Overview

Through the use of puzzle pieces labeled “M,” “A,” or “C,” participants form three groups of words (beginning with their assigned letter) that reflect or don’t reflect ethical teamwork.

Purpose

To enhance a collaborative spirit.

To analyze the elements of ethical teamwork.

Group Size

Any number of individuals can participate. The group should be divided into three subgroups.

Room Arrangement

No special arrangements are required.

Materials

Flipchart and marking pens

Puzzle pieces

Optional: Token prizes such as inexpensive puzzles for each subgroup member

PROCEDURE

1.Before class begins, draw a simple house on a rectangular sheet of paper (11 × 17 inches works well) and divide it into three even columns, as shown on the next page. Glue your drawing on a sheet of cardboard. (Note: You can choose to make your design more sophisticated—if you have artistic talent or if you wish to cut out a picture of a house and glue it on to a large piece of cardboard. Just be sure to keep it on a rectangle and follow the same instructions.)

2.Color one column red; the next blue; and the last green. Cut the paper into three equal columns.

3.Then cut each column into 10 puzzle pieces (assuming a class of 30 participants). The pieces from the first, red column should all have the letter “M” written on the back. The pieces from the second, blue column should all have the letter “A” written on the back. Finally, the pieces from the third, green column should all have the letter “C” written on the back.

4.Distribute the pieces. Ask all those with a puzzle piece that has an “M” on the back to form one group. Ask those holding “A” pieces to form a second group, and those with “C” pieces to form a third.

5.Give all three groups this assignment: “You now have 5 minutes to list all the words you can think of that start with the letter ‘M,’ ‘A,’ or ‘C’—depending on the group you are in. These words must pertain to ethical teamwork or . . . to the opposite of ethical teamwork. Examples for the ‘M’ group might be ‘maximization (of team potential)’ and, on the negative side, ‘manipulation.’”

6.After 5 minutes, ask which group had the longest list. Award the token prizes, if you wish, and then ask a spokesperson to explain each of the words on the list.

7.Bring closure by asking a volunteer from each of the three teams to gather all the pieces and to complete the whole puzzle. As they do so, you can call on the other two teams to share some of their words. Once the puzzle is complete, declare, “This is the house that MAC built. Remember that, in any team effort, the sum is truly greater than any or all of the parts. The more you use the ethical ‘M,’ ‘A,’ and ‘C’ words we’ve identified, the more likely you are to achieve the results you desire.”

Variation

Ask for a volunteer committee to create actual banners or single-word posters that can be mounted in meeting rooms to encourage cooperative, ethical team-building.

Encourage others to do a weekly e-mail single-paragraph newsletter (with their manager’s approval). The mailing will deal with one of the positive “M,” “A,” or “C” words each week.

Discussion

In your own experience, what is the best way to achieve harmony in a team?

What unethical behaviors can lead to dysfunctional teams?

Why or how do team members have a moral obligation to work together?

Quotation

“The road uphill and the road downhill are one and the same.”

—Heraclitus

Points of Interest

The National Institute of Business Management, in an article titled “The Politics of Teamwork,” encourages cooperation through the avoidance of “trickery, misdirection and gamesmanship.” You can acquire the information you require, the Institute asserts, without being unethical. How? By being straightforward. There’s a danger in assuming cooperation won’t be extended, in assuming games have to be played. Find someone in the organization you trust, someone who may have information your team needs to proceed, and simply ask for what you need. Even if the individual is not in a position to share that information with you, his or her body language, pauses, and vocal intonations may give you clues that could be valuable. The Institute also recommends calling in favors when there is something your team must have in order to achieve its goal. Cooperation is, after all, built on the gives and takes, the yin and yang, the ebb and tide of relationships.