Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences (Jamk) is one of the most productive and attractive universities of applied sciences in Finland, and the culture is one of encouraging experimentation. Jamk has 8 500 students and 900 staff.

SmoothTeam is an engaging way to engage in purposeful dialogue

We were inspired by SmoothTeam's simulations because they offer an easy and engaging way to engage in goal-oriented dialogue in a relatively short time. In addition, simulations can be conducted remotely, in-person or hybrid.

Understanding and understanding the other person is at the heart of learning or working together. That's where it all starts.

In the future, interaction and cooperation skills will be needed more than ever, and we must be able to respond to this need as an institution of higher education. We chose the SmoothTeam Team Development Power Package, which means that the service is free to use and we are responsible for facilitating the simulations ourselves. There are already more than 30 SmoothTeam-dominated facilitators at Jamki.

What kind of teams and situations has SmoothTeam been played in? 

At Jamk, simulations have been played by many different teams. As a rule, we have played with our own internal teams, but also with temporary teams, for example a team of project managers. As a rule, the teams have represented JAMK staff.

SmoothTeam has been used for a variety of purposes, most commonly for evaluating and developing team performance. Simulations have also benefited new teams where members do not yet know each other very well. 

SmoothTeams makes it easy to engage in deep discussions, and none of the teams involved have said that the experience was bad or that time was wasted. On the contrary, the two hours allotted are not always enough. 

Easy to use in every way 

SmoothTeam is an easy-to-use tool that is common to everyone at Jamk. The interface is easy to use, with no installation or integration into your own systems. 

In addition, the game manager's material provides good advice and support questions for different situations. It has been safe to start facilitating a simulation, even if you don't have much experience in facilitation. 

However, you should familiarise yourself with the simulation beforehand and think about the issues that can be raised. A training mode with robot players is a good addition to this. 

Continuous use has allowed to meet different needs

As we have had the service in constant use, it has been easy to adapt it to the team's schedule and needs. There has also been no need to rush, and we have been able to say let's play whenever it suits you. 

The simulations could have been chosen according to the situation and the team's needs, when several different topics were used. They have also helped to raise difficult issues that might not otherwise have been raised. 

Have you had any problems?

If you think about it from the perspective of your own organisation, we could certainly coordinate the use of SmoothTeam better. With new things, you always need enthusiastic people with good networks who can get the word out and thus market it internally. On the other hand, you can't push information and advertising all the time either, but the opportunity to play should be raised at regular intervals. 

In the simulation itself, it has sometimes been a challenge to have a new team member who has not yet had time to get to know his or her colleagues. Nominations may have been difficult. Experience has shown that simulations work best when you already know your team a little. 

The best thing is to strengthen the sense of community when you are talking about the real thing

Simulations are guided activities and allow time to pause and reflect on your team's activities. This strengthens the sense of community and team spirit in a fun and positive way. It's not a fad, it's the real thing. 

The tool is easy to use and the process is clear. There are no post-it notes or papers all over the place that you then have to put together, and you get a report of the simulations straight away - it's incredibly handy. 

SmoothTeam is suitable for both new and older teams

It's hard to see who SmoothTeam wouldn't suit! This works well for both new and older teams. If you are losing focus, the games help you to look at the team from different perspectives.

Hilkka Heikkilä
Certified Project Manager IPMA Level C® - Business Unit

Tarja Moilanen
Online Pedagogy Designer - Technology Unit

Sirpa Tuomi
PhD, Education Development Manager - Higher Education Services