1. Brainstorming under Pressure The Situation The Manager takes his Customer out to his warehouse to look at Televisions, where he finds an unauthorized Vendor for a competing brand of television set who happens to be looking for a contact with this company.The Manager takes his Customer out to his warehouse to look at Televisions, where he finds an unauthorized Vendor for a competing brand of television set who happens to be looking for a contact with this company. The Manager’s challenge is to get his Customer, the Television and the Vendor from the Warehouse to the Service DeskThe Manager’s challenge is to get his Customer, the Television and the Vendor from the Warehouse to the Service Desk –in the case of the Customer to have him purchase the set; –in the case of the Vendor, to have him register to be on site The Manager’s car can only hold himself and one of the others.The Manager’s car can only hold himself and one of the others.

2. Brainstorming under Pressure The Problem Unfortunately:Unfortunately: –the Vendor will steal the Customer if the Manager is not present; and –the Customer will steal the Television if the Manager is not present (it is not a very classy area of town). How can the Manager get all three to the Customer Desk without mishap?How can the Manager get all three to the Customer Desk without mishap?

3. Brainstorming under Pressure Role Playing Chose four (4) people in your group to play one of these four rolesChose four (4) people in your group to play one of these four roles –(or just three and some object from the room if none of you are comfortable playing an inanimate object like a TV). The four roles are:The four roles are: –Manager –Vendor Salesman –Customer –Television Set

4. Brainstorming under Pressure The Task Chose one area of the room as the WarehouseChose one area of the room as the Warehouse –And chose one physical area of the room as the Service Desk The Vendor and Customer realize the Manager’s problem and give him advice (they are on the team too, and even the TV can give advice as long as it is turned on)The Vendor and Customer realize the Manager’s problem and give him advice (they are on the team too, and even the TV can give advice as long as it is turned on) The Manager physically escort the different role players from the Warehouse to the Service Desk (based on their roles) in the shortest timeThe Manager physically escort the different role players from the Warehouse to the Service Desk (based on their roles) in the shortest time –If he leaves either the Vendor and the Customer; –or the Customer and the TV alone, you lose the race The winning team is the one with the shortest transit time.The winning team is the one with the shortest transit time.

5. Debriefing Each group should answer these questions What strategy did you use to be successful?What strategy did you use to be successful? How were differences of opinion about how to move handled in your team?How were differences of opinion about how to move handled in your team? Did you have a leader? How was he/she selected?Did you have a leader? How was he/she selected? When someone on your team thought he/she knew the solution or at least the next move, how did he or she behave? How did you respond to that?When someone on your team thought he/she knew the solution or at least the next move, how did he or she behave? How did you respond to that? Did you ever feel like you were not making progress? How did that make you feel?Did you ever feel like you were not making progress? How did that make you feel? Did you ever have to backtrack, in order to move forward in the problem solving?Did you ever have to backtrack, in order to move forward in the problem solving?

6. Solution

7. M=Manager V=Vendor C=Customer T=Television fromIn carto M VCT VT>M C M VT<C V>M CT M VC<T C>M VT M C<VT >M VCT Notice that when the Customer and TV are together, and when the Vendor and Customer are together, the Manager is also there.