Marooned
by Christine Glaser and Rollin Glaser
There's one reason why training simulations are a popular choice for team development training. They work. That's because they're an effective way to introduce the concept of synergy and help team members quickly develop vital group-process skills such as consensus decision making, problem solving, communication, and conflict resolution in a nonthreatening learning environment.
Each adventure simulation in HRDQ's Team Adventure Series starts with a suspense-filled scenario that challenges teams to work together to escape danger with only limited resources - and each other. While most people can rest assured knowing they'll never encounter these survival situations, they do experience the similar feelings of stress and conflict that accompany everyday organizational life.
The Marooned Scenario
Enjoying a daytime excursion while on a cruise in the South Pacific, a group of passengers sets out to explore a coral island and walk off their lunch. It doesn't take long before they discover a long stretch of undisturbed, inviting sand. So they decide to take a break - and they drift off to sleep. Two hours later, they awake just in time to see their cruise ship sail into the horizon. They're stranded! With only the possessions they were carrying and the clothes on their backs, the group is left to draft a survival plan.
Learning Outcomes
- Develop group problem-solving skills using a five-step process
- Understand the critical interpersonal skills
- Learn how groups make decisions
- Discover the advantages of consensus decision making
- Learn the three elements of synergy
Marooned is an excellent training tool for any team, and it's particularly effective as an exercise for newly formed teams, groups that have been assigned to a new project, or an icebreaker game.
Following the introduction of the survival scenario, participants are challenged to rank four immediate response alternatives and ten daypack items - first as individuals and then a second time as a team. Participants compare their Team Scores to the Best Individual Score and expert rationale to determine if synergy was achieved.
The two-hour workshop explores the concept of synergy and helps teams to develop vital group-process skills such as decision making and interpersonal communication. The exercise also includes an introduction to three elements of synergy, a five-step problem-solving technique, four critical group maintenance skills, and the importance of consensus decision making.
The Marooned Facilitator Guide includes everything trainers need to lead the simulation and classroom training workshop, from comprehensive background information and expert rationale to a step-by-step workshop outline, expert rationale, alternative training designs, and a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.
Uses and Applications
Marooned can be used as a standalone training instrument or incorporated into a more comprehensive programme on teambuilding. It's also effective as a component for problem-solving, decision-making, and employee development training programmes. Use the survival simulation to:
- Illustrate the concept of team synergy.
- "Break the ice" among new or conflicted teams.
- Give teams a nonthreatening opportunity to work together.
- Help teams practice consensus decision making.
- Improve active listening, probing, and confronting behaviors in a realistic setting.
- Train team leaders in team facilitation skills.
- Open or close a learning session.
- Introduce an organizational change.
- Interject a fun activity into an otherwise serious agenda.
- Supplement outdoor experiential learning.
Target Audience
Team members at any level, especially those who work under pressure
Product Type
Simulation
Focus
Consensus decision making and decision making under pressure
Time Required
Administration: 15 minutes
Workshop: 2 hours
What to Order
Facilitator Set: Order one per trainer.
The comprehensive facilitator set includes everything trainers need to deliver Whiteout, including background information, administrative guidelines, a step-by-step workshop outline, expert rationale, an optional activity, alternative training designs, a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, and sample participant materials.
Participant Guide: Order one per individual or participant.
The Participant Guide includes the adventure scenario, pressure-sensitive scoring, background information, five-step problem-solving process, how to improve team discussions, team reflection, and action-planning worksheets.