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A-TEAM© is a competitive board exercise that puts up to four teams under pressure to reconstruct a hidden grid of symbols, lifting magnetic discs at a cost of points per lift. As time runs short, teams instinctively guard their findings instead of sharing them – even though the board’s colour zones secretly overlap, and pooling information would benefit everyone. The result is a demonstration of how competition breeds silos, and a strong springboard for discussing teamwork and cross-team cooperation.
+ Main topic: Teamwork and synergy; effective communication
+ Related topics: Decision-making; leadership; time management; stress and stress management; planning and coordination; shared mental modelling; task fixation
+ Training length: 60-90 minutes (including debrief)
+ Included: 1x A2-sized magnetic game board, 64 magnetic discs, 20 key straps, trainer guide booklet, scoring sheet, rules summary sheet, PowerPoint presentation, 4 grid plan overviews for participants
+ Number of participants: 4 – 20 participants
+ Shipping: We ship your products within 5 working days.
Ready to run
Reveals silo thinking
Reusable magnetic board for repeat use
In the A-TEAM© group exercise four teams must work from the same magnetic board, each assigned a coloured quadrant. One team member at a time lifts a single disc, revealing either a number (indicating nearby mines) or an “X” (a mine hit) – every lift and every mine costs points, and each team tracks its own score. The colour zones secretly overlap, so teams that guess or keep their findings to themselves typically get their grid wrong, while teams that share information across colours score higher.
The package includes everything you need to run an effective exercise: setup instructions, briefing slides, and a structured bank of debrief questions turning the exercise into a concrete discussion on silo thinking, competition, and the value of shared information.
Format
Reusable magnetic game board with magnetic discs and key straps, shipped as a physical set. Trainer guide, scoring sheet, rules summary, and PowerPoint slides included as digital downloads.
Group size
8–20 participants ideal, split into up to four teams of at least two. Can be adapted for smaller groups of 3–4 participants working independently.
Materials
1 x A2 magnetic game board, 64 magnetic discs (4 colours), 20 key straps (4 colours), trainer guide booklet, scoring sheet, rules summary sheet, PowerPoint presentation, 4 grid plan overviews.
Divide participants into four teams, each assigned a coloured quadrant of the board. Distribute key straps and grid plans to each team.
Each team must accurately reproduce the pattern of symbols hidden under the magnetic discs.
One member at a time lifts a disc, revealing a number or an “X”. Each lift and each mine costs points – and colour zones secretly overlap.
Use the debrief to explore what drove teams to compete, guess, withhold information, or eventually collaborate – highlighting the cost of silo thinking and the value of sharing information.
We have gathered the most frequently asked questions from our customers to help you in the best way possible
The exercise supports teamwork and cross-team cooperation, communication under pressure, decision-making, and the impact of competition on information sharing. It also highlights how easily assumptions replace fact-finding when time and points are at stake.
A-TEAM© works well as a mid-course exercise, especially where you want to address silo mentality, inter-departmental cooperation, or shared mental models. Because it lets you separate participants by function (e.g. pilots vs. cabin crew, or different departments), it can also surface existing barriers between staff groups.
Yes. The trainer booklet includes step-by-step setup instructions, PowerPoint slides for briefing participants, check questions to confirm understanding, and a full bank of debrief questions.
Yes. The trainer booklet includes an extensive, structured set of debrief questions covering strategy, communication, time management, and how teams responded to opportunities to collaborate.
The exercise works best with 8–20 participants split into up to four teams of two or more. It can also be adapted for smaller groups of 3–4 participants working independently.
No. While A-TEAM© is designed for CRM Trainer Courses and Human Factors training, it works in any setting where cross-team cooperation, competition, and communication under pressure are relevant – including healthcare, offshore energy, and general corporate teams.
