Escape from Mars!™ | Collaborative Teamwork Training Activity

• Learning to work together efficiently
• Seeing the value of cooperation
• Helping those less capable than yourself
• Thinking outside the box (flexible thinking)
• Practising problem-solving skills
• Working calmly towards a tight deadline

Having completed a Mars mission, teams must locate their Escape Pod which, in 60 minutes time, will return them to the Mother Ship. But first, they must sort out a few issues:

• locate the Escape Pod
• work out the correct entry code
• complete 10 tasks
• construct a Mars Rover (face-to-face) or 'assemble' a Transponder (virtual)

With a Mars chart and segments of information to piece together, teams must first pinpoint the Escape Pod. To gain entry they need to find a Key Code. They must also construct a Mars Rover (face-to-face) or 'assemble' a four-part transponder (virtual) (each team has details of one part) and complete 10 tasks.

To add to pressure, some tasks require information from other teams. In the heat of the moment, are teams willing to share data and, if so, can they do it quickly and accurately, so that all teams are in with a chance to escape? One wrong bit of data could spell disaster, as will exceeding the deadline. Will teams perform as competitive rivals and focus on their own team’s success or can they see the bigger picture?

A great activity to bring out the value of collaboration in an organisation. How well do participants work as individual teams? How ready are they to join forces with other teams: ‘one for all and all for one’?

A fun exploration of values, levels of trust and attitudes, not least to their fellow workers. Lots to discuss!

1. Organise participants into four teams.
2. Introduce the activity in plenary session using the PowerPoint (optional). Explain each team will pick a leader and that teams should divide the activity into three phases: Read, Plan, Implement. 
3. Issue the four teams with the Team Files and allow ten minutes for the READ phase.
4. Teams then spend ten minutes, as a team, discussing the task, setting objectives and deciding how to go about the task. This is the PLAN stage.
5. At the 20 minute point, they start on the task itself. The leader should be evident, team members should all be actively engaged and a sense of motivation and organisation should prevail. Nominating a communicator, to talk with other teams, is essential, as is someone to keep an eye on the deadline. This is the IMPLEMENTATION phase.
6. Be ready for teams (as one big group, part group, or an individual team) to contact you to check their completed task. Have they found the Escape Pod, got the Entry Code and solved the 10 tasks? Are they blasting off alone or waiting for other teams? Confirm success - or otherwise!
7. At the 60 minute deadline, stop the activity. There is no longer a chance to escape. Issue the Team Review Form to each team and allow time to reflect on their performance, ready for the Debrief.
8. Conduct a Debrief in plenary using the guidance in the Trainer's Notes and the PowerPoint (which contains the answers, explanations and key learning points).

Full guidance supplied in the Trainer’s Notes.

Hard & Digital Copy

• ☑️ Hard copy pack supplied
• ☑️ PDFs & PowerPoint supplied

Digital Copy

☑️ PDFs & PowerPoint supplied

❌ You will need to source: A4 White Card x24 sheets, 'Wheels' eg Milk Bottle Tops x32, Sticky Tape x4, Rulers x4, Scissors x4

Full Contents

• Trainer’s Notes
• Trainer's PowerPoint
• File for Team 1
• File for Team 2
• File for Team 3
• File for Team 4
• Answer Form Team 1
• Answer Form Team 2
• Answer Form Team 3
• Answer Form Team 4
• Mars Map
• Team Review Form
• Resources (for face-to-face sessions): A4 White Card, 'Wheels', Scissors, Rulers, Sticky Tape

This activity is for face-to-face and virtual classroom use. The digital files are supplied via the Northgate Trainerhub.

This Northgate Training activity comes with a five-year licence for repeat use with up to 24 participants at a time, for use by Trainers based at one licence-holding site.

All Trainers physically based at the same office location can access the Northgate resources during the five-year term, including the digital resources supplied on the Trainerhub via your own site-specific Trainer Dashboard. If you have Trainers based at other locations, and/or remote workers, who would like to access and use the Northgate resources, we can advise further depending on your requirements.

For further information on our licence terms please view the Northgate Licence Agreement.