Yardarm

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Can you judge peoples’ attitudes by the signals they give out? Do you appreciate how important it is to check that you have read a situation accurately, so you avoid giving an inappropriate response? Are the signals you give out open to misinterpretation?

Yardarm is an effective, fun way to talk about judging and communicating attitudes. Use the game to initiate a discussion about your own organisation’s corporate culture, and the effect the attitudes of managers and supervisors may have on the behaviour of employees.

Objectives

Participants will be able to :

• Identify how their behaviour can affect others
• Examine the impact different corporate cultures have on individual and team performance
• Recognise the need for creating an effective communication climate

How it works

Yardarm uses flags to signal attitudes and responses to given situations. Players are divided into teams which are located apart but visible to each other. Faced with a series of managerial scenarios, teams choose between a range of behaviour options which might be appropriate for the manager to adopt in that situation. They ‘signal’ this to the other teams by showing the appropriate flag. This flag is read and responded to by the other groups. However, the game is deliberately structured so the flags, or attitudes, are misinterpreted. The ensuing guided discussion explores strategies to hone interpersonal and communication skills, and work on improving cultural awareness.

What participants will be doing

Discussing the way they would like others to perceive them, indicating this by a signal, and responding to signals displayed by others.

For what levels is it appropriate?

All those who are supervising or training staff, who are involved in the recruitment process,
or who are members of a project team.

The package 

Includes tutor manual, attitude flags, attitude lists, post-exercise discussion questionnaire and all supporting documentation for 5-25 players.