution.