Stranded in the Himalayas, Activity

Build teams that move mountains!

Activity participants enjoy a simulated mountain adventure. In thisimaginary setting, they must arrive at consensus in order tosucceed, and they experience the magic of group power: synergy.Participants face fatigue, dehydration, an avalanche, and more.First, they make decisions on their own. Then, joining the group,they compare answers and attempt to agree on the best course ofaction.

Participants will:
* Listen closely to coworkers
* Recognize the benefits of soliciting opinions
* Understand the power of synergy . . . and much more!

The leader and participants will have a perfect opportunity toexamine the impact of their interpersonal behaviors on one another,on the group's effectiveness, and on the outcome of theiradventure. Every step in preparation, facilitation, and follow-upis carefully detailed in the Leader's Manual. The Activity containsthe engaging simulation--every participant will need a copy.

Leaders will watch teams develop and prosper when they are"stranded in the Himalayas."

Stranded in the Himalayas 1

The Situtation 1

Your Task 2

Guideliness for Reaching Consensus 7

Group’s Task 8

Answers and Rationale 9

About the Author

Lorraine L. Ukens is the owner of Team-ing with Success, a consulting and training enterprise specializing in team building and leadership development. Her wide range of business experience, spanning more than twenty years, is applied in designing, facilitating, and evaluating programs in a variety of human resource development areas. Ukens, an adjunct faculty member in the HRD graduate program at Towson University in Maryland, is the author of several training books and games, including Getting Together: Icebreakers and Group Energizers and Working Together: 55 Team Games, both from Pfeiffer. She is an active member of the American Society for Training and Development at both the national and local levels.

A GRIPPING CONSENSUS ACTIVITY FOR ANY BUSINESS SETTING!

The Situation

Eager to return home, the group began its descent early in the day, and by late afternoon had made camp. While the Sherpa guides were making the necessary preparations for dinner, you decided to walk back up the trail to take photographs of the breathtaking sights. You realized that you had wandered farther than you had intended and that dusk had settled quickly. Just as you began to walk back toward the camp, you felt the sting of snow on your face. A freak snowstorm had blown in and you had to find shelter while you waited for the storm to end. You wandered for some time in near darkness before you found a cave in the rock large enough to provide shelter, and you settled in…