Using ULEAD Cards to Improve Engagement Among Team Members
According to the research of Alex Pentland in his book, “Social Physics,” engagement is the single greatest predictor of a high performing team. When team members are engaged, there is high quality interaction, cooperation, and trust. This opens space for the free flow of ideas that taps into the power of social connection. This power is unleashed through positive influence, attitudes, and a core belief in one another’s abilities to tackle any challenge. At the end of the day, engagement builds a culture that is strong enough to endure conflict, failure, or any other challenges that teams inevitably face.
Gain effectiveness through engagement between your team members.
Get started with the following activities:
“Team High Five”
Divide your group into teams and have each team pick a total of one EMOTION, one ANIMAL, and one ACTION from their cards to create a team cheer. Their cheer should be a passionate representation of all 3 elements, including animal mimicking, emotion, sound, and movement. Success means EVERY PERSON on the team is engaged in the cheer, which is then performed for the other teams, and can be used throughout an activity or training as a celebration.
Example: “Let’s do the ‘Passionate Elephant Shake’!”
Note: Not all elements need to come from the same card.
“Line Ups”
Give every person one card, but do not let them show it to the others in the group. Using the playing card number value, have everyone line up in order of highest value without talking.
For example: Ace, Four, Five, Eight, …
For an added challenge, shuffle and handout the cards again. This time, line up according to the letter of the name of the card from A to Z. For example: Two = T, Seven = S, King = K.
What are ULEAD Cards?
ULEAD Cards are a multi-faceted tool for educators, youth workers, and parents that have been researched and developed to be used in the classroom and beyond. There are 10 elements on each card and over 80 activities for student engagement, growing social and emotional skills, creative teaching in STEM and academics, team building, fun and more! Many of the card activity ideas have been created by educators and youth workers just like yourself, so the deck has been designed to be generative and easy to integrate into your classroom, youth center, or around your table.