Common Currency:  The Cooperative-Competition Game

by Lorraine L. Ukens

Discover how to combine cooperation with competition in this fresh approach to individual, team, and organizational development.  This game is a flexible, team-based activity that utilizes a wealth of interpersonal and group process skills.

The game's premise is simple, yet engaging:  teams represent fictional countries that are faced with an impending unification of their separate currencies.  Armed only with limited information and resources, each team attempts to maximize its own wealth.  Since no one country has all the necessary information, they must exchange information and currency to achieve success.

Information about these values and the values of combinations are distributed amongst the teams rather than being held by all of them.  Through the exchange of items and information, the teams increase their scores.  The game is played by either 6 or 8 teams of 2 to 6 players each and requires 2 to 3 hours for completion including debriefing.

The Facilitator Guide includes debriefing information for team building, communication, negotiating, strategic planning, decision making, problem solving, resource sharing, and more.  Also included is a separate module to help demonstrate the impact of change.

Game Kit (totebox, guide, coins, cards, country flags and envelopes)
(HRDQ Publishers)

CC-610  /  $205.00

 

"Common Currency is a new game offered by HRDQ to teach the value of cooperative-competition in teams in a negotiation and problem solving setting.  The game demonstrates a situation where the goal of winning by outscoring the other competitors can only be accomplished through a team effort and by cooperating with other teams to exchange information and goods.  The basic scenario is one in which teams representing several countries must collect items whose values are both intrinsic and increased by being held in specific combinations.... The game will be enjoyable to the players, and, with appropriate debriefing -- techniques for which are provided -- will be an effective means of communicating the lessons planned....  It would be an excellent addition to the curriculum of a basic teams management course of program."   

 - The Alternative Newsletter, Seton Hall Law School, March 1998

 

 

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