I have used videos on workshops for a number of years.  At one point one of my favourites was “Dad’s Army”, which is a rich source of material because the comedy is heavily character-based.  However, as culture and generations move on this is material that fewer and fewer people are able to relate to. 

Being able to relate to the characters in a video clip can be of great value in a team building workshop where the team members need to self-reflect. In a team with a strong power culture, for example, it is often difficult to address any team dysfunction because such dysfunction itself becomes a part of the power struggle: if everyone accepts the problem is with other members then it reinforces one’s own influence in the team.  Gladiator can provide a way around this problem by holding up a safe mirror to the team.  It contains characters that they can relate to, who are strong, powerful and competitive, yet need to engage with teamwork in order to survive. 

Members of power teams often have high needs for individual control and competence, and I use ‘Gladiator’ because there are lots of potential parallels with the way gladiators operate.  They are highly-trained, they have to fight for their own individual survival, they are recognised for their individual achievements, they value power, strength and honour.  There are usually some characteristics of the gladiators to which team members can relate.  Therefore, when they think about what is happening in the film they also start to think about what is happening in themselves.

The scene I use is the re-enactment of the massacre at Carthage.  The Gladiators are sent into the arena in the expectation of being slaughtered: they are facing opposition who have far more powerful weaponry and greater numbers.  Russell Crowe (Maximus) finds out who has been in the army – this establishes if there are some who already have team skills – but invites all the gladiators to work as a team, pointing out that they have a better chance of survival if they work together.  Although there is not much verbal response from the others, this invitation clearly divides the gladiators into two groups: the majority decide to stand with Maximus, but a number also decide to remain independent and fight alone.

The result is that the attacking forces immediately turn on the easiest targets, the gladiators who stood outside the team, and they are therefore killed quickly.  But most of the gladiators who work as a team survive: they achieve the seemingly-impossible task.  A good, humorous, finishing point for the clip is when Joachim Phoenix (Caesar) turns to the late David Hemmings and says “My history may be a little fuzzy, but shouldn’t the Barbarians LOSE the battle of Carthage?”.    David Hemmings replies: “Yes, Sire.  Sorry, Sire.”.

After showing the video clip the team can be asked some questions to encourage self-reflection, perhaps with a scheduled time of individual thought before having a plenary discussion.  The questions need to be chosen/tailored for the group, but examples include:
- what parallels are there between the gladiator team and this team?  Or: what similarities/differences are there in how power is used in the team?
- there are three types of gladiator in the clip: (1) the leader, (2) those who submitted to the leader’s direction and worked as a team and (3) those who went alone.  Which role are you going to play in this team?

The video clip, followed by team- and individually-oriented questions, can open up a useful discussion about whether they are want to work as individual gladiators or as a team, to use personal power or team power, for their power to compete with other team members or to be used collectively to deal with the external circumstances faced by the whole team.

Gladiator is a very serious film focused on fighting battles, so is suitable for certain types of team culture, such as power-teams.  Tomorrow I’ll look at a much lighter clip and one with a much broader appeal: Bug’s Life.