Counter Intelligence

Counter Intelligence is a group problem-solving exercise designed originally by Steve Hutchinson and Helen Lawrence to be used with sub-groups of around 6 people. It focuses on task supervision: establishing and controlling a process, giving clear instructions, asking for and summarising inputs and setting out next steps.

This activity works well at first line supervisor level and allows group members to exercise a range of communication and logic skills. It involves active participation from all group members as each is required to contribute their information in order to complete the task, and a leadership role can be assigned (or left to emerge from within the group).

A range of information is provided to the participants: some relates to the task performance and others to the process and ways that the participants behave; ‘rules’ are provided and the review will typically include to what extent these ‘rules’ were observed. The exercise can develop into an exploration of values - is the objective to obey the instructions or to complete the required shape?

Learning objectives:

• Exhibit strong task (and process) supervision skills

• Observe both process and task instructions to be considered ‘successful’

• Establish and control a problem-solving process that incorporates all players

• Give clear instructions to all players based on information provided

• Manage each other’s inputs and progress according to the information they have

Activity Contents:

2x Sets of 32x Coloured counters, 32x Instruction/task cards, Facilitator manual

Each participant (up to 6 per sub-team) has a number of information/task cards which are dealt to them face-down at random. There are a number of coloured counters provided which comprise the remainder of the exercise materials. The information/task cards are used to provide clues as to how the group should arrange the counters to form a specific shape and distribution of colours. Information printed on the information/task cards should not be exchanged or viewed by other players. The sub-team should provide their single, final answer within 15 minutes.