The reference ranking and why
For the facilitator. Read it out in step 4. Each rank follows from the warden’s message, a fact card and the ranking rule on the scenario page. If a participant shows you a sentence that supports a different rank, accept it and adjust their score.
| Rank | Item | Why it ranks here | Rests on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F. Handheld radio | Answers the 20:00 call. Card 1 shows that the channel can be changed to 3. | Point 1, card 1 |
| 2 | H. Mobile phone | Sends the text by 20:15 from the end of the jetty if the radio fails. The radio comes first in the message. | Point 1, card 2 |
| 3 | J. Plastic sheet | Keeps people out of the rain that comes through the roof. The message says dry first. | Point 2, card 3 |
| 4 | E. Foil blankets | Keeps body heat in. The message says warm after dry. | Point 2 |
| 5 | K. Sealed water | Safe to drink as it is. The message names a sealed bottle first. | Point 3 |
| 6 | L. Purification tablets | Makes the tap water safe after 30 minutes. Named after boiling, and the stove cannot boil. | Point 3, card 4 |
| 7 | A. Alarm clock | Wakes everyone at 07:00. The phone could do it too, but the phone already ranks under point 1. | Point 4 |
| 8 | G. Head torch | Lights the dark, wet path to the jetty at 07:20. The battery lamp in the boathouse covers the evening. | Point 4, card 5 |
| 9 | D. First aid kit | Cleans and covers a cut. Nobody is hurt now, so it comes under point 5, not earlier. | Point 5 |
| 10 | I. Notebook and pencils | Records an injury after it has been treated, as the notice asks. | Point 5, card 6 |
| 11 | C. Cereal bars | A light supper. The message puts food last. | Point 6 |
| 12 | B. Camping stove | The canister is empty, so the stove meets no point. | Card 4 |
The six fact cards
One card per person, or two in a group of four or five. Each card changes where one item belongs. Without the cards, the radio looks useless, the phone looks useless and the stove looks useful.
| Card | Your private fact | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Card 1 | At 17:00 you tried the radio. The knob on top changes the channel. On channel 3 you heard the warden talking to the boat crew. | The radio can answer the 20:00 call (point 1). |
| Card 2 | You walked to the end of the jetty at 17:15. The phone showed one bar of signal there. The warden’s number is saved in it. | The phone can send the text by 20:15 (point 1). |
| Card 3 | Rain comes through the roof over the back half of the boathouse, where the benches are. | Staying dry needs a cover: the plastic sheet (point 2). |
| Card 4 | You picked up the gas canister for the stove. It is empty, and nobody has a spare. | The stove cannot boil water or heat food. It meets no point. |
| Card 5 | Sunrise tomorrow is at 07:51. The path to the jetty will still be dark at 07:20, and it crosses wet rocks. | The head torch is how you take care on the path (point 4). |
| Card 6 | A notice on the boathouse wall says: after you treat any injury, write down the time, what happened and what you did, and give the note to the warden. | The notebook is used after the first aid kit (point 5). |
Sharing the six cards
Every group gets all six cards. Groups of four to six rank; a seventh person observes. With seven people, run one group of six and one observer rather than two small groups.
| Group size | Who holds which card |
|---|---|
| 4 people | Person 1: cards 1 and 4. Person 2: cards 2 and 5. Person 3: card 3. Person 4: card 6. |
| 5 people | Person 1: cards 1 and 6. Persons 2 to 5: cards 2, 3, 4 and 5, one each. |
| 6 people | One card each. |
| 7 people | Six people rank with one card each. The seventh person observes, with the observer sheet. |
How to score
Lower is closer to the reference. 0 is the reference order; 72 is the largest possible total for twelve items, and 18 for the six transfer requests.
| Step | What to do | Example from Person 1 |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Difference per item | The gap between two ranks, without a plus or minus sign. | Mobile phone: my rank 10, reference 2, difference 8. |
| 2. Individual total | Add the twelve differences in “My difference”. | Person 1: 24. |
| 3. Group total | Add the twelve differences in “Group difference”. Everyone in a group has the same group total. | Group: 10. |
| 4. Team average | Add the individual totals and divide by the number of people who ranked. | 140 ÷ 5 = 28.0. |
| 5. Compare | Group total minus team average, the best individual total, and how many members the group did better than. | -18.0; best individual 24; better than 5 of 5. |
Filled example: one group’s scores
A fictional group of five. Each column shows that person’s ranks; the bottom row is the total difference from the reference.
| Item | Reference | Person 1 | Person 2 | Person 3 | Person 4 | Person 5 | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Alarm clock | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| B. Camping stove | 12 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 11 |
| C. Cereal bars | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| D. First aid kit | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 7 |
| E. Foil blankets | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| F. Handheld radio | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| G. Head torch | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
| H. Mobile phone | 2 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 2 |
| I. Notebook and pencils | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| J. Plastic sheet | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| K. Sealed water | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| L. Purification tablets | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Total difference from the reference | – | 24 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 10 |
Filled example: team box
The team box for the same fictional group.
| Line | Our group |
|---|---|
| Individual totals | Person 1 24, Person 2 28, Person 3 30, Person 4 30, Person 5 28 |
| Team average of the individual totals | 140 ÷ 5 = 28.0 |
| Best individual total | 24 (Person 1, who held two cards) |
| Group total | 10 |
| Group compared with the team average | -18.0: the group was 18.0 points closer to the reference |
| Members the group did better than | 5 of 5 |
| What the group noticed in the debrief | Cards 1 to 5 were read out in the first six minutes. Card 6 was never read out, so the notebook went to 12th. The group moved the first aid kit above point 5 after one person said “safety first”; nobody checked the message. |
Transfer round: reference order
For the facilitator. The order follows from the team lead’s rule on sheet A and the facts split across sheets A and B. Monday 19 October 2026, course on Thursday 22 October; all fictional.
| Request | What it is | Rank | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| R4 | Send the workbook files to the print room | 1 | Rule 1: the course cannot run without workbooks. Deadline Tuesday 12:00, the earlier of the two rule-1 deadlines. |
| R3 | Order a projector for Thursday | 2 | Rule 1: the course uses slides and the room has no projector. Deadline Wednesday 17:00. |
| R5 | Send the venue the dietary list | 3 | Rule 2: the venue needs it today. The course can run without it: a late list means the standard menu. |
| R2 | Book a room for the December course | 4 | Rule 3: a fixed date later this week, Wednesday 09:00. |
| R6 | Update the slides with new policy figures | 5 | Rule 4: not needed for Thursday. Asked on Tuesday 13 October, the older of the two rule-4 requests. |
| R1 | Reply to a manager about November places | 6 | Rule 4: asked on Friday 16 October, so after R6. |
Filled example: transfer round
The same fictional group’s transfer round.
| Request | Group rank | Reference | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1. Reply to a manager about November places | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| R2. Book a room for the December course | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| R3. Order a projector for Thursday | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| R4. Send the workbook files to the print room | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| R5. Send the venue the dietary list | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| R6. Update the slides with new policy figures | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| Total difference (largest possible: 18) | 4 |
Filled example: room summary
A fictional room of three groups. Group 1 is the filled example. Every group did better than its own average here, but in two groups one member did better than the group. Results vary: this exercise does not show that groups always decide better.
| Group | Members | Team average | Best individual | Group total | Group minus average | Better than the average? | Better than the best member? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | 5 | 28.0 | 24 | 10 | -18.0 | Yes | Yes |
| Group 2 | 6 | 29.0 | 18 | 20 | -9.0 | Yes | No |
| Group 3 | 4 | 31.5 | 24 | 26 | -5.5 | Yes | No |
What you'll leave with
By the end of 60 minutes each group has ranked twelve items alone and together, scored both against a reference it can trace to printed facts, named which facts reached the group, ranked six workplace requests with a written rule, and each person has written one habit for their next shared decision.
Before the session
- For trainers, team leads and facilitators who run teamwork or decision-making sessions with adults at work: 4–30 people in groups of four to six.
- Print per person: the scenario and items page and a score sheet. Per group: the six fact cards, cut apart, transfer sheets A and B, and an observer sheet for a seventh person. Keep the key back until step 4.
- Decide who gets which card with the table “Sharing the six cards”. Each group gets all six cards. Do not tell the groups that the cards differ until the debrief.
- Accessibility: the scenario is fictional and nobody in it is hurt or in danger. Send the pages as plain text to anyone who asks, read the brief aloud, and offer the observer role to anyone who would rather not rank. Nobody has to move, and cameras are optional online.
The run of show
Open and set the task
Two minutes: say, “This is a ranking exercise. You will rank twelve items alone, then as a group, and we will compare both with a reference ranking. The reference is not anyone’s opinion: every rank follows from facts in your papers and a rule printed on the scenario page.” Two minutes: say that the setting is invented and that nobody in it is hurt or in danger. Anyone can take the observer role instead of ranking, and anyone can pass in the debrief.
Read the brief and rank alone
Hand out the scenario page, the item list and a score sheet to each person, and one fact card to each person from the group’s set. Say, “Your fact card is yours. Read it, but do not show it to anyone yet.” Three minutes: everyone reads in silence; offer to read the brief aloud. Seven minutes: each person writes a rank from 1 to 12 in the column “My rank”, in pen, without talking. Each rank is used once. Call the time at five minutes and at one minute.
Rank as a group
Say, “Now agree one ranking as a group and write it in the column ‘Group rank’. Do not average your sheets. You may read your card aloud, but keep it in your hand. If you are stuck on one item for two minutes, you may vote on that item; note that you voted.” Do not prompt the groups to share their cards. The observer, if there is one, fills in the observer sheet. Call the time at ten minutes and five minutes. At 15 minutes every group must have twelve group ranks, even if some are guesses.
Reveal the reference ranking and score
Four minutes: read the reference ranking from 1 to 12 with the reason for each rank, from the table “The reference ranking and why”. Say, “Each reason points to a sentence in your papers. If you think a rank does not follow, show me the sentence; I may have missed something.” Four minutes: each person writes the reference rank, works out the difference for each item without plus or minus signs, and adds the column. The group does the same for its own ranks and fills in the team box: each person’s total, the team average, the best individual total and the group total.
Debrief: how did the group decide?
Three minutes: ask each group to say its group total and its team average, and write them up. Do not rank the groups. Ask, “Who had a fact card that nobody else had?” and let people find out that all six cards were different. Seven minutes: work through the debrief questions. Start with the card that reached the group latest, or never: “When did you read it out, and what happened next?” Then ask what made the group change a rank: a fact, the rule, a vote or a confident voice. Use the observer’s notes where there are any.
Transfer round: six workplace requests
One minute: give each group one transfer sheet A and one sheet B; half the group reads A, half reads B. Say, “Same idea, a work setting. Before anyone gives a rank, each of you reads out the facts on your sheet.” Six minutes: the group agrees one order for the six requests with the team lead’s rule. Three minutes: read the reference order with the reasons from the table “Transfer round: reference order”, and the group adds up its differences. The largest possible total is 18.
Write one habit and close
Two minutes: each person writes, on the back of the score sheet, one habit for the next time their own team ranks or chooses something, for example “Ask everyone for facts before anyone gives a view” or “Write the rule down before we rank.” One minute: anyone who wants to reads theirs aloud or posts it in the chat. Passing is fine. Collect the cards.
Participant worksheet
Copy this table into a document, or print the worksheet from the bundle. Share only what you choose.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| The scenario | A fictional night in a boathouse on a tidal island, the warden’s six-point message and the ranking rule |
| The twelve items | What everyone knows about each item, in letter order |
| Fact cards | Six private facts, one card per person; each changes where one item belongs |
| Score sheet | My rank, group rank, reference rank and the two differences, with a team box |
| Observer sheet | When each card was read out, how each change was decided, and who spoke |
| Transfer round | Six workplace requests, a written rule and facts split across sheets A and B |
Debrief questions
- Which fact card reached your group last, or never, and what happened once it was read out?
- When a rank changed in your group, what changed it: a fact, the rule, a vote, or a confident voice?
- Did the group do better than its best member? What would the group have needed to do to use that person’s ranking?
- In your own team, where does a fact sit with one person, and how could it reach the group before a decision is made?
Adapt it for your group
- For a small group of four or five, run one group and share the cards as in “Sharing the six cards”. With three people, each person holds two cards; the scoring works the same way.
- For a 40-minute version, keep the opening (4 minutes), the individual ranking (10), a 12-minute group ranking, scoring (8) and a 6-minute debrief on the first two questions. Leave out the transfer round, and send its sheets as a follow-up.
- Online, send the scenario and the item list to everyone, and each fact card by private chat. Use breakout rooms of four to six with one shared table for the group ranking, and an individual copy of the score sheet. Cameras are optional; the debrief works in the chat.
- For quiet participants, or anyone who would rather not rank, offer the observer role. Ask groups to start the ranking with one minute in which each person reads their card or says “pass”. A person can also post their card in the group chat instead of reading it aloud.
- If the storm setting does not suit your group, run only the transfer round and extend it: 3 minutes alone, 8 minutes as a group, 4 minutes scoring. To write your own items, keep the same pattern: a numbered message, a ranking rule, and one private fact per card that moves one item.
After the session
Within one working day, send each person their habit from the close and the team box results, without names next to individual totals. At the next team meeting where a choice is made, ask the group to read out the facts each person holds before anyone gives a view, and to write the rule for the choice down first. After two or three such meetings, ask the team in five minutes whether the habit changed anything they could point to, such as a fact that came out earlier than it would have.
Questions people ask
What are good decision making games for teams at work?
Short exercises in which a team decides something with a clear right answer and then checks it, so that the team can see how it decided and not only what. A ranking exercise works well because every person ranks alone first, so the group’s result can be compared with each member’s. This kit is one such exercise, with a fictional storm-bound night in a boathouse, plus a six-item workplace round to carry the lesson back to work.
Where does the answer key come from?
From the papers. The warden’s message lists six points in order, the ranking rule says how to use them, and each fact card adds one fact that moves one item. The table “The reference ranking and why” shows the sentence behind every rank. There is no outside expert key, so a participant who finds a sentence that supports a different rank can show it, and you can adjust the score.
Do groups always do better than individuals?
No, and the kit does not claim it. The exercise is built so that pooling the six fact cards helps, because each card changes one item. Whether a group gains depends on whether the cards are read out and used. A group may do better than its own average while one member still does better than the group. The debrief is about how that happened.
Is this a copy of the classic survival ranking exercises?
No. The scenario, the items, the fact cards, the rule and the key are original to this kit, and nobody in the story is hurt or in danger. The private fact cards borrow the idea of a “hidden profile” from group research by Garold Stasser and William Titus (1985), in which members hold different information; the kit’s materials are its own.
How is this different from the problem solving activities and the prioritization matrix?
The problem solving activities kit takes a team through a real problem: facts, causes, options and a test. The prioritization matrix sorts real options by impact and effort. This kit is a practice game with a known answer, so the team can see how it shares facts and settles disagreements before it uses those tools on real work.
What is included in the free and editable files?
The open PDF has the scenario, the twelve items, the six fact cards, the score sheet with a team box, the observer sheet, the two transfer sheets, three filled examples, the 60-minute plan, the reference rankings with reasons and the debrief. Subscribers also receive the editable Word file, an Excel workbook that calculates every difference, total, team average and best individual for a group, scores the transfer round for four groups and summarises a room, and a CSV of the session plan.
How to use the files
Print the PDF, edit the Word file in Word or Google Docs, or open the CSV or XLSX in a spreadsheet. Open files need no email.
Can I use this with paying clients?
Yes. Use and adapt this original Superglue kit in your own training, including paid client sessions. Please share this page rather than redistributing the unmodified kit. Read the full usage terms.