When It Comes to Task Assignment, Sometimes You Gotta “LEGO”®: Teaching Delegation Principles With Mega Bloks®

Abstract

We describe an exercise for introducing undergraduate students to the practice of assigning tasks to followers and illustrating that proper task assignment is contingent on context. Students are assigned the roles of “manager” or “employee,” and managers instruct employees how to create a penholder out of Mega Bloks® using only words (i.e., no drawings or physically helping arrange the materials). This exercise is scalable to large classes but also works well for small groups. We discuss learning objectives, provide instructions for preparing the necessary materials and debriefing the activity, and include suggestions for variations to customize the exercise, as well as issues to consider and mistakes to avoid.