Gone_in_60_Seconds

Everest: A Team and Leadership Simulation: This simulation involves a challenging expedition toward the summit of Mount Everest. It seeks to help students understand the challenges involved in building, participating in, and leading effective teams. To this end, the simulation will present problems and challenges that must be solved for the teams to succeed. Teams must examine the data provided carefully and make the necessary analysis which may involve making calculations. Teams should not rush through their decisions. The simulation has five unique roles per team. Students will form teams of 5 and each student on a team will assume one of the five roles on the team. Each participant will be given information and resources that his/her team must process to make a series of critical decisions about the timing and execution of hiking along successive camps in the team’s ascent to the summit. Students who do not adequately process and review both their roles and the information that they receive during the simulation will be at a disadvantage throughout the simulation. The simulation works most effectively if the students embrace their assigned roles. Put your selves in the shoes of the person you are assigned and behave as you believe that person would truly have behaved during an Everest climb. Everest: A Team and Leadership Simulation is not a video game. It is a sophisticated program that should not be taken lightly. The program is designed so that teams succeed if they develop a high degree of skill working together to make decisions. The first two rounds of the simulation are somewhat uneventful. This is by design. Students should use these early rounds to familiarize themselves with the simulation interface and their roles. Mistakes in the simulation may be very costly. Much like in a true Everest climb, one error may lead to complete failure on a summit attempt. If a team makes a flawed decision, one or more climbers may have to be recued, returned to base camp, and may lose the opportunity to continue the summit. In that case, students who are forced to return to Base Camp cannot simply sit out for the rest of simulation. Such students still have a critical role to play and without their help their teammates will fail to attain their objectives. The simulation contains survey questions that appear at the mid-point and end of the simulation. Students are required to complete these survey questions on their own without consulting their team members. Survey answers will be kept strictly confidential. Students who do not complete survey questions will receive a lower grade from this assignment. Another characteristic of the simulation is the chat feature that allows team members to share information with each other (Beware that I will see your communications with your team members!). Teams need to complete the simulation before coming to class May 25th and prepare a brief report that answers the following questions: 1. Did your team perform effectively during the simulation' Why or Why not' a. What were the impediments to group effectiveness' b. Why did you [not] achieve all your goals' 2. What were the strengths and weaknesses of your team’s processes for making decisions' a. Explain your team’s approach to solving the challenges' b. Was it effective' Give examples to when decision making became difficult for your team' c. What were the techniques that helped you work together' d. What could have been done to improve the group process' 3. How did the leader help/hinder performance' Give some detailed, constructive feedback to the team leader' 4. Were the other team members effective followers' Give some specific feedback to other team members' 5. With the hindsight, what would you have done differently' 6. What did you learn from this assignment'