Here is some surprising research on teamwork. It's called the marshmallow challenge. Teams are tasked with taking 20 pieces of dry spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string and a marshmallow and building the tallest structure they can with the marshmallow on top. Find out why kindergartners outperform recent business graduates. Very interesting video. Maybe it is a challenge you might consider creating for your team?
What does this say about teamwork? What does this say about incentivizing teams? Let's discuss. Please comment below.
Check out our newest blog on Team Building and Teamwork. Click here.
Become a fan of our Facebook Page - Click on the Logo Below
Follow Mike on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/secondgleader
Mike Rogers
I absolutely loved that. I have noted the website link and one day that will be in some leadership training...brought a smile to my day
Posted by: Breda Leyne | 11/04/2010 at 07:12 AM
I love it. I can picture the effect on many of our people, especially the aggressive ones.
Posted by: G Bender | 11/04/2010 at 08:08 PM
It sure is true. I have managed teams of Admin staff, sales staff and IT staff as well as customer service staff. Each group does tackle problems differently. I would be interested in seeing how a sales team would do on the Marshmellow challenge. A great lesson in not treating all problems the same.
Posted by: Brian Crew | 11/04/2010 at 08:30 PM
Just brilliant. This reminds me of a method of software development called Rapid Application Development (RAD). This approach uses design iterations to get the product delivered faster. I wonder how RAD developers would go in the marshmallow challenge.
Regards,
Les Allan
http://www.businessperform.com/blog
Posted by: Leslie Allan | 11/05/2010 at 01:55 PM
We often refuse ourselves the freedom to try, fail and try again. Children instinctively do what most adults are conditioned not to do. Thomas Edison understood that to succeed he first had to find the 1,000 or so ways that didn't work. And, he enjoyed it. He was an exceptional adult.
Posted by: John Kmiec, Ph.D | 11/16/2010 at 08:32 PM
Thanks for your comments everyone. It is amazing how we begin to have boundries placed before us at a young age.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Rogers | 11/16/2010 at 08:34 PM
Hi,
That was great. I would like to share an experience which I had very recently. I was doing a program for kids of age 5-14 years. I had given the kids almost the same challenges that I would give to the corporate clients - Believe me the kids have out performed the corporates in every single aspect.
I would fully agree with you that they would correct from mistakes than follow get it right first time.
Posted by: Srikanth.G.V | 12/19/2010 at 09:22 PM
a sense of togetherness of purpose is what it is. There's absolutely no substitute to that!
Posted by: Wale Olaniyan | 12/24/2010 at 04:05 PM