Name of the Exercise: Tower Power

Contributed by:
Ms. Rashmi Gopinathan & Mr. Krishna Shetty
Senior Lecturers,
Dr.D.Y.Patil Institute of Management Studies,
Navi Mumbai, India.

Introduction:

This is a collaborative learning exercise to help students engage in effectual thinking, to work
within the limited resources at their disposal and use their creativity to generate ideas. It also
involves the students innovatively pitching their creations to the audience. The exercise
emphasizes that entrepreneurs are not limited by resources available to them and possess
the ability to create value.

Learning Objectives:

Instil an open, resourceful mindset in the students

Initiate creative thinking and innovative approaches
Understand how to leverage resources and create value
Inculcate team building skills

When to Use:

This exercise is highly versatile and can be used to teach a range of entrepreneurial skills and
concepts during entrepreneurship workshops and courses; it can be used to teach idea
generation, leveraging resources, value creation and team building skills.

It can also be used for a course in creativity and innovation.

In addition, it can be used as a 'fun' activity during any entrepreneurship event or as a general
introduction to entrepreneurship, without being formally linked to any course.

The Exercise:

1. Do not tell the students the purpose of the exercise before starting simply give them
the instructions and materials.
2. To begin with, depending on the strength of the class, form 3-5-member teams
among the students in the class

Instructions to students:

3. Ask each group is to make a tower or any other structure only from the given
materials within the next half an hour.
4. Tell them to simultaneously think on how they will create value for their customer out
of their towers (products) so as to be able to pitch their creations to the class
successfully.

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 5. Indicate that creativity of the tower and value are two foremost aspects considered at
the time of evaluation.
6. At the end of half an hour, each group has to pitch their towers/creations to the rest of
the class. The pitch should include details on target market, customers, price and the
value proposition.
7. Each group will be given only three minutes to pitch. (This helps build presentation
skills critical for potential entrepreneurs). Participation of each member of the group in
the pitching is necessary.

Concluding the exercise:

Once the presentations are over and results are announced, as a facilitator, you must debrief
the participants by engaging them in a discussion about key learnings from the session;

Idea generation ideas are everywhere and entrepreneurs arrive at them in different ways;
in this situation, working within the given constraints of limited resources triggers ideas.

Opportunity recognition the success of an idea is in creating the opportunity. How different
teams do it will be an interesting play of various factors. Point them out during this feedback
session.

Creativity within constraints -Limitations are the core to creativity, especially within
entrepreneurial ventures. Students get a first hand experience of it.

Leveraging resources Recognizing opportunities, ability to pursue them irrespective of

resources controlled and making innovative use of limited resources are inherent qualities of
an entrepreneur.

Team building - every entrepreneur achieves success by working together with a team. There
could be a lot of dynamics that emerges during this team activity. Each member might have
experienced it and asking one or two of them to highlight it will be useful.

Marketing concepts - almost all student groups will arrive at a clear Pricing and USP plus
define target customers and market segments. If they are not management students, it is
worthwhile to discuss these concepts and their importance for a products success in detail.

Effective communication often entrepreneurs are compelled to sell their idea within
very limited time to investors/customers/stakeholders. The three minute pitch helps the
students learn to do this.

Materials Required:
2 Sheets of Newspaper, 1 roll of cello / scotch tape and 2 colour pens per group

Time Required:
One hour and thirty minutes.

Follow up:
The exercise can be followed by a discussion on topics such as idea to opportunity,
developing a product/service, innovative problem solving related to resources human,
technology, financial etc in an entrepreneurial situation.

Inspired by Stephen Robbins Group Behaviour Exercise (Text: Organisational Behaviour, Prentice Hall
Publications, 7th Edition)

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