Name of the Exercise
Numbers.
Description
An activity in which participants experiment with the use of a system to control work activity.
Duration
20-25 minutes.
Identified Need
Lack of an understanding of the value of a system. Lack of utilization of an existing system. Supervisor does not provide appropriate training to workers in how to utilize a system to control the work. Supervisor does not provide opportunities for employees to practice working according to a system. Supervisor does not utilize the installed system to identify problems and take corrective action. Supervisor does not follow up with workers in a proactive manner to ensure that they have the tools and assistance needed to utilize the system.
Performance Objective
Utilization of system controls to measure actual work as compared to a plan, identify variances and take appropriate corrective action. Supervisors will train workers in the benefits and workings of the installed system, and follow up proactively to ensure that the skills learned in training are implemented.
Technical Consideration
Materials:
- Numbers sheet (3 set – without grids, with grids, and without “9”)
- Flip chart and Markers
Technical Procedure
- Hand out number page without lines to everybody, face down.
- Briefly describe the task to participants. They are to point at each number, beginning with the number “1” and continuing in consecutive order as high as they can go. They have 30 seconds to complete the task.
- Ask if there are any question, and begin.
- Stop the group after 30 seconds, ask them to remember the highes number reached, and to hand in their number sheets. As they are passing in the sheets, record the results of every participant on the Flip chart.
- Trial 2 begins immediately following, with very little conversation between trials. Basically, tell the group that they did not do particularly well, and you’d like to give them an additional tool (gridlines) to help them accomplish the task. Hand out the lined numbers pages (face down). Run the procedure again.
- After 30 second are up, ask participants to hand in their sheets and record the scores again. Choose the 2 worst performers in the group. Playfully chide them for their lack of performance. Take them outside of the room, and have your co-trainer keep the group engaged in conversation while you are gone. Outside of the room, provide the 2 participants with the training in the “system”. Explain the “S” pattern that proceeds through each grid, and help them understand how to find the numbers more quickly and easily. Give them a “practice” run. Time them for 30 seconds and see their improvement. Then return to the training room.
- Ask participants if they are ready to try the lesson again. Pass out the same number sheets as used in trial 2 – with grids. Run the procedure again. After 30 seconds, collect the number sheets and record the individual scores. The “trained” people will improve their scores. They may not be the top performers, but the improvement will be dramatic. They have worked “smarter”, not “harder” by using a system to control their work. Have the “trained” individuals provide training to the rest of the group on how to utilize the system.
- Now that the entire group has been trained, provide them with the opportunity to implement their training. Hand out the numbers sheets, with grids and MISSING numbers. Run the procedure again and score. You will find that some people have skipped over the missing numbers, and others have stopped at the number “8” without progressing because they encountered a problem. Some will have taken corrective action by writing in the missing number in order to proceed.
Co-trainer Responsibility
The co-trainer can serve in a number of functions during this exercise. In particular, the trainer needs help passing out pages and recording group responses. But this is not the extent of the value offered by the co-trainer. The co-trainer should come to the wet run prepared with examples of lack of system utilization and/or training out on the floor. He or she should also be able to provide examples of training that has been provided within the client organization in the utilization of a system. The co-trainer should be an integral part of helping the trainer make links between the exercise and the real-life situation.
Tactical Procedure
Key processing points are: A system allows us to work SMARTER not HARDER.
You need to know that a system exist, and how it works in order to gain benefit from it. After all, the system was present in the first number sheet – the problems arose because nobody knew it was there, or did they know how to use it. This means that training in the systems is necessary for effective utilization. We can not assume that people know how to use a system simply because it is there.
People who have received training and PRACTICE in utilizing a system will perform better than those who have not received training. If there are vast differences in individual performance in the workplace, a system, training and practice will help to smooth out those differences. Each person can then get closer to the norm.
This exercise affords an excellent opportunity for the participants to “critique” the trainer on his or her “supervisory” skills. If they did not understand the instructions, what could you as the “supervisor” have done better to train them? This is a great opportunity to get the group thinking about how often they give instructions in unclear or cursory ways. By allowing the group to critique the trainer, you generate points for them to examine in their own workplace performance as supervisors.
If someone does poorly with the system, point out that they might need additional practice and training to get the hang of it. Individual difference are to be expected, and a good supervisor will be apprised of the difference in training that he or she needs to provide to individual employees.
On the other hand, if a “genius” gets a very high score by figuring out the system on their own, you can relate that to the “star performers” who are in their areas. There will always be stellar performers, but we don’t have a whole workforce full of them. We can bring the rest of our workers along with the correct structure (system) training, and practice.
There will be many surprises when you process this exercise. Each comment or question raised by the group is an OPPORTUNITY to make relationships to their specific situation. Question do not take you “off track”, rather they let you know that you are going precisely the right direction – to where it matters for the participants.
When you take the group through the trial with the missing numbers, process the fact that a system allows you to find variances. On the initial trial, how would they ever have known whether or not any of the numbers were missing? They would simply have assumed that the numbers were there, and that they could not find them. They would have spend a tremendous amount of time and energy looking for number, without knowing for sure whether or not it was supposed to be there. with the system, they immediately knew that something was missing, and could call attention to that fact.
Ask the group to describe how they want their employees to respond when they identify a variance. Do they want them to simply stop at the number “8” without additional progress simply because they identified problems? Do they want people to “get creative” and improvise by doing something like writing in a number “9”? do they want workers to call their attention to the variance and ask for help? do they want workers to continue with their work, and call attention to problems at particular point in time? There will be different answers to these question depending on the particular need of that operation. For example, in some instances it is desirable for workers to call attention to problems immediately. In other instances, it is more desirable to wait until a specified time. These are issues that participants should decide for themselves, and then implement a plan for identification of variances with their employees.
You need to know that a system exist, and how it works in order to gain benefit from it. After all, the system was present in the first number sheet – the problems arose because nobody knew it was there, or did they know how to use it. This means that training in the systems is necessary for effective utilization. We can not assume that people know how to use a system simply because it is there.
People who have received training and PRACTICE in utilizing a system will perform better than those who have not received training. If there are vast differences in individual performance in the workplace, a system, training and practice will help to smooth out those differences. Each person can then get closer to the norm.
This exercise affords an excellent opportunity for the participants to “critique” the trainer on his or her “supervisory” skills. If they did not understand the instructions, what could you as the “supervisor” have done better to train them? This is a great opportunity to get the group thinking about how often they give instructions in unclear or cursory ways. By allowing the group to critique the trainer, you generate points for them to examine in their own workplace performance as supervisors.
If someone does poorly with the system, point out that they might need additional practice and training to get the hang of it. Individual difference are to be expected, and a good supervisor will be apprised of the difference in training that he or she needs to provide to individual employees.
On the other hand, if a “genius” gets a very high score by figuring out the system on their own, you can relate that to the “star performers” who are in their areas. There will always be stellar performers, but we don’t have a whole workforce full of them. We can bring the rest of our workers along with the correct structure (system) training, and practice.
There will be many surprises when you process this exercise. Each comment or question raised by the group is an OPPORTUNITY to make relationships to their specific situation. Question do not take you “off track”, rather they let you know that you are going precisely the right direction – to where it matters for the participants.
When you take the group through the trial with the missing numbers, process the fact that a system allows you to find variances. On the initial trial, how would they ever have known whether or not any of the numbers were missing? They would simply have assumed that the numbers were there, and that they could not find them. They would have spend a tremendous amount of time and energy looking for number, without knowing for sure whether or not it was supposed to be there. with the system, they immediately knew that something was missing, and could call attention to that fact.
Ask the group to describe how they want their employees to respond when they identify a variance. Do they want them to simply stop at the number “8” without additional progress simply because they identified problems? Do they want people to “get creative” and improvise by doing something like writing in a number “9”? do they want workers to call their attention to the variance and ask for help? do they want workers to continue with their work, and call attention to problems at particular point in time? There will be different answers to these question depending on the particular need of that operation. For example, in some instances it is desirable for workers to call attention to problems immediately. In other instances, it is more desirable to wait until a specified time. These are issues that participants should decide for themselves, and then implement a plan for identification of variances with their employees.
Possible Option
You will notice that there is an additional Flip chart called “variation” presented with these materials. The variation provides additional opportunities to process elements of Management Control System.
As you pass out the first set number sheets, tell the group that they can get up to 63 numbers. Ask them for their “plan”. how many numbers do they think they can count in 30 seconds. Record the plan for each individual. Run the trial. Record the Actual, and calculate the variances. On the first trial, variances will be quite significant. Process with the group and ask them why they were so far off the mark. This will alow you to discuss the value of a plan that is based on fact, is realistic, and related to capacity. How often do supervisors feel that they are building plans that are a “stab in the dark”. How can they improve their ability to plan effectively?
In the next round, participants may tend to “sandbag” their plan, or plan in such a way that they will have no possibility of missing the plan. how valuable is a plan that is heavily padded? Is it useful to plan only for what we know we have accomplished in the past? Discuss the ways that a plan can establish targets for improvements, thus creating expectations for continued improvement.
As you pass out the first set number sheets, tell the group that they can get up to 63 numbers. Ask them for their “plan”. how many numbers do they think they can count in 30 seconds. Record the plan for each individual. Run the trial. Record the Actual, and calculate the variances. On the first trial, variances will be quite significant. Process with the group and ask them why they were so far off the mark. This will alow you to discuss the value of a plan that is based on fact, is realistic, and related to capacity. How often do supervisors feel that they are building plans that are a “stab in the dark”. How can they improve their ability to plan effectively?
In the next round, participants may tend to “sandbag” their plan, or plan in such a way that they will have no possibility of missing the plan. how valuable is a plan that is heavily padded? Is it useful to plan only for what we know we have accomplished in the past? Discuss the ways that a plan can establish targets for improvements, thus creating expectations for continued improvement.
You can download forms besides to get 3 sheets of numbers exercise.
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