Training materials. Mission to Enernova: Assessing Potential and Developing Performance

Citation

(2003), "Training materials. Mission to Enernova: Assessing Potential and Developing Performance", Education + Training, Vol. 45 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2003.00445bad.003

Training materials. Mission to Enernova: Assessing Potential and Developing Performance

Mission to Enernova: Assessing Potential and Developing Performance

Julie Hay and Peter EmeryGower2002ISBN 0566084163£175 + VAT

You are situated on Homebase, a station in space in a galaxy far from earth, where you work for a space-exploration agency. News has come of the discovery of a new planet, Enernova, where there is a valuable source of new energy that will enable your community to thrive for the next millennium. This is a commercial opportunity for your organization. However, you have heard that your competitors are also aware of the discovery and are expected to reach Enernova within the next 50 light years.

This is the opening of the participant brief for the simulation Mission to Enernova – a board game that uses the notion of a space journey to provide a way to assess performance. The board consists of a map of various fictional planets, interspersed with dangers. Participants, working on their own or in teams, budget, plan and present their strategy for reaching Enernova safely. There are no right or wrong answers. The quality of their decisions on which route to follow, which crew members and equipment to take, as well as the levels of fuel, food and stores they will need, are put to the test as the simulation unfolds.

The content of the simulation will be alien to managers. However, the processes and skills involved in handling the simulation – for example, interpersonal skills, leadership, creativity, decision making and so on – represent some of the fundamental competencies for team leaders and managers at all levels. The activity resembles real life in that, however perfect their planning, participants may still encounter contextual hazards that are down to chance.

Mission to Enernova can be used as a teambuilding simulation to explore group dynamics, information handling, planning, decision making, communication and influencing skills, team working, presentation skills, flexibility, contingency planning, risk management, time management and working under pressure. Full instructions are included for the team facilitator who wishes to use the resource as a team-development exercise. There are also programme notes for an assessment or development centre, should the simulation be used in its more formal application. All the participants' materials are reusable or photocopiable.