Group Survival

It’s a Mid-August day and you have just crash-landed in a desert. You and four other passengers are uninjured, but the pilot and co-pilot of the plan are deceased and the plan is destroyed. You are 70 miles from the nearest known habitation and 65 miles off course of your original flight plan. The temperature outside is 130 degrees and you have minimal water and scarce provisions. This was the situation that was presented to us as a group (Group C). Our task was to rank the provisions in the order we perceived their significance. Group C incorporated a synergistic decision making style which combined problem solving and interpersonal relation skills to reach a cohesive group resolution that provided self-actualization among group members.

Group C commenced the Desert Survival assignment by determining a problem-solving process towards ranking the available provisions. We first decided to analyze the situation entirely before ranking. Group dialogue emerged concerning our main purpose and the obstacles in achieving it. Group consensus was swiftly attained in determining our main purpose, to “stay alive”, and the presumption that dehydration was our leading hindrance in reaching this goal. Discussion consisted of an encouraging, supportive, and non-judgmental atmosphere with active listening and members providing and requesting clarification. These group dynamics quickly nurtured a set of norms which were continuous throughout the Desert Survival Group Exercise. Although these norms were not explicit, they were validated by all members’ attitudes and behaviors during initial discussion. Key group task and maintenance roles were identified but shared collectively throughout the group; the role of the recorder was appropria...

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...am C compromised and agreed on the provisions rank of importance. Individuals were not upset or uncooperative if an item was not listed as they thought, but rather advised the group that if an item was not ranked 3, that they felt it should be ranked 4 or 5 and the reason and the group would compromise and rank the item accordingly. The Salt Tablets were an item that was unknown to the group. Therefore, the Salt Tablets were rank last due to the group’s decision of its “unknown” use. Consensus was it was better to not use the item at all then to use it and it have a negative effect in our survival. At the end or our ranking of the provisions, Team C concluded that the items were ranked so that all members were satisfied. All members’ consensus was that things were close in the ranking, but each individual member agreed they were satisfied with the group’s rankings.