Marooned
Second
Edition
Demonstrate the
concept of team synergy with Marooned, a
challenging adventure simulation that focuses on
consensus decision making. Participants
experience first-hand the advantage of working
as a team when they realize the results achieved
as a group out-measure those of any one
individual.
The Scenario
A cruise in the South Pacific brings you to a
beautiful, uninhabited island for a lavish beach
picnic. Wanting to explore this breathtaking
paradise and walk off your lunch, you and your
group separate from the other passengers and a
short while later fall asleep on the other side
of the island.
Hours later your group awakens, only to see a
graceful white ship disappear on the horizon.
You’re officially Marooned!
As night approaches, can your team make a plan
for survival and hope to be rescued?
Learning
Outcomes
- Learn how
to manage and resolve group conflict
- Hone group
problem-solving skills
- Improve
communication
- Discover
the advantages of consensus decision making
Theory
Interviews with cruise line staff members and
personal cruise experience form the basis for
Marooned, a survival adventure that
demonstrates “team synergy” — the belief that
decisions made by groups are better than
decisions made by individuals acting alone (Michaelson,
Watson, & Black, 1989). Groups bring a greater
sum total of knowledge and information to the
discussion of a problem, as well as a greater
number of approaches and perspectives. The
simulation can also demonstrate “process loss.”
This phenomenon occurs when a knowledgeable
group member outperforms the group, indicating
that the member’s knowledge was lost sometime
during the group discussion. In order for group
decision making to work, unique information must
be shared and absorbed by the group (Stasser,
1992).
How It Works
This powerful roundtable simulation challenges
teams to rank 10 action alternatives — first as
individuals, and then as a team. First, as the
facilitator, you’ll introduce the adventure
scenario. Participants will then rank the action
alternatives on their own, using
pressure-sensitive scoring forms. Next, each
team conducts the same ranking process as a
unit. Finally, you’ll lead the participants into
a group action planning discussion, providing
the team with the opportunity to apply the
learning to the workplace.
Uses for
Marooned
- 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, such as the
transition to self-managing teams
- Interject a
fun activity into an otherwise serious
agenda
- Supplement
outdoor experiential learning
What to
Order/Product Contents
Order one Facilitator Guide per trainer and one
Participant Guide per team member.
Note: Marooned works best when
participants are divided into teams of seven or
fewer per table.
Facilitator
Guide includes:
-
Administrative guidelines
- 2-hour
workshop design
- Expert
rationale
-
Experiential learning/training methodology
- Training
design options
- CD-ROM
containing Microsoft® PowerPoint®
presentation, reproducible masters, and
color slides of scenario location
- Updated
page layout
- Sample copy
of Participant Guide
- Convenient
binder format
Participant
Guide includes:
- Scenario
description
-
Pressure-sensitive response form
- Team
synergy score chart
- Team
discussion guidelines
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Team
Level:
