Participant Guide:
Scenario description, pressure-sensitive response forms, team discussion guidelines, team synergy model, team synergy score chart, team reflection questions, action planning, and more.
The Scenario
You and your team are selected to pilot a new team-building initiative that starts with a dog-sledding trip through the wilds of Alaska. Normally this would be the opportunity of a lifetime. But for the past year, your team has been struggling with interpersonal conflicts and frequent disagreements, which has led to several missed goals and poorly executed projects. The thought of going on an Alaskan adventure with your team is extremely stressful.
The morning of the trip is bright and beautiful, but the team quickly encounters an unexpected blizzard. Your team finds itself stranded in blinding snow. And then the worst happens. One of the dog sleds, including the driver and dogs, falls through ice into shoulder-deep water. The dog escapes unharmed, but the driver and guide are hypothermic and semiconscious.
Can your team overcome personal conflicts to survive?
Learning Outcomes
• Illustrate the concept of team synergy
• Develop and practice consensus decision-making skills
• Learn how to manage and resolve group conflict
• Hone group problem-solving skills
• Improve communication
How It Works
Participants work both individually and as a team to determine the best course of action in an emergency situation. First they are required to make a crucial strategy decision from a range of seemingly viable options. Then they rank the value of the few survival items available to them in terms of their usefulness to the group as it carries out its chosen strategy. This format is designed to stimulate typical organisation behaviour – make a strategic decision, then execute it with the resources available.
Uses for Whiteout
HRDQ Team Adventure survival simulations are popular because of their great flexibility. Whiteout lends itself easily to many different applications, including:
• Ice breaker
• Open or close a team learning event
• Standalone team training tool
• Component of a larger team training initiative
• Supplement outdoor experiential learning
