Capture the Flag!™ | Communication Training Activity

• A chance to practise communication between teams
• Highlights potential pitfalls
• Stresses the importance of establishing common ground
• Dangers of making assumptions
• Understanding the need to give as well as take
• Stresses the crucial skill of listening

Participants work in pairs of teams - from separate breakout rooms. The task for each pair is to achieve a common objective.

One team, the BLUE team, is on an outdoor training course. At the start of the activity they are in a dinghy just off the coast. They are about to land in the territory of the Red team. Blue team's mission: to capture Red team's flag and escape.

The other team, the LOCAL RESISTANCE team represent villagers living in Red team territory, but who resent the Red team and are willing to help Blue team. They also want to be evacuated from the area.

At the start, each team has some information but it is sketchy and not always reliable. But at set intervals there are opportunities for inter-team communication. Representatives from each team can meet in a separate 'meetings' room.

Can the teams communicate effectively to achieve their objective? There are potential barriers. First, dividing groups into teams often serves to create competition and rivalry. Communications are limited so what can they do to make the most of them? How well do teams plan for their meetings? Do they collaborate well and exchange information freely? Is there clarity and order - or confusion - to their conversations? Do they make assumptions - for example the maps and their different orientations? Can they trust each other? Will they capture the flag - and all escape?!

1. Briefly introduce the activity to the group in plenary, verbally or by PowerPoint.
2. Arrange the group into pairs of teams (one or two pairs) and install them in separate break-out rooms. Also create a separate ‘meeting room' for each pair.
3. Issue a copy of the appropriate Brief and Map to each person.
4. Teams have 20 minutes to discuss the information within their team and establish the key points.
5. At the 20-minute point, announce the first meeting. Transfer one (or two) individuals from each team to a meeting room. In subsequent meetings they can change the person who attends these meetings.
6. End the meeting after five minutes and return the representatives to their respective teams. The next meeting will be in 10 minutes' time.
7. Observe the various stages in the session: the first 20 minutes, the meetings, relaying information back to teams, agreeing a plan. Note what stages went well / what not so well (useful for the Debrief).
8. Repeat the meetings schedule until time is up - or teams have achieved their objectives (that is, they have a safe route, a departure time, the Local Resistance Team - and the Red flag!).
9. Bring teams into plenary and conduct a Debrief on the communication issues arising. Elicit the key points, issue the Handout and draw up Action Plans for improvements in communication skills in the workplace.

Full guidance supplied in the Trainer’s Notes.

• Trainer's Notes
• Trainer's PowerPoint
• Blue Team Brief
• Local Resistance Team Brief
• Sketch Maps
• Key Points Handout

This activity is supplied digitally via the Northgate Trainerhub. No delivery charges apply.

Our licence offering is designed to provide exceptional value and flexibility for your organisational training needs.

Upon purchase, each Northgate activity includes a five-year licence for repeat use, with up to a maximum number of delegates per training session. The maximum number of delegates for this activity is 24 per licence. This grants you the freedom to use the activity repeatedly, with the specified maximum number of delegates, for five years.

All Learning and Development (L&D) professionals based at the same site (or
‘remote hub’) as you are granted access to these resources, including to the digital files on the Trainerhub via your site-specific Trainer Dashboard, fostering a collaborative spirit within your immediate team.

Should you wish to make this activity available to a wider audience within your organisation, additional licences are required. We understand the varying needs of different organisations and aim to provide flexible options to suit your requirements.

For further information on our licence terms, please contact us. We are here to assist you in enhancing your training initiatives and ensuring a seamless and hassle-free licensing experience.