WHY PLAYFUL LEARNING WORKS…

Playful Learning can be the difference between passive knowledge and value adding behavioural change.

When companies train their employees, it is in order to create value for the company.

But classic teaching as we know it from many educations where the teacher talks to the participants only supported by PowerPoint has a lot of serious limitations that may carry the risk of making the effort worthless.

Because…

We are only able to remember a fraction of what we hear.
When we are only listeners, it is in no way guaranteed that we actually understand and can convert the new knowledge when we return to work.
We learn better when we are actively involved and are challenged to use the new knowledge.

The purpose of any training or education is in the end the shift in behaviour, and Playful Learning can optimize your benefits…

It is important to add a theoretical foundation, but in order to optimise the learning process we use simulations offering the participants the chance of testing the theory in ”Thought-up Practice” that they recognise. Simulations are very effective when the participants are challenged in the use of new learning with the purpose of achieving a better result than they were previously able to

The next step:

Implementation in projects that are relevant to the company is an excellent way for the participants to gain ownership of the new knowledge, to test it in practice and to reach an even higher level of consciousness.

In-house projects can also be used for the assessment of the participants’ ability to turn theory into practice. Training/education based on Playful Learning can use several of the above methods, and that is exactly why it is easy to see why it is so effective.

WHAT IS TRUSTED PARTNER?

Trusted Partner is an exciting and realistic communication game where everyone is involved in a common mission to

create the best results and build strong relations.

Communication and cross-organisational co-operation are key words in this activity.

The participants will in small teams be challenged on their ability to co-operate in the pursuit of a common goal. The challenge is that some may experience having opposing personal goals. The success depends on the ability of the participants to network, share knowledge and create trust and value for their co-operation partners, both internal and external.

The Trusted partner activity can be targeted to optimizing the internal co-operation relations or to focusing on strengthening customer relations.

BENEFIT

The goal of Trusted Partner is for the participants to experience and understand the value of the behaviour it takes to create results together with others. Including becoming better at:

Focusing on the common goal

Breaking down the silo way of thinking in ýourself and others

Working in a structured fashion with knowledge sharing and handling of interests

Identifying and understanding relations and creating as much value as possible

Trusted Partner can essentially be used for the exact challenges the company faces when success hinges on co-operation and communication between people.

THE COURSE

Step 1 – Setting the scene & feeling challenges and solutions on your own body

We start off with a fun, exciting and challenging exercise/activity setting the scene for the focus areas of the day. Here, the participants are confronted with the challenges and dilemmas connected to elevating co-operation beyond team level.

It means that the participants are challenged on their ability to communicate and co-operate in connection with the creation of common results cross several teams.

But, apart from being challenged the participants will also be given the opportunity to evaluate their effort and optimise their co-operation allowing them to experience the success afforded them by co-operating across teams and taking the responsibility for a common goal.

So, the initial part of the process will both highlight challenges and potential solutions.

Step 2 - Learning, Reflecting & Relating

When the first act is over, we will assess the process, make the criteria of success concrete and relate these to the work done in the company.

This act is needed in order for us to move from the activity and into act 3 that relates to new behaviour.

Step 3 – Making new behaviour concrete

An old saying has it that if you do the same tomorrow as you did today, you are likely to get the same result. That is why the third act is so important.

Here we will put words to which new behaviour is needed in order to give us new and better results. Depending on the available time, we will achieve the following (level 1 is the least time consuming, the higher levels depend on the lower level being completed):

A common awareness of how you can optimise the cooperation across teams and make everyone contribute to the common goal.

Make a specific letter of intent which afterwards can serve as a follow-up tool.

Make and prioritize specific suggestions for initiatives to be initiated with the purpose of optimizing the cooperation.

After the completion of level 3, teams are set up to start the actual work within their area of responsibility. But no matter how far we choose to go together, it will be important that the topics are addressed afterwards.

That is what we call management.

FOCUS:

INTERNAL COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION

What makes INNER ACTION’s concept unique is that they rise above the level of classic teambuilding. It is not just fun and games or a nice day out – it is active, playful learning with focus on refection.

There is always time earmarked at the end where we relate to which patterns we have noticed in ourselves in the activity. After that, we draw parallels to our work in the company an identify what we, to our advantage, can do even better.

Most recently we made actual cooperation agreements and drew up in-house contracts listing how we could better service and help each other across the organisation, and this has afterwards proven to be effective and valuable.

Your company/organisation will get the following results from the exercise:

Obtain an understanding of the importance of a common goal.
Understanding of the importance of a good cooperation with internal and external cooperation partners.
Understanding of the importance of having clearly defined roles and responsibilities in your team.
Being able to use relevant task managing tools.
Positive energy and motivation in your team.

FOCUS:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT & PROJECT CULTURE

INNER ACTION carried out the most professional and dedicated project management training I have ever participated in.

INNER ACTION has many tools up their sleeves for project managers, but best of all was United Railways.

It was great that the simulated project had a concrete physical aspect that cannot be created on a whiteboard or in a PowerPoint presentation.

The training was adapted to our in-house project phase model so that the participants were able to simulate the dynamic of a project with classic challenges and dilemmas. The participants were also able to train deliveries and implement tools at all stages of the project as well as learn the importance of delivering high quality at the agreed “quality gates”.

UNITED RAILWAYS adds a competition element to the training that makes it both fun and also incredibly educational.

I unreservedly recommend INNER ACTION to anyone who wants to increase their project management skills.

FOCUS:

MANAGEMENT – WHEN MANAGEMENT IS A TEAM SPORT

Through this experimental manager simulation that reflects classic challenges and dilemmas of a manager, the participants start on a development journey through which they gain insight into both own strengths and development areas when managing with others.

Without the use of set phrases, cheap theory and diluted concepts, we take the starting point in you and your communication when you,

are accountable to the top management,
are a part of a management group,
are to manage your own management team.

Your behaviour and performance will be assessed, and you will receive valuable and direct feedback on your management behaviour, your clout, your decisiveness, ability to facilitate a good decision-making process when we test your ability to manage together with other managers and simulate situations where you:

Manage together with others.
Make hard decisions.
Convince and get others onboard.
Define goals and attain them.
Keep deadlines under pressure.
Keep focus, also in chaotic situations.
Motivate, project energy & commitment.
Give direct and constructive feedback.

You will receive concrete tips and tools to elevate your management to the next level.

THE STORY

You have been travelling for days in order for you to reach the green and beautiful meadows of the Scottish Highlands. You are tired and exhausted. But also excited to find out what the next 4 days will bring.

While you are relaxing in your camp on the beautiful green meadow, you are thinking about how the situation has changed in Scotland the past decades.

Some of you remember when Scotland was characterised by being a tribal society where each clan minded its own business and seldom had any contact with the other Scottish clans.

While some call it the good old days, others remember how dependent you were on how good the harvest was. There was also always the danger of being attacked by a larger clan that might take all the fruits of your toil and labour. Times were hard, and hardly anyone had the strength to cultivate new fields, develop or rethink the methods used to cultivate the existing fields or to farm the animals.

In the past few years, the clans have grown in size resulting in more mouths to feed, and there is a need for finding ways to optimize the daily work and trade among the clans.

The elders of the clans (in Scotland age equals wisdom) have tales of an old and forgotten tradition of the clans meeting up every year in order to compete for the title of the best trader in the country.

It has now been decided to take up this tradition again, and you have travelled here in order to represent your clan in this year’s competition. Your clans back home expect you to at least double the values you have brought with you and created long lasting relations to the other clans.

Trusted Partner can best be described as an ancient forgotten tradition where the clans since the dawn of time have competed for the fabled Trusted Partner trophy.

As you know, the goal is to trade with the other clans in order to create solid economic growth and long lasting relations. It is a 4-day competition culminating in the winner being announced and awarded the Trusted Partner trophy. This year, it is the turn of the McGregor clan to judge the competition, they are easily recognizable on their traditional black clan attire. The McGregor clan will monitor the competition and any questions need to be put to them.