Thinking and Team Building clearly generates improved organizational performance. Simple. So how do we efficiently accomplish this and involve and engage our people to collaborate and innovate?

The late Daniel Kahneman was known for his wonderful book, Thinking Fast and Slow along with his focus on group decision-making to optimize organizational performance. Here, I intertwine his key thinking concepts with the play of The Search for The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine, our team building exercise designed to superbly focus on collaboration and the optimization of performance results.

His System 1 thinking is fast and intuitive (quick but sometimes flawed).. His System 2 is more along the deep, considered alternatives, conscious consideration. System 2 takes more time and mental energy and typifies group decision-making.

We can use Kahneman’s model to encourage deeper discussions and better decision-making at the tabletops after the play of Dutchman. System 1 thinking will drive sub-optimization and is not organic, generally. We want to drive more System 2 thinking in our organizations. 

It is about collaboration, not competition. Optimizing the results of play is the goal of the simulation.

• Rely on intuition to make quick decisions about resource allocation and route selection.
• React impulsively to changes in weather, Arctic Blasts or other unexpected events, without fully considering the long-term consequences of their choices.
• Focus on personal goals, such as accumulating the most gold (“winning”) and being competitive, rather than collaborating with other players in the room or even at their tabletop.

• Take the time to analyze the game’s rules, resources, and potential outcomes to develop a strategy.
  
• Consider involving The Expedition Leader in their decision-making.
• Weigh the pros and cons of different routes and resource allocations, considering the team’s overall success.
• Reflect on their decision-making processes and adjust their approach based on experience and feedback.
• Ask the Expedition Leader or people on other teams for their thoughts.

• Falling into competitive mindsets, prioritizing their own team’s success over collaboration with other teams.
• Making impulsive decisions during planning without fully discussing and considering the input of all team members.
• Choosing to not ask questions of the expedition leadership nor to consider getting additional information because there seems to be plenty clear information available.
• Relying on mental shortcuts, such as assuming one particular route is the best without thorough analysis.

• Engaging in open communication, actively listening to and considering each other’s perspectives and ideas.
• Collaborating to develop a shared strategy, weighing the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches.
• Choosing to get The Videos, a commitment of time which gives them a valuable outcome of additional information and resources to impact their team’s success.
• Analyzing their progress and adjust their strategy based on the game’s unfolding circumstances.

• Different teams focus on their own goals and winning, neglecting the broader organizational objectives around optimizing performance results.
• The group as a whole fails to recognize the value of collaboration and sharing resources, making the room competitive from the start.
• The debriefing process is superficial, with people failing to consider the underlying issues and opportunities for improvement. They choose to see Dutchman “as a game” and not as the powerful experiential learning exercise that it is designed to be.

• The debriefing process facilitates a thorough analysis of the game results and impacts, highlighting lessons learned and areas for improvement. Players participate freely in deep discussions of their choices and their possibilities.
• The group recognizes the importance of collaboration and shared goals, applying these insights to real-world organizational challenges.
• Players choose to candidly discuss the organizational issues and culture and discuss and commit to trying to implement improvements.
• The game is used as a catalyst for organizational change, encouraging a culture of critical thinking and teamwork.