The newcomers
Featured in the The Team Leader's Development Manual training manual
By Mike Fenwick
Category: People Management and Motivation
Credit price: 2 download credits (Single user)
When new people join our teams at work, we may not have given any thought as to how best to incorporate them into what is an already established team. Alternatively, the team leader may have given it some thought and action and considered it done well when, in fact, from the new person’s perspective, it has not been done well at all. This training activity replicates this situation – with real newcomers joining real existing teams - and demonstrates clearly how we should be treating new people. It looks, too, at how different the perspective is from the receiving end. As part of the team leader’s development, it is important that they recognise how easy it is to alienate new people in their teams and consider how best to deal with new team members to include them fully into the teams activities.
You divide the participants into two groups – one large and one small (The large one will be the ‘action’ group, the small one the ‘newcomers’ – but you don’t tell the large group this). You then brief the large group to produce a 10-minute theatrical sketch that depicts a typical ‘day in the life of’ their organisation. They are told the purpose of the sketch is to persuade a major new client to do business with them. The sketch must, therefore, show all the positive aspects of their work. As the large group begin to plan this, you give the small group a brief to discuss how new people should be treated when they join an existing team, and what existing teams can do to make them feel welcome. The large group are not told what the small group are doing. After 15 minutes, the small group, or ‘newcomers’, are incorporated into the large group. The training activity continues with everyone – hopefully – working on the sketch. The group then perform their sketch, and the training activity is debriefed to see how well the newcomers were welcomed and offered a role in producing the sketch.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to demonstrate how full incorporation of new team members in team events can be achieved.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 20 |
| Typical Duration: | 04:00:00 |
| No of Pages: | 10 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers as part of a management development programme or team leadership programme. It can also be used in programmes on assertiveness, communication, considering colleagues, influencing others, leadership, teamwork, and time management.
Download the training activity, The newcomers as featured in the Fenman training manual; The Team Leader's Development Manual