Valley Crossing ... Team work and a lot more.

A picture speaks more than a 1000 words they say. Well, a video speaks even more. So let me first share a video made by our senior batch (IM18) of when they went through this exercise in their POM class. Conducted by who else...Dr Mandi.

Valley Crossing, is an exciting simulation used by Dr Mandi to illustrate the concepts of effective team work and strategy. Let me share an image to begin explaining what the exercise is all about.

The task appears fairly straight forward (it actually isn't). Three co-workers with the help of a plank need to crossover from one side to another of a bottomless pit. The width is greater than one standard walking step  and less than two steps (this is a crucial dimension that makes the task feasible).

Following image depicts the strategy employed to accomplish the task:

Description of the key used:

Safe: Both legs on the ground

Half Risky: One leg on the ground and the other over the pit

Risky: Both legs over the pit

Key Lessons learnt from the exercise:

Trust

A key enabler of success in such exercises is the trust between the participants. In organizations, where teams are much bigger, and tasks much more complex, the TRUST  between team members and the between various teams becomes a key deciding factor towards success.

Communication

Whenever there are teams involved in accomplishing a task the importance of communication is implicit. The effectiveness of communication between the various stakeholders defines the levels of success that are achieved. Measuring and continuously enhancing communication channels and processes is a key focus area for businesses today.

Support systems and strategies

An important focus areas for organisation, that this exercise very effectively illustrated, is the importance of robust support systems and strategies.

Epilogue:

This was one of the most memorable classes of our first module here at NITIE. The prime reason being the potential lessons that were embedded in an exercise so basic. It is evident that when unmystified, management is learnt not through jargons and powerpoint presentations but through such practical and engaging exercises.

Thank you Dr Mandi for exposing us to this concept.

Till next time.