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Team Dynamics Exercise-LOST AT SEA: Adapted From S. Batil, NSF Conference at Purdue University, July 1999

The document describes a scenario where a yacht crew is adrift at sea after a fire damaged their navigation equipment. They have a life raft, some personal items, and 15 survival items to rank in order of importance. The task is to individually and then as a group rank the 15 items to determine the optimal survival strategy. Experts will provide the correct rankings to evaluate responses. The goal is to identify the most critical signaling, water, food, and safety items to maximize chances of being rescued within the first 36 hours.

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Imam Safi'i
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303 views4 pages

Team Dynamics Exercise-LOST AT SEA: Adapted From S. Batil, NSF Conference at Purdue University, July 1999

The document describes a scenario where a yacht crew is adrift at sea after a fire damaged their navigation equipment. They have a life raft, some personal items, and 15 survival items to rank in order of importance. The task is to individually and then as a group rank the 15 items to determine the optimal survival strategy. Experts will provide the correct rankings to evaluate responses. The goal is to identify the most critical signaling, water, food, and safety items to maximize chances of being rescued within the first 36 hours.

Uploaded by

Imam Safi'i
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Team Dynamics Exercise-LOST AT SEA

You are adrift on a private yacht in the South Pacific. As a consequence of a fire of
unknown origin, much of the yacht and its contents have been destroyed. The yacht is
now slowly sinking. Your location is unclear because of the destruction of critical
navigational equipment and because you and the crew were distracted trying to bring the
fire under control. Your best estimate is that you are approximately one thousand miles
south-south-west of the nearest land.
Below is a list of fifteen items that are intact and undamaged by the fire. In addition to
these items you have:
A serviceable, rubber life raft with oars which is large enough to carry yourself,
the crew and all the items listed below.
The total contents of all survivors pockets are a package of cigarettes, several
books of matches and five one-dollar bills.
Your task is to rank the 15 items in terms of their importance for survival. Using the
scoring sheet provided place number one (1) by the most important, and so on through
number 15, the least important.

Sextant
Shaving mirror
Five-gallon can of water
Mosquito netting
One case of U.S. Army C rations
Maps of the Pacific ocean
Seat cushion (flotation device approved by the Coast Guard)
Two gallon can of oil-gas mixture
Small am/fm radio
Shark repellent
Twenty square feet of opague plastic
One quart of 160-proof rum
Fifteen feet of nylon rope
Two boxes of chocolate bars
Fishing kit

You and the other members of your design team will take this test individually, without
knowing each others answers, then you will re-take the test as a group. When working
as a group you will share your individual solutions and reach a consensus - one ranking
for each of the 15 items that best satisfies all group members.
Adapted from S. Batil, NSF Conference at Purdue University, July 1999

LOST AT SEA Scoring Sheet


Name

Experts
RANKING

YOUR
RANKING

ERROR GROUP
POINTS RANKING

TOTAL
ERROR
POINTS -->

TOTAL
ERROR
POINTS -->

sextant
shaving mirror
five-gallon can of water
mosquito netting
one case of C rations
maps of Pacific ocean
seat cushion
two-gallon can of oil-gas mixture
small transistor radio
shark repellent
twenty square feet of opaque plastic
one quart of 160 proof rum
fifteen feet of nylon rope
two boxes of chocolate bars
fishing kit

Experts ranking will be provided at the completion of the exercise. Error points are the
absolute difference between your ranking and the survival experts ranking (disregard
plus or minus signs).

ERROR
POINTS

LOST AT SEA-Answers and Rationale


NAME
Sextant

Experts REASONING
Without tables and a chronometer, relatively useless

Experts RANK
15

Shaving mirror

Critical for signaling in air-sea rescue

Five-gallon can of water

Necessary to replenish loss by perspiration, etc.

Mosquito netting

No mosquitos in the mid Pacific

14

One case of C rations

Provides basic food needs

Maps of Pacific ocean

Worthless without additional navigation equipment

13

Seat cushion

If someone falls overboard, could help save them

Two gallon can of oil-gas mixture

Critical for signaling-could float on water and be


ignited with dollar bill and match

Small transistor radio

Of little value since there is no transmitter-not going to


get many AM stations out here anyway!

12

Shark repellent

Obvious use-stay out of water

10

Twenty square feet of opaque plastic


One quart of 160 proof rum

Used to collect water and provide shelter


With 80% alcohol content could provide antiseptic
surface treatment for injuries

5
11

Fifteen feet of nylon rope

Lash equipment and help avoid falling overboard

Two boxes of chocolate bars

Reserve food supply

Fishing kit

Ranked lower than candy since a bird in had is worth


two in bush no guarantee there are fish in area

The basic rationale for ranking the signaling devices above the life-sustaining items (food
and water) is that without signaling devices there is almost no chance of being spotted
and rescued. Furthermore, most rescues occur during the first thirty-six hours and one
can survive without food and water during that period.
Scoring for individuals
0-25-excellent
26-32-good
33-45-average
46-55- fair
56-70 -poor

71-112- very poor (suggests possible faking of results)

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