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

   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