I thought you might like this little story about Santa and the Elves and his reindeer and how he put together some teams to improve motivation and innovation.
This is a research report from an arms-length investigator and all facts and details can be confirmed by contacting Mrs. Santa Claus, Administrative Manager, Santa’s Workshop, North Pole. No email was made available to us at this time…
Santa wasn’t so jolly upon finding his Sleigh not ready for its Big Day!
“So,” he demanded from his Reindeer, “How’d you let it get this way?”
“We asked the Elves to help cause it’s too banged up to fly with ease
but they told US to fix it, they were busy, and then ignored our pleas!”
Santa went straight to the Elves and asked why they hadn’t heeded
his Reindeers’ concern about his Sleigh; the work it needed.
In reaction to this, the Elves yelled, “Because we’re overworked!”
And it was at that exact moment that Santa became mightily irked!
This lack of teamwork had Santa feeling stumped!
He needed a way to get them collaborating and pumped.
So, he used teambuilding he’d heard through the grapevine
called, “The Search for The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine.”
Reindeer and Elves were mixed together and put into teams
and played Dutchman with energy, competition and beams!
By game’s end, they realized that their tendency to compete,
gave them less ‘Gold’ than if collaborating had been their feat.
Invigorated with a solid commitment, as a team, they turned
to fixing Santa’s Sleigh as they talked about what they’d learned.
“Since now we know working together benefits all,” said a Reindeer,
“Let’s show Santa his sparkling sleigh to bring him Christmas Cheer!”
What Santa did and needs to continue to do is Engagimentation. This is the process of engaging people with their ideas for improvement and then working with them to implement those same ideas. An inexpensive Square WheelsToolkit is available.
For the FUN of It!
Dr. Scott Simmerman is a designer of team building games and organization improvement tools. Managing Partner of Performance Management Company since 1984, he is an experienced presenter and consultant.
Check out The Square Wheels Project, our LMS for teaching Square Wheels facilitation skills to supervisors and managers.
You can reach Scott at scott@squarewheels.com
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Poem by Joan Simmerman and line art by R. Sabean