On Thursday, December 14, 2023, Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd. held the “Disaster Prevention Consensus Game: Surviving the Struggle to Return Home”. This report details the background of the event’s implementation, the activities of the day, and feedback from the participants.
Background: Seeking an English-Language Team-Building Event with a Japanese Touch
Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd. provides a wide range of hardware, software, and cloud services. For their recent offsite meeting, the company was looking for an event that could facilitate communication and provide effective team building.
As employees from various countries were gathering in Japan for this meeting, the client requested a program that could be conducted in English and offer a unique Japanese experience. The “Disaster Prevention Consensus Game: Surviving the Struggle to Return Home” was selected for the following reasons:
- The program has a proven track record of being conducted in English.
- It offers a “Japanese experience” by requiring participants to consider disaster response in Japan, a country known for frequent earthquakes.
Event Overview: High Engagement Even Among First-Time Meeting Participants
The entire session, from the moderation to the group work, was conducted completely in English.
What is the Disaster Prevention Consensus Game?
This game focuses on disaster response following an earthquake. Teams must reach a consensus (agreement) through discussion without relying on a majority vote. The objective is to derive an answer that every team member is satisfied with.
Key Benefits:
- Deepen Disaster Awareness: Participants learn practical survival steps.
- Understand Diverse Values: Discussions reveal differences in perspectives and values.
- Team Building: The time-sensitive nature of the game naturally encourages role allocation and active communication.
Activity Report
1. Introduction and Icebreaker
The session began with self-introductions organized by Microsoft Japan. Despite many participants meeting for the first time, the room was immediately filled with lively conversation.
2. Rules and Scenario
The Facilitator explained the rules using slides translated entirely into English.
- The Scenario: A major earthquake has occurred, and public transportation and the internet are unavailable.
- The Mission: Teams of 4–5 people must prioritize the supplies necessary to return safely to their office, located 20km away.
3. Individual and Group Work
- Individual Work (10 minutes): Each participant independently ranked the items. Participants from overseas, many of whom have rarely experienced earthquakes, approached this task with great focus.
- Group Work (30 minutes): Teams shared their rankings and negotiated to reach a single team consensus. This process requires organizing vast amounts of information and logical thinking to determine the best course of action.
4. Conclusion and Feedback
Throughout the session, participants enjoyed the discussions, exchanging information about disaster prevention in their own home countries while debating how to combine different tools. After the group work, the MC provided an explanation based on expert conclusions, allowing participants to understand the most appropriate actions to take during a real disaster.
The event concluded with a group photo. The winning team received tenugui (traditional Japanese towels) as prizes.
Results and Conclusion
Participants noted that the lively discussions across all teams successfully achieved the goals of fostering communication and team building.
The “Disaster Prevention Consensus Game: Surviving the Struggle to Return Home” is a highly satisfying content for international employees who enjoy deep discussion. Even with participants meeting for the first time, the event remained engaging and full of smiles until the very end.
IKUSA offers various team-building programs that promote communication. In addition to this game, we provide other English-ready content such as “Sengoku Undokai” (Samurai Sports Day) and “Chanbara Battle” (Samurai Sword Battle). If you are considering an exchange event for your global offices, please feel free to contact us.
