A MBTI team development activity: External and Internal Motivators Team cohesion continues to be a strategic advantage for organizations but a recent UK study highlights that remote working is putting team cohesion at risk. We know that collaborative teams are more motivated, more productive and engage in creative thinking more often than those in siloed environments. A team development activity is a great way to keep the team connected, and can also be run virtually (for remote teams). Below is a team development activity designed to help a group increase self-awareness, and learn about their strengths and blind spots. Instructions Ask the team to reflect on the following questions individually: External Motivators What helps me to be my best? What gets in the way of me being my best? What do I need from the team and environment? Internal Motivators What’s important to me? What motivates me? What demotivates me? Ask the team to discuss the following five questions as a group: What do you see as your team’s strengths and weaknesses? How might you overcome the weaknesses? Is one type or preference over-represented in the team? If so, what impact could this have? What might happen if you ignore different opinions in the team? What does it feel like to work in this team? Debriefing the activity Ask participants to share their thoughts. Encourage them to make connections with their preferences. Ask them, ‘What does this mean for your team meetings?’ Tips for using this activity in a virtual workshop Encourage participants to use video. Facilitate the group discussion so that everyone contributes. Feel free to provide the External and Internal Motivators PowerPoint template to your participants. Debrief the activity in a similar way that you would in a face-to-face environment. If you would typically use flip-charts to list the team’s strengths and weaknesses, provide a virtual whiteboard for individuals to add their thoughts. Additional Resources White paper: So you think you know your team? Using the MBTI with Lencioni’s 5 Dysfunctions of a Team model MBTI Step I Exercise: Contributions and downsides MBTI Step I Exercise: Conflict and complementarity MBTI Step I Exercise: Rights and responsibilities This activity is taken from The MBTI® Playbook. a guide to delivering impactful MBTI programs in organizations.
