Train the Trainer Resources
Activity title: TIT FOR TAT STRATEGIES FOR CREATING LONG LASTING RELATIONSHIPS
Short description:
Students act as negotiators and representatives for three different teams that compete to get the most points. To start the activity off each team gets some information accompanied by a very direct slogan: MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! The idea is that the teams try and trick each other. Nevertheless by the end of the activity they realise that they don’t always win if the others lose.
This activity encourages team work and participation and creates bonds within each group. It helps students to understand the importance of establishing long lasting relationships based on a WIN WIN concept.
Key competences in life skills:
Numeracy / üLiteracy and communication / ü
ICT
Interpersonal / ü
Use of foreign languages
Entrepreneurship / ü
Job seeking
Learning to learn / ü
Introduction:
This activity may be used with different groups to acquire basic competences such as team work or more advanced ones such as negotiation.
Aims:
- Establish group strategies.
- Understand that reactions have diverse repercussions.
- Explore the effects of co-operation and competition in a group and their role in problem solving.
Detailed Description:
¹ Duration: 60 Minutes
JJ Numbers: Unlimited
The class is divided into 3 groups.
Session
STRUCTURE
I. The teacher explains s/he’s going to divide the students up into three groups and they’re going to compete in a market made up of 3 companies that will be negotiating amongst themselves.
II. The teacher proceeds to divide the students up into three groups using whatever criteria s/he considers appropriate.
III. The teacher asks each team to choose a negotiator who is going travel to another country to engage in negotiations using a strategy previously established by his/her group. The negotiators will have to negotiate a total of ten times and their aim will be to gain as many points as possible for the company, or group, they represent.
IV. Next the teacher distributes the MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! Instruction Sheets and explains how competitors win and lose points as indicated on the table on the sheet.
V. Next the teacher distributes the MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! Result Sheets on which groups will record the results of each round of negotiations. S/he also explains the double value of the sixth round and how the other rounds work too. Each group starts work on the strategy that their negotiator will take to the negotiating table when the teacher gives the signal (teams have to decide whether their negotiator takes the piece of paper with the letter X on it or the one with the Y).
VI. The teacher calls the negotiators to the negotiating table which should be placed right in the centre of the room. S/he seats the three of them so that they can all see each other’s faces clearly. On a sign from the teacher each negotiator will turn up his piece of paper with the X or the Y on it. The results are checked and points allotted accordingly by referring to the Instruction Sheet and then the negotiators return to their group, or country, to rethink their strategy for the next round of negotiations.
VII According to the instructions on the Results Sheet each team has two minutes to decide whether they show an X or a Y letter at the central negotiating table in the second round of negotiations. The negotiators are called to the table once again to show their letters just as in VI.
VIII In the fourth round the negotiators may negotiate amongst themselves once they are seated at the table again depending on what has transpired in the preceding rounds. Once they have reached an agreement they return to their groups to seek approval for the decision they have taken. After three minutes they then return to the table once again to show an X or a Y.
IX There’s always one group that breaks the agreement reached during the fourth round of negotiations and causes it or others to lose. Given the disastrous results of the negotiations the teacher names a new negotiator in each group.
X The activity continues until the eighth round in which participants follow the same procedure as in the fourth round. The only difference is that the points are doubled. At the same time the groups change negotiator again.
XI. At the conclusion of the ten rounds the teacher asks the following question:
“Who won?”
Naturally everyone thinks it’s the team with the most points. But when they have a close look at
how the points table on the Instruction Sheet works they see that no team has got maximum possible number of points; the only way to get this would have been for all the teams to have shown a Y for every round which would be worth 24.
The teacher guides the class’s analysis of the results and helps students see how they can apply what they’ve learnt in the game to their lives. At the end of the session students receive the TIT FOR TAT HOW TO CREATE COMMON GROUND sheets. They suggest strategies for establishing relationships that are lasting and beneficial for everyone.
MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! Instruction Sheet
INSTRUCTIONS
Imagine that you belong to the negotiating team of a company. Naturally enough, your job is to maximise profits and you must make the right decisions in order to achieve this. Decision making in this exercise is limited to choosing between an X and a Y. However, as usual, the consequences of your decisions (you will have to make ten of them) will depend on what your competitors, the other teams, do.
As previously stated, each team has to choose between an X and a Y for ten consecutive rounds. After each round, points will be allotted based on the following system:
ROUND BY ROUND POINT SYSTEMTEAM CHOICE / RESULTS
All 3 teams choose X / All three teams lose 1 point (-1)
2 teams choose X and 1 team chooses Y / X= 1 point
Y= -2 points
1 team chooses X and 2 teams choose Y / X= 2 points
Y= 1 point
All 3 teams choose Y / All three teams get 1 point (+1)
Prior to each round, teams can deliberate for a few minutes. On a given sign, all the teams must cast their vote at the same time; this must be either X or Y. Except in the designated rounds TEAMS MUST NOT COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.
The team slogan for this exercise is:
MAKE AS MUCH YOU CAN!
"------CUT OUT THE X AND THE Y FOR USE IN THE GAME.------
Results Sheet for MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!
ROUND / TIME / DELIBERATION / CHOICE / POINTS / TOTAL1 / 3 minutes / Team
2 / 2 minutes / Team
3 / 1 minute / Team
4 / 5 minutes
3 minutes / Table
Team
5 / 2 minutes / Team
6*
(x2) / 5 minutes
3 minutes / Table
Team
7 / 2 minutes / Team
8*
(x5) / 5 minutes
3 minutes / Table
Team
9 / 2 minutes / Team
10*
(x10) / 5 minutes
3 minutes / Table
Team
The rounds in which negotiation takes place at the central table have been shaded grey: the three teams begin negotiations at the central table. After five minutes the negotiators return to their teams for a final three minute discussion on their vote for the round.
In rounds 6, 8 and 10 the points obtained by each team are multiplied by 2, 5 and 10 respectively.
POINTS TABLE FOR EACH ROUNDTEAM CHOICES / RESULTS
The three teams choose X / They all lose 1 point (-1)
2 teams choose X and 1 team chooses Y / X= 1point
Y= -2 points
1 team chooses X and 2 teams choose Y / X= 2 points
Y= 1 point
The 3 teams choose Y / They all score 1 point (+1)
TIT FOR TAT HOW TO CREATE COMMON GROUND
AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR CREATING LONG LASTING RELATIONSHIPS
BE GOOD:
Start off by trusting others and taking part.
GIVE BACK:
Do unto others as they do unto you.
Fight back and lay down the law so everyone understands that the only way to get ahead is by working together.
BE INDULGENT
Forgive and forget if others co-operate with you.
BE CONSISTENT
Whatever happens stick to your guns until the opposition gets wise.
Don’t forget these watchwords:
“Win Win”
Requirements:
A spacious, well lit, airy room so that the participants can work in groups.
"!MATERIAL:
I. A MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! Instruction Sheet for each participant
II. A MAKE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN! Result Sheet for each team (3 sheets).
III. A TIT FOR TAT HOW TO CREATE COMMON GROUND Sheet for each participant.
Assessment:
The teacher acts as an observer and takes notes or films what takes place in the class in order to be able to make an accurate assessment of the activity. Included amongst the assessment criteria for the activity are the following:
- Students’ level of participation.
- The quantity and quality of the information reaching each team (assessment of communication and negotiation techniques).
- Rôles adopted by the students (effective team building) and the leadership exercised in each team.
- Ability to control emotions (how students behave when confronted with setbacks and problems) and express them.
- Etc.
Advice and suggestions:
- The teacher should adopt the rôle of facilitator; the students themselves are responsible for learning from the experiences they have during the activity.
- It’s important to create balanced teams that will function well during the activity.
- This activity may be adapted to lots of different learning contexts and students will be able to reach a range of conclusions. The teacher should insist that students take on board the “win win” theme of the activity. This is highly important in the following areas:
ü Business negotiation.
ü Seeking employment and negotiating improved working conditions.
ü Personal relationships.
Comments:
For further information and other group activities contact Juanjo Barcia (business studies teacher at Cebanc) .