In the marshmallow exercise, Mr. Wujec presents data about which groups of people tend to build the best structures Why do kindergarten students and CEOs with an executive assistant on the team do so well and business school students so poorly? • Business school students often complain about the number of teams in which they are assigned, with some students reporting working in a team in every course. What do the results of this exercise suggest about how business school students are learning to work in teams? • Success in the exercise is said to be a function of both specialized skills (taskwork) and facilitation skills (teamwork). How do these things work together to influence performance? • Based on the results, what might you suggest teams do differently when starting an exercise like the Marshmallow challenge or any team project? Discussion Assignments | Capsim Management Simulations, Inc. 3 Monitor. Analyze. Train. Evaluate. ® Assignment 2: Building Teams in the Great Outdoors 1. Listen to a Segment of NPR’s “Workplace Woes” with Dr. Ben Dattner 2. Questions • What is the logic behind using “outdoor activities” like paintball to improving a team’s functioning? • Which key skills are most likely influenced with such activities, teamwork or taskwork? • If you were charged with selecting an activity that might help improve the functioning of your team, what criteria or factors would you consider in making such a choice? • What types of teams might benefit the most from getting out of an office and onto a high-ropes course or the like?