Using Games to Explore Team & Culture Building with Barometer XP
Updated: Nov 11, 2022
How to build stronger teams by playing and creating games PLUS a printable weekly planner of activities to get your team playing and growing together.
Playing games with a team is an invaluable experience to build connections, establish communication, and navigate conflict. But if you want to level up your team building experience, consider creating games with your team! Creating games with others can help you build an even stronger team culture and cohesion.
Barometer XP believes games and simulations can inspire people to navigate conflict, establish clear processes and communication channels, and cultivate leaders who prioritize diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Their mission is to create and facilitate games that encourage self reflection at both the individual and collective levels, drive conversations about team dynamics, and provide a fun shared experience that enhances team identity. And now, Barometer XP has brought five new activities to the Kikori App that guide you through five different game mechanics that can amplify social emotional learning outcomes!
Kinetic games can help develop resourcefulness. These games encourage players to embrace failure as a learning opportunity and find creative solutions to iterate and improve.
Puzzle games are great ways to stretch the mind and encourage grit and creativity. While they require individuals to use logic to discover patterns, group puzzles also require clear communication and ability to leverage different perspectives. Learning how both players and designers work through these problems can make for a fascinating reflection, which is why we encourage people to take turns playing both roles.
Discovery games foster a sense of wonder and delight! Learning through exploration encourages players to build relationships with both people and space. Discovery games take players on a collective journey. The shared experience leads to shared stories, which creates a unique group identity and an increased sense of belonging. From this unity, it's common to observe higher individual motivation, accountability, and trust.
Role playing games are great for developing empathy and resilience. We find ourselves in unfamiliar situations all the time. Role playing games offer a chance to experience an unfamiliar perspective or scenario in a safer environment, which allows people to feel, think and act in ways they otherwise wouldn't. When an entire group buys into this concept, there's a level of shared vulnerability that can accelerate trust between people.
Strategy games are key for testing awareness and memory. When competition is added in, these games test how well people can identify moments of strength and/or weakness that inform how they act or react. When playing in teams, there's an added layer of communication and concentration. Players must learn to quickly find common ground to outwit or outlast their opponents.
We asked Barometer XP: How do you know if a new game activity will work?
“We measure the effectiveness of our games by the reflective discussions that they inspire. Ultimately, we want the game experience to serve as a sort of mirror for the team to assess how they think, feel, and act, and identify opportunities for improvement.
While we want our games to be enjoyable for the players, our main objective is for the game to be a catalyst for growth for that team. The process of learning, especially when prompted by self-awareness and reflection, can be uncomfortable, but in experiencing and working through the discomfort together, the team learns how to leverage its strengths and maximize impact toward shared goals.”
Try out Barometer XP’s activities on the Kikori App today!
Each of the activities in the Barometer XP Playlist below are available within the Kikori App along with 450+ more experiential activities aligned with CASEL Social Emotional Learning standards!
Download Barometer XP's Printable Activity Packet below!
Wondering how to find the activities in the app? If you're a premium member, you can find them all together in a super duper easy-to-use playlist here! Otherwise, you can find the activities under Restore More's profile OR click on each activity on the downloadable PDF to be brought directly to it in the WebApp.
Argentics understands that every team is unique. Barometer XP offers a range of tailored team challenges, allowing organizations to address specific aspects of their culture and dynamics. Whether it's communication improvement, trust-building, or goal alignment, the platform adapts to meet the team's needs.
Insightful article! It's intriguing to see the intersection of game development and team culture building. This approach to using game mechanics for fostering teamwork and communication is a creative and effective method for organizational growth.