This exercise is an example of Line-ups - exploring individual differences

Learning objectives:

• Worker to mentalize themselves and colleagues in terms of their satisfaction with their job and their energy to change/ improve things at work
• Team to notice the differences across the team in job satisfaction and energy to change and consider the relationship between the two

Requirements

• A space large enough to accommodate all workers on a horizontal and vertical axes

Introduction

Within a team it is normal and expected that there will be differences among workers with regards to the extent to which they are satisfied with their work and how much energy or motivation they have to make changes.

Exercise

1) Draw an imaginary line down the room, designating one end "Highly satisfied in my work" and the other "Highly unsatisfied in my work"
2) Ask workers to place themselves on the line. They will have to mentalize others to try to position themselves accurately in relation to others.
3) Invite comment on the process and whether there are any surprises as they look at the line up
4) Draw another imaginary line, perpendicular to the first, intersecting in the middle. Designate one end "I have high energy to make changes/ improve things at work" and the other "I have low energy to make changes/ improve things at work"
5) Ensuring that they remain in position in terms of the "x" axis, ask people to move forwards or backwards on the new "y" axis in relation to how much energy they invite have to make changes or improvements at work.
6) Invite comment again on the process and whether there are any surprises as they look at the line up. Encourage people to think about the relationship between the two continua.
7) Finally, ask people to move to where they see themselves sitting on the continua if a team based training was helpful to them