Teamwork and collaboration in the face of change. Appreciation of diverse perspectives . Participants discover through self-assessment their own Change Style preferences and experience the challenges of working toward a common task with those who think differently from them and with those who think similarly. Use Change Style Indicator (CSI) and Paper Scrapers.

Change Style Indicator and Paper Scrapers

• session is 2-3 hours
• works best with large groups (i.e., 30 or more)

Here's the Discovery

• Help participants discover the value of working with people who think differently from themselves.
• Enable participants to discover their personal preferences for approaching and managing change.
• Explore ways for participants to be consciously aware of these differences in preference.
• Help them learn actions they can take to be open to listening and considering ideas and perspectives that may challenge their own mental models.

This coordinated design combines an assessment and a simulation.

Use Change Style Indicator (online beforehand or self-scoring in classroom) to determine the change style preference of each participant. If pre-work is an option, this can be completed in advance with formal reports produced through Discovery Learning’s Online Assessment Center, Inc., to be distributed to participants at the appropriate time. An accompanying Style Guide identifies strengths and pitfalls of style characteristics.

Divide the participants into three or four groups according to their CSI scores as Conservers, Pragmatists, or Originators. A typical group of 30 participants might have 7 or 8 Conservers, about 15 Pragmatists, and 7 or 8 Originators. Dividing the Pragmatists into two groups by their scores creates opportunity for an even richer group experience while keeping the groups similar in size.

Using the Paper Scrapers simulation, assign each group of six to twelve participants with similar Change Style preferences the task of designing, building, and marketing a specific product from materials in the supply kit. Reconvene the participants to present their accomplishments. During the debrief of Paper Scrapers, discuss the experience of collaborating with teammates of comparable Change Style preference. Discuss the experience of each group in meeting the assigned design, construction, and marketing tasks:

• What went well and what were the challenges?
• Which Change Style preferences contributed most effectively in each stage of the project and in implementation?
• Do the processes used and the towers constructed reflect the change style preferences as well?

Discuss what was missing from each group’s experience. Ask participants to identify the apparent contributions of Conservers, Pragmatists, and Originators to the success of a project. Talk about how the tasks might have been accomplished differently if individuals with different Change Style preferences had worked together on the
same team.

More Information

For more specific information about each product, see Change Style Indicator and Paper Scrapers.