Marooned
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.
HRDQ Team Adventure Series training simulations are a popular choice for team development training and are an effective way to introduce the concept of synergy. 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.
How It Works
Each adventure simulation in HRDQ's Team Adventure Series starts with a suspense-filled scenario, challenging 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 similar feelings of stress and conflict that accompany everyday organizational life.
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 10 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
- The importance of consensus decision-making
Uses and Applications
Marooned can be used as a standalone training instrument or incorporated into a more comprehensive program on teambuilding. It's also effective as a component for problem-solving, decision-making, and employee development training programs.
Use Marooned or other TAS survival simulations 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
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
Product Details
Product Type: Survival simulation. The Marooned Facilitator Guide is designed as a detailed resource binder used by the trainer to deepen participants’ understanding of the concepts throughout this simulation.
Target Audience: Team members at any level, especially those who work under pressure.
Measures: Consensus decision-making and decision-making under pressure.
Dimensions: Team synergy, quick decision-making, working under pressure, and processing skills.
Time Required: Simulation: 15 minutes. Workshop: 2 hours.
What to Order
Facilitator Guide: Order One Guide Per Trainer.
The comprehensive Facilitator Guide includes everything trainers need to deliver Marooned. This includes background information, administrative guidelines, a step-by-step workshop outline, expert rationale, alternative training designs, a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, and sample participant materials. Facilitator support materials will be available to you as a digital download link in your order confirmation.
Participant Guide 5-Pack: Order One Pack for Up to Five Participants.
The participant guide includes the adventure scenario, pressure-sensitive scoring, background information, team worksheet, and how to improve team discussions.
About the Authors
The HRDQ Development Team creates soft-skills learning solutions that help to improve the performance of individuals, teams, and organizations. At HRDQ, we believe an experiential approach is the best catalyst for adult learning. Our unique Experiential Learning Model has been the core of what we do for more than 40 years. We combine the best of organizational learning theory and proven facilitation methods with an appreciation for adult learning styles, our philosophy initiates and inspires lasting change.
Additional Resources
- Article | How Team Survival Simulations Come Into Play
- Info Kit | Download the Team Adventure Series Info Kit