22 Training Events for Developing Team Leaders.
by Rod Storey.
Gower, 1999. A4 ringbinder, 278 pages, £175.
ISBN 0 566 08185 7

Although this collection of activities is apparently intended for Team Leaders, the majority of the activities are concerned with general leadership and management skills and could equally be applied in team leader development and general management programmes. The 22 activities follow the ‘traditional’ Gower pattern of description; purpose; group membership; timing; materials and resources; and methods, plus task sheets and handouts. About half the activities can be run in an hour or less and none runs more than two hours (a time checklist is included at the start of the activity section). Also at the start of the activities section are summaries of all the activities, indicating, in addition to a description of the activity, the main purpose.

The activities are exercises, games, simulations and case studies for assessing skill levels; leadership; communication; controlling activities; discussion leading; evaluating ideas; planning and working to targets; organizing; decision making; delegating; and motivating. The activities are not revolutionary but are presented or re-presented in an interesting and useful way. Activity writers have a difficult task nowadays with so many published, many of which are simply, albeit ‘original’ variations of a basic set of long standing activities. If you are concerned with training events in the team and management areas, I would suggest you consider this collection as a comprehensive and useful set.

Leslie Rae
November 1999