COMMUNICATIONS - EXERCISE

COMMUNICATIONS

OPERATION HALLEY'S COMET

The following statements should be cut out and pasted onto large cards with the name of the officer stenciled onto the other side. Choose six students at random and ask them to come to the front of the room. Give them each a card and ask them to read out loud the statement thereon. If they hold the card up then the audience can see what rank they represent.

After the presentation, open a discussion with the following questions:

What happened here?
Why did the message get garbled?
In any communication there seems to be a loss of information. Why is this?
... etc.

Then have the audience suggest improvements for each speaker after carefully stating that this is not a criticism because (a) they did not have a chance to practice, and (b) they were picked randomly.

[NOTE: You may have to explain what a "Comet" was!]

ALTERNATIVE: The card that contains the colonel's orders is the only one with wording on it. All the other cards are blank on the other side from the rank of the role-player. Have the colonel give the order (loudly and slowly) and then the others must repeat the orders (without taking notes) to the others. Discuss the result! ... and then give a second six students the full script and do it again!

COLONEL ISSUED THE FOLLOWING DIRECTIVE TO HIS OFFICERS:

"TOMORROW EVENING AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 HOURS HALLEY'S COMET WILL BE VISIBLE IN THIS AREA. AN EVENT WHICH OCCURS ONLY ONCE EVERY 75 YEARS. HAVE THE MEN FALL OUT IN THE BATTALION AREA IN FATIGUES AND I WILL EXPLAIN THIS RARE PHENOMENON TO THEM. IN CASE OF RAIN. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING, SO ASSEMBLE THE MEN IN THE THEATER AND I WILL SHOW THEM FILMS OF IT."

EXECUTIVE OFFICER TO COMPANY COMMANDER:

"BY ORDER OF THE COLONEL, TOMORROW AT 2000 HOURS, HALLEY'S COMET WILL APPEAR ABOVE THE BATTALION AREA. IF IT RAINS, FALL THE MEN OUT IN FATIGUES, THEN MARCH TO THE THEATER WHERE THIS RARE PHENOMENON WILL TAKE PLACE, SOMETHING WHICH OCCURS ONLY ONCE EVERY 75 YEARS."

COMPANY COMMANDER TO LIEUTENANT:

"BY ORDER OF THE COLONEL IN FATIGUES AT 2000 HOURS TOMORROW EVENING, THE PHENONOMENAL HALLEY'S COMET WILL APPEAR IN THE THEATER. IN CASE OF RAIN, IN THE BATTALION AREA, THE COLONEL WILL GIVE ANOTHER ORDER, SOMETHING WHICH OCCURS ONCE EVERY 75 YEARS."

LEUTENANT TO SERGEANT:

"TOMORROW AT 2000 HOURS, THE COLONEL WILL APPEAR IN THE THEATER WITH HALLEY'S COMET, SOMETHING WHICH HAPPENS EVERY 75 YEARS. IF IT RAINS, THE COLONEL WILL ORDER THE COMET INTO THE BATTALION AREA."

SERGEANT TO SQUAD:

"WHEN IT RAINS TOMORROW AT 2000 HOURS. THE PHENOMENAL 75 YEAR OLD GENERAL HALLEY, ACCOMPANIED BY THE COLONEL, WILL DRIVE HIS COMET THROUGH THE BATTALION AREA THEATER IN FATIGUES."

Last updated 99/09/05
Source unknown.