How can two entrenched cliques become a team?
In the branch of a clothing company, there were frequent conflicts among the employees. After many individual and group discussions, the district manager saw no way out of the deadlocked situation and booked a coaching session to establish a functioning team from the quarrelsome employees—in this case, quarrelsome hens—with professional support. During the initial conversation, the coach quickly realized that there were complex problems within the team based on misunderstandings, lack of organization, and prejudices. A major issue was that each team member worked a different number of hours per week. The long-standing colleagues all worked significantly more hours than the employees who had not been with the company as long. As a result, the store was mainly run by the veterans, and ideas from the newer colleagues were usually dismissed—naturally, often with the justification that certain things had always been done that way.
Another problem was the fact that there was officially no branch manager, and all employees were essentially on the same level. Such a concept can work, but team members must then appreciate each other and be open to trying out new ideas.
To enable the team to develop solutions themselves, the coach used, among other things, the Fröbelturm Game (alternatively, for example, the teambahn is also possible). In this game, participants hold a crane in the air in a circle formation using ropes and move individual special blocks that must be stacked into a tower. Since each block must be moved together by everyone, solo efforts do not help in completing the task. The goal can only be achieved through communication, patience, and proper collaboration. Because there was no official leader in the team, the coach initially let the participants freely experiment with how best to approach the problem. As in the workplace, the long-term employees initially took the lead. However, since the coach mixed the participants so that the two groups were roughly equal in strength, the balance of power was evenly distributed, and the goal could only be reached by accepting constructive ideas from all involved.
After a short time, the younger employees felt sidelined and noticed repeated mistakes in the instructions from the older ones, so they simply stopped participating.
There was a small strike.
This made the older employees realize that the conflict could only be resolved through collaboration on equal footing, leading to cautious negotiations where the younger players could also contribute their ideas. As a result, the outcomes improved steadily in the following rounds. To allow the team to test whether a setup where everyone has equal say or one with established leaders worked better, the coach introduced different game modes. Some rounds required all participants to act as equals, while others allowed only one or two participants to speak. In the end, they agreed that each of the original groups would appoint a spokesperson who would coordinate and set the tone. The team found that this was the best way to work together.
What environment is the Fröbelturm Game suitable for?
The Fröbelturm Game is especially suitable for outdoor coaching or work in larger rooms, as some freedom of movement is required. However, the game is not only interesting for professional team building. If you start a children's birthday party with this game, it immediately prevents clique formation, helps the kids get to know each other, and ensures no one is left out. Plus, it’s simply a lot of fun to create something together.
What does the Fröbelturm Game teach?
- Promotion of social skills
- Learning to collaborate
- Patience leads to success
- The importance of each individual team member is clearly demonstrated
- Lots of fun
Our Fröbelturm Game for you and your participants
In our shop, you’ll find a Fröbelturm in a natural look made from the finest beech wood. We have carefully rounded the edges for a pleasant feel, so you don’t have to worry about wood splinters. A cotton bag is also included, perfect for transporting it to your seminar or for storage. Here’s the Fröbelturm.
