A structured experience using flags designed to illustrate how the misinterpretation of signals displayed by one party to another can lead to an in-appropriate response. Teams are located apart, but visible to each other. They consider some pre-identified managerial situations and choose one adjective (from a list provided) to describe how they would like their behaviour in such a situation to be seen by other people. They ‘signal’ their choice by holding up a flag, which is read and responded to by the other groups. Unknown to players the lists have been switched and the attitudes are misinterpreted. The exercise is designed for five groups of 3-5 members each. It needs between 45 and 60 minutes including discussion time.

OBJECTIVE
To show how important it is to check that ones perception of a situation is correct so as to avoid an inappropriate response. The exercise will:

• help participants to recognise and avoid those features of their behaviour that most commonly provoke an unwanted effect;
• help participants to speak openly about their attitudes, feelings and beliefs;
• show that feedback is vital for effective communication.

HOW IT WORKS
The tutor places the five groups so that they can see each other, but cannot accidentally overhear each other's conversation. He/She gives each group a set of attitude flags and cards. The cards describe a range of behaviours that might be appropriate for a given situation. The teams are asked to consider one special management situation and decide on the attitude that they think it would be most appropriate for a manager to adopt. Each team is then asked to display the corresponding flag and the remaining groups are asked to indicate how they would respond to a manager who they perceived as having that attitude in that situation. The observing groups find what the flags mean by looking them up in their own lists - but unknown to them these lists are slightly different from the one being used by the signaller. The flags are therefore misinterpreted and (for instance) flexible is read as vacillating, and so on.

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?
Supervisors, Junior and middle managers.

INCLUDED
Tutor manual; Attitude flags; Attitude lists; Post exercise discussion questionnaire and all supporting documentation.

COST
£135 plus Vat and delivery