Team-Building Simulations

New Earthquake

D. Joseph Fisher, Ph.D.
D. Dawn Peters

Earthquake is designed to promote group problem-solving, consensus decision-making, and an understanding of group dynamics. It is a simulation exercise that asks participants to first solve the problem individually and then as a group making consensus decisions. The scores are then compared against an expert ranking and demonstrate that effective teams generally produce better outcomes than individuals alone.

Revisions include easier scoring and analysis, normative data and background information on earthquakes. A self scoring option is now provided, for use without the Facilitator's Guide or video.

Participant Activity & Facilitator's Guide

You and five coworkers are in the basement library of your downtown office building finishing a presentation for a meeting the next morning. The building shakes violently. There has been a major earthquake. You begin to pick yourselves up and assess the damage.

Participants determine appropriate action steps to ensure their survival in order of importance, as well as those that should be avoided.

Completion Time: 1-1 1/2 hours

The Facilitator's Guide provides background information on the objectives of the activity, guidelines for effective group functioning, and a full explanation of the expert's rationale and scoring.

New Earthquake DVD

Aviat's Earthquake simulation has a DVD video complement to actively and emotionally engage participants into the story line, simplify the facilitation process, and enhance the overall learning from the activity.

The video is broken into three sections that follow the course of the entire simulation activity:

• The Scenario uses a realistic reenactment of the story line to enhance the believability of the simulation.
• The Expert Rationale is presented in a clear and convincing manner using graphic elements to highlight key learning points.
• Debriefing the Simulation provides easy to understand explanations of what each score means and the significance to group dynamics and performance. This section offers discussion questions to bring the learning back to the workplace.

There are breaks between each section to allow the facilitator the flexibility to use only those sections that would be helpful to his/her facilitation process.

The Earthquake video is a powerful tool that helps participants understand and apply the individual and team development concepts and tools learned during the simulation activity.

Video Format: DVD or VHS
Time required: 27 minutes

Note: The video does not add to the overall completion time of the simulation. It simply changes the manner in which the various sections can be facilitated.

PowerPoint© & Facilitator Slides

Enhance your team-building exercise using our full color Facilitator Slides.

These Microsoft PowerPoint© slides provide a visual guide to the expert rationale for each of the items to be ranked. Use as a supplement to Chapter IV of the Facilitator's Guide, "What the Experts Say."

One CD-ROM - requires Microsoft PowerPoint© 97 or newer.

Note: The slides do not add to the overall completion time of the simulation. It simply improves the manner in which the expert rationale section is facilitated.