How it works Teams represent the senior management of Extreme Holidays Ltd currently overseeing a trek in Borneo consisting of 17 clients and courier, Dirk Hanson. Dirk sends a series of faxes demanding decisions on problems he is facing. Teams must evaluate the situations and choose how to respond from five options. Spending money on a problem puts client morale up but cuts into profits. The chosen option is entered into a single computer (or laptop) and the consequences of the decision are printed off together with the holidaymakers’ morale – plus the next fax!.
What it does This activity does two things – first it allows teams to practise decision making procedures; second it allows them to balance profit against customer satisfaction. Not an easy balancing act! Can teams reach consensus? Just how reasonable is Dirk? Problems not dealt with efficiently come back to haunt the group. Finally a report is printed with customer comments, profit figures and a final score.
Learning Benefits
Group Decision Making
The Value of individual contributions
Profit/Customer satisfaction balance
Reaching Agreement
Expressing views
Consensus
No of Players 1 to 4 teams
Time About 1 hour
Customer feedback "Allowed us to listen to so many opinions and values from the delegates - and many learning points were extracted. The highlight of the course!" – K.. Brasier, City of Bristol Business School
"Excellent for learning about balancing profit and customer satisfaction and working together to make group decisions." – S. Lamont, Lamont Associates
"'A practical and very exciting exercise with immediate feedback about decisions made. The set-up of using a computer (one only), with log-in codes, comes across as new and refreshing to the participants. The best learning points are the thinking about the consequences of your decisions and that you need to anticipate." – V. de Bruijn, L&D Manager Europe, Hilton
