Citation
(2001), "The Development Games Manual: Improving Your Communication Skills", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 22 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2001.02222gae.005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited
The Development Games Manual: Improving Your Communication Skills
The Development Games Manual: Improving Your Communication Skills
Peter GerrickensGowerAldershot2000£1750 566 08406 6 (Loose-leaf Manual and two packs of cards)£350 566 08402 3 (Cards only)
Like many of these skill development packs, the full pack contains both the manual and the games materials, but there is also the option of purchasing the game cards on their own. However, I generally find that the game without the manual (in this case, a pack of cards) has somewhat limited use when compared to all the possibilities offered by the manual. Having said that, at the end of the day, the huge variety of games, techniques and training resources suggested in the manual do all rely on the same pack of cards, which means that investing in the manual is only really worthwhile if you are likely to be using the pack across a wide range of different groupings (since the same people will inevitably get bored of using the same cards, albeit in different ways, over and over again) – there are no games boards or other materials to add variation.
The game itself aims to help players discover just how far they possess the skills that are needed to relate effectively to others and to answer such questions as: which skills do I think are important and to what extent have I already mastered them? There are 140 cards provided (which I'm afraid I found rather dull) which portray social and communication skills, including simple skills such as "ask relevant questions", or "summarize ideas" as well as more complex skills such as "negotiate" or "encourage others". The manual that accompanies the cards includes descriptions of 30 different ways of playing the card games (I especially liked the "ice-breaker" methods) and each method includes a section on the purpose, prior conditions necessary (e.g. "all the participants must have the same job") and procedure.
Overall, I think this is an excellent pack for trainers who work with a wide variety of groups.