Mondays are hard days already. Some of them should actually be called Monday Concentrates. Especially when things go not the way you expect them to. Even if you had instructions to avoid all the wrong things.

People rarely read instructions. People fill in original files when you ask them not to. Suppliers submit offers via e-mail when you ask them to use systems. People come unprepared to the meetings even if you send out meeting agenda in advance. People arrive at wrong addresses even if you prepare and send out proper instructions where to come. And they should read the instructions when it is appropriate. Sometimes, that could save a lot of hassle.

I remembered one small game we were given during one of those no-name trainings. I actually forgot everything about the training, except this game. You can use this game to test your teams’ approach to instructions. You can – if appropriate – test your supplier’s attitude to the rules. That will surely indicate in the future whether or not you should expect the unexpected things. 

So here it goes: the host hands out a task list and asks to fill it in. It should be a single page, printed on both sides. It would be advisable for the Host to have all the items, mentioned on the sheet, available at the time of the game. Very simple. 50 questions. The one who does is fastest – wins. Where is the trick? The trick is the first and last questions. The first question says: Read the instructions. The last question says Do nothing and return the page to the host. The person who does exactly that – and reads fastest – wins.

Do not get me wrong – I love inventive, creative people. But there is time and place for everything.

Here is the link to the file for the game: RTFM task

Have fun and please share your feedback afterwards!