Exercise · Leadership and Accountability
Game "Opening a New Branch"
Experience how responsibility is shared in a group when nobody has been put in charge, and see your own habitual roles.
Time60 minutes
Participants2 teams of 5–8 people
MaterialsGame brief, two event cards, flip chart, timer
From the trainingLeadership and Accountability
Why this exercise
A team is opening a new branch; the manager will only be appointed in a month, and the first clients arrive in two weeks. In 25 minutes the team has to agree who is responsible for what, how decisions are made and what happens if someone does not deliver on a promise. Events during the game reveal the main thing: who says "I'll go", and where everyone waits in silence for someone else to volunteer.
How to run it
- Split the group into two teams and hand out the brief and a flip chart sheet. The trainer does not intervene or suggest a structure.
- The game lasts 25 minutes. The result is a sheet the team will show the manager when they arrive.
- At the 10th minute put down an event card: "A key client wants a meeting tomorrow at 9:00."
- At the 18th minute — the second event: "One of you is off sick for two weeks; their tasks need to be shared out."
- The trainer notes observations: who picked up the marker, who volunteered, where there were pauses. Then the teams present their sheets for 3 minutes each and the debrief begins.
Debrief questions
- Did someone appoint the leader, or did they take responsibility themselves?
- Who volunteered for the client meeting? Were there pauses?
- How were the sick colleague's tasks shared out? Did anyone take on more than they could handle?
- How far did you choose your own role? What does this resemble in your work?
Tips for the facilitator
- Do not extend the time if the team has not reached agreement. Ask: "Who was responsible for making sure you finished on time?" Usually — nobody. That is the best conclusion of the game.
- Give those who refuse to play the role of observer: noting who took responsibility and who avoided it.
- The game leads nicely into the RACI matrix: it removes the pauses when a task is "everyone's".
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