Jonathon Strangeways

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Jonathon Strangeways is dead! Your project team holds the vital clues which will solve this murder mystery, but can they work together to discover the facts? Do they take the time to evaluate each other’s ideas? Will their standards relax when the going gets tough? How well do they communicate?
Jonathon Strangeways goes beyond conventional lessons is communication by demonstrating how factors such as experience, attitude and perception will influence the choice and interpretation of every word or phrase.

Objective

Team members will be able to :

• Identify the factors that affect communication
• Recognise and avoid the common causes of communication failure
• Check and adjust their communication style
• Understand the contribution good communication makes to effective teamwork and improved performance

How it works

The clues that will identify Jonathon Strangeways’ killer are scattered among the players on a series of cards which are dealt at random. The only way to find the culprit is for the team to discover what each of its members knows.  Details which appear to have little significance in isolation can become a major item of evidence when connected with someone else’s information.  Players have to separate fact from supposition, evaluate every member’s contribution, make deductions, and agree on their suspect.  Will their communication skills be up to the task?

What participants will be doing

As individuals, considering the information provided on the cards held. As group members during the activity, discussing how the information held by all the various members can be used to solve the problem. As individuals at the end of the activity sharing their experience of the communication process, how it worked and areas for improvement.

For what levels is it appropriate?

All those seeking to understand how the communicative process works, and how they contribute to it.

Included

Tutor manual; Problem cards; Observers brief and prompt sheet; Team member's questionnaire; and all supporting documentation.