Chinese Tower™ | Customer Service & Teamwork Training Activity

• how to work in a highly effective team
• to be clear on what the customer wants
• the importance of meeting the customers’ needs
• to avoid making assumptions
• the importance of clear objectives

Teams are instructed to build a Chinese Tower using the resources at their disposal. The customer has given specific instructions.

At the start of the training activity, the construction resources are hidden so teams do not know what they have to work with – but they can view them – although it will cost them some points. Teams start with 250 points and it costs 25 points to send someone to view the resources and report back – is it worth it? Is one visit enough? As soon as teams collect their resources they lose points at a rate of one per minute until the tower is built.

Detailed plans of the tower’s design are available but cost 75 points and a sketch of the finished structure costs 100 points. The Team Brief seems to give enough data to allow teams to get started – so why incur unnecessary costs?

The clearly-stated objective in the Brief is to meet the customer’s precise specification. It does not say anything about retaining maximum points. However, many teams are keen to save points and believe they can succeed in building a satisfactory tower without further clarification.

Chances are they should have taken more account of what was required before getting down to work!

1. Issue Team Briefs, explain the mechanics of the training activity and allow teams time to study the task. Stand by to issue the further details.
2. Complete the Trainer’s Log which records exactly what teams ask for and number of points lost.
3. Observe teams in action and note examples (good and bad) of teamwork, communication and planning skills – and customer focus.
4. Bring the session to a close when all teams have completed their constructions.
5. Score teams as per the guidelines. Compare the different towers, total the scores for each team, announce scores and the winning team (which might not be the team with the most points).
6. Discuss key issues that emerge. Compare what happened in the training activity with what typically happens within an organisation (optional). Ask teams to complete an Action Plan for introducing specific and real changes back at work.

Full guidance supplied in the Trainer’s Notes.

Hard & Digital Copy

• ☑️ Hard copy pack supplied
• ☑️ PDFs supplied

Digital Copy

• ☑️ PDFs supplied
• ❌ You will need to source: A2 Colour Card x12 sheets, Scissors x4, Sticky-Tape x4, Rulers x4, Artstraws x12, Blue Sticky-tac x1 piece

Full contents

• Trainer’s Notes
• Trainer’s Log
• Team Briefs
• Set of Instructions Cards
• Key Points Handout
• Resources: A2 Colour Card x12 sheets, Scissors x4, Sticky-Tape x4, Rulers x4, Artstraws x12, Blue Sticky-tac x1 piece

This activity is for face-to-face classroom use. The digital files are supplied via the Northgate Trainerhub.

This Northgate Training activity comes with a five-year licence for repeat use with up to 24 participants at a time, for use by Trainers based at one licence-holding site.

All Trainers physically based at the same office location can access the Northgate resources during the five-year term, including the digital resources supplied on the Trainerhub via your own site-specific Trainer Dashboard. If you have Trainers based at other locations, and/or remote workers, who would like to access and use the Northgate resources, we can advise further depending on your requirements.

For further information on our licence terms please view the Northgate Licence Agreement.