Last time I posted the first exercise I took in my team building session. This is the second one.

Set up numbered paper plates in the following pattern on the floor or take a printout of this pattern and pass it to each team.

The rules of this exercise are:

1. The exercise is completed when all plates are touched in numerical order.
2. If any plate is touched out of order, then the participants must begin again at one.
3. Only one plate can be touched at a time.
4. Coaching from the team is encouraged.
5. The exercise will be timed.

Solutions:

1. Pattern: After a few times through the exercise, this pattern will begin to develop.

9	41	33	29	1		10	42	34	30	2
49	17	13	21	53		50	18	14	22	54
5	25	37	45	57		6	26	38	46	58
12	44	36	32	4		11	43	35	31	3
52	20	16	24	56		51	19	15	23	55
8	28	40	48	60		7	27	39	47	59

2. Rearrange Plates: Creative teams may decide to rearrange the plate into an easier order. As the facilitator, you must tell them to restart the exercise every time they touch a plate out of order. Teams really thinking outside the box will ignore this distraction and continue putting plates in an easier order.

3. Other solutions your team may invent.

What is a Risk?

With respect to your workplace, ‘risk’ can be defined as a threat of getting into an unsuitable job, lack of job satisfaction, delayed growth or sometimes unwarranted diversion from reaching goals set in your career.

No Risk No Gain

Without taking risks one cannot ascend the corporate ladder. If you want to grow and excel in your career, you have to take risk, and there is simply no other way. Remember that once you get into the comfort zone, it is definite that you will stop growing.

When to take risk?

With some risks, the “smartness factor” is inherent and obvious. But for all those other risks, from the tiny ‘risking a new way to respond to the colleagues snide comments’ to the major ‘changing careers,’ knowing whether or not the risk is good one can be confusing. Knowing how to take a calculated risk to get ahead is a skill we all need to have and it starts, to our utter surprise, with knowing what we want. If we know that, half our battle is won. Smart risk taking means accepting that you might fall, but at the same time knowing that there is a fair chance for you to succeed too. It is also important to know why you are taking the risk and what your end goal is. “Risks are rally worth taking if they are likely to have a significant and major impact on your business.”

Calculated risks

If you intend to be a path-breaker, do your homework and make sure you have mastered the required skills. Prepare as much as possible for your chosen career avenue, discuss with those you think can guide you. Don’t burden yourself with financial liabilities without ensuring that your venture has market acceptance. There is no fear if you are the best.

Backup plan

Risk should be calculated and there should always be a backup plan ready in case the first one fails. Detail what negatives could result fromt he risk. If any of those should happen, what would you do? Do not put all your eggs in one basket. What separates achievers from ordinary people is their willingness to take optional as well as necessary risks.

Expert speak

Risk taking is not for everyone and it depends on the personality of the person. Often creative people who think out of the box are the one who take risks.

Successful Risk Taking

• Be positive and self confident in your outlook.
• Do your homework well; know your abilities and strengths.
• Weigh your pros and cons when taking risk.
• Do not put all the eggs in one basket.
• Keep a backup plan.
• Challenge yourself to be all you can be, more so than you’re ever been.