Activity Overview

This is a good activity to close off the event which encourages the participants to think about the next steps in their growth as leaders.

Objectives

• To define participants’ next steps in their personal and strategic career-development plan.
• To utilize creativity and accelerated learning techniques to achieve what is often a cerebral exercise.
• To encourage self-inquiry and evaluation in a non-threatening, enjoyable, “celebratory” setting.

Training Methods

• Reflection
• Card-sort activity
• Journal writing
• Visualization
• Video presentation
• Round robin
• Roleplay
• Hands-on art activity

Materials Needed

• Description of the Leadership Stations, and cut the paper so you have descriptions of all nine stations. Past each description on card stock paper. See Room Set-Up for where these ‘signs’ will be placed.
• Review the descriptions of each “station.” Then it will be clear what additional supplies and equipment will be needed.
• Stacks of old magazines
• Posterboard
• Glue sticks
• Scissors
• Blank music books (lined pages)
• CD’s of a variety of music
• Clipboards (one per participant)
• Blank paper
• Pencils, pens
• Colored markers
• Timer
• Projector screen
• CD player

Room Setup

In advance: In the training space, create nine separate areas such as hallways or nooks. Set up nine separate areas  in the training space such as hallways or alcoves

You need enough space to spread participants out so that they have a feeling of privacy when they are working at a particular station. Some facilitators have created stations outdoors as well as in several separate rooms and say this set-up works quite well. Place a Station Sign at each of the nine stations along with any necessary supplies or props.

This exercise can be done at any time after the Team Building event begins. It is a good and creative way to revitalize the process of developing goals to achieve leadership competencies.

Consider total involvement in activities at nine separate “stations,” in rotation. Have a second facilitator available to help with the timer, so that participants can move from station to station with approximately equal time at each. If other facilitators are available, it is helpful at some of the stations to have a guide for the participants. Allow time at the end for some reporting back to the group.

The activity spreads out participants, so be sure that there is at least one person at every station. If the group is larger than nine, double-up at some stations. It will be clear which stations can handle this once you read the station descriptions.

This activity has also been used successfully to close leadership development programs.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Introduce the activity by explaining how important it is for participants to clarify the next steps in their career by creating a personal- and strategic- development plan. Tell everyone that they are about to experience a creative way to reflect on what they have learned in the program, as well as identify areas for future development. Promise them that they will enjoy this journey, laugh, and celebrate while they learn concrete information about themselves.
2. Give instructions for the activity as follows: “You will visit nine stations, spending 10 minutes at each (except at the Collage station, where you will spend double-time). The instructions will be available at each station or the facilitator of the station will provide them for you. Once everyone has visited all nine stations and completed the exercise, we expect you to provide one or two highlights for the rest of us to hear. Happy travels!”

   Keep track of time, and signal when it is time for everyone to move to a new station.

3. When everyone has completed the activity, get the group together and give them a few minutes to sort through their notes from all nine stations. Allow time for them to provide one or two highlights for the rest of the group to hear. Then ask for feedback on this activity: How did the variety of activities enhance the experience? Which ones were the best? Worst? Encourage discussion about what they derived from the activity.
4. Congratulate each participant on the efforts they are making to become the very best leaders they can. Try to say something positive about each person’s accomplishment or performance in terms of the leadership competencies you have focused on.

Activity Review

Shortly after conducting this activity take some time to reflect on how the activity went, how engaged the participants were, and what questions they raised. Write down some notes that include how much time you actually spent on the activity.