GamesIndex

TeamBuilding

SurvivalScenarioExercise
DescriptionofaGroupDynamicsTeamBuilding
Exercise

OverviewGroupSurvivalScenarioExercise

Aclassicgroupcommunicationanddecision
makingexercise,withmanyvariations.
Worksforawidevarietyofagesandpurposes,
indoorsoroutdoors.
Consensuscanbehardtoreach,however,set
theaimforallparticipantstoatleastpartially
agreetoeachrankingontheirfinallist.
Encouragegroupstocompletethetaskwithout
theuseoftacticssuchasvoting,tradinginor
averaging.
Watchforparticipantsavoidingconflictor
changingtheirmindssimplytocometo
agreement.Highlightthesekindsofbehaviorsin
thedebrief.
Animportantoutcomeofthisexercisecanbe
learningthatsometimesabitofgiveandtakeis
necessaryinordertomoveforwardstoa
solution.
Watchforoveremphasisbysomeparticipants
onneeding100%accurateanswers.Steerthe
grouptowardstheaimoftheexercisewhichis
heighteningawarenessofcommunicationand
decisionmakingprocesses,ratherthanover
emphasison'gettingtheanswersexactlyright'.
Displayofthisneedisapointofobservationand
oneworthyofdebrief.
Therearetwoclassictypesof"paper&pencil"
groupsurvivalscenarios(selectingequipment
andselectingpeople).Ineachcase:
Provideinstructions&handoutmaterials
Setatimelimit(~1530minutes)
Letthegroupgoanswerquestions,
watch,&observe!
Debrief
ScenarioType1:ChooseSurvivalEquipment

Yourplanecrashed...yourgroupneedsto
choosethe12mostusefulitemsto
survive...

WilderdomStore
gear,books,kits

Equipment

Scenariobriefing(1
pergroup)
Listofitems/people(1
perpersonand/or
visualspergroup)
Expertlist(number
optional)
Freedownloadslisted
below
Summary

Aclassicgroup
communication&
decisionmaking
exercise.Peopleget
intenselyengaged
becausethe"survival
stakes"arehighand
noneofthedecisions
areeasy.Worksfora
widevarietyofages
andpurposes,indoors
oroutdoors.
GroupSize

510
Time

Total~45100mins
510minutesbriefing
1530minutes
exercisetime
510minutesscoring
(forselectequipment
scenarios)
2030minutesdebrief
&discussion

Choose/rankequipmentitemsinterms
oftheirrelativesurvivalvalue:
Participantschoose/ranktheitemsindividually
Discusschoices/rankingsinsmallgroupand
cometoagroupconsensus
Scoreanswersagainst"expert"opinion
Possiblescenarios:
Lostatseaorislandsurvival(shipwreck)
Desert(planecrash)

Survival
Scenarios(free)
ChooseEquipment
Scenarios

SpaceorMoon
ScenarioType2:PeopleSurvivalScenario(Whowillbesaved?)

Anuclearbombhasbeendropped...aradiationfree
shelterisavailable,butcanonlytake6people
choosewhowillsurvive...
Choose/rankpeopleintermsofwhowillgettolive
ordieinsituationswithlimitedsurvivalresources:
Participantsroleplaycharacters(abitlikea
MurderMystery)
Canleadtohighemotions
peoplegetintensely
engaged,particularlywhen
choosingwhowillsurvive,
andnoneofthedecisions
areeasy.
Norightanswersanyso
called"correct"answersare
basedondebatablevalues(e.g.,ageism,
sexism,racism)
Highlightsindividual'sdispositions,group
processesanddecisionmaking
Possiblescenarios:
Planecrashsurvivors
Nuclearwarshelter
Oxygendwindling(space,moon,mars)
Lifeboat/Sinkingship(sea)
Variations

Appointatimekeeperineachgroupand
encouragethemtobethepersonwhomonitors
theprogressofthegrouptowardsachieving
consensuswithinthetimeframe.
Toemphasiseindividualversusgroupdecision
making,splitthesessionintothreeparts:
Individualsmaketheirownselectionsfirst,
onpaper(510minutes)
Groups(orsubgroups)thendiscussand
createagroupdecision
Compareindividualandgroup
performances,e.g.,:
Forequipmentscenarios,group
decisionsareusuallymoreaccurate
thanindividualanswers,helpingto
illustratetheimportanceof
collaborativegroupdecisionmaking.
Forpeoplescenarios,score
individualsaccordingtohowclose
thegroup'sdecisionwastotheirown
selectionsofwhoistoliveanddie
(anindicatorofeachperson's
influenceoverthegroup).

PossibleDebriefQuestions

PlaneCrash&Winter
SurvivalSimulation
Game
(classicrank15
survivalitems
exercise)
LostatSea
(shortdescriptionand
facilitationnotes
includesdescriptionof
LostintheDesertwith
itemslistbutno
answers)
LostatSea[.pdf]
(descriptionofthe
activitywith
worksheetsandUS
Coastguardanswers)
LostatSea[.pdf]
(descriptionplus
researchand
academicgeneric
theoryanddebriefing
material)
LostatSea[.pdf]
(mediumleveldetail
withrationale)
LostatSea
(Ratherlong
documentbut
excellentfacilitation
notesforteam
buildingandcomplete
scoringnotesfor
detailedanalysisof
individualandsub
groupscoresof4
activitiesincluding
LostatSeaand
WildernessSurvival)
SurvivalontheMoon
Teachersnotesfor9th
gradeexercisein
EarthSciences
SurvivalontheMoon
Exerciseexcellent
activitywith
worksheet&NASA
rationalewithanswers
ChoosePeopleScenarios
PlaneCrashSurvival
Scenario
(includesalinkto
genericnoteson
facilitatingagroup

Howweredecisionsmade?
Whoinfluencedthedecisionsandhow?
Howcouldbetterdecisionshavebeen
made?
Didpeoplelistentoeachother?ifnotwhy
not?
Whatrolesdidgroupmembersadopt?
Howwasconflictmanaged?
Whatkindsofbehaviorhelpedorhindered
thegroup?
Howdidpeoplefeelaboutthedecisions?
Howsatisfiedwaseachpersonwiththe
decision(askeachparticipanttoratehis/
hersatisfactionoutof10,thenobtaina
groupaverageandcompare/discusswith
othergroups'satisfactionlevels)
Whathaveyoulearntaboutthefunctioning
ofthisgroup?
Howwouldyoudotheactivitydifferentlyif
youwereaskedtodoitagain?
Whatsituationsatwork/home/schooldo
youthinkarelikethisexercise?

trainingsession)
NuclearHolocaust:
WhoShouldSurvive?
ComplexScenarios
WildernessSurvival
(involves12multiple
choicequestionsabout
whattodoinsurvival
situationswork
individuallyandthen
ingroups,receiving
pointsforgood
decisions)
IslandSurvival
(indepth,elaborate
scenarioandscoring
forlongerscenario
exercisewell
explainedforschool
settings)
WestwardHo!
WestwardHo!
(classroom
exercise)
WestwardHo!
(basiccomputer
adventure)
SurvivalScenarios(paid)

HumanSynergistics
Ideasand
Training.com
CavemanmeetsModernCamperbyFrik,2003
RelatedLinks

Psychologyofextremeexpeditions
Wintersurvivaltips
BasicWildernesssurvivalskills
Howtosurvivetips
Therealthing:Whatwilltheendofsociety
belike?
Therealsurvivors:Survivaltrainingfor
selectionofNASAastronauts
Lastupdated:
12Oct2009