Shared Practice: Card Deck Activity

Perhaps you have a sibling who remembers shared childhood experiences very differently from how you recall them. It can seem surprising that two people who grew up in the same family could have such different perspectives. Or, consider another setting—that of a traffic accident. When police officers arrive and take information from witnesses, the multiple accounts can be quite different. One witness may claim that the vehicle ran through a red stoplight, whereas another witness feels certain that the light was still green. These situations, in which people perceive the same event very differently, happen frequently. Every person has a unique view of the environment, and people make sense of the world in different ways.

This happens in business settings as well. These different perspectives can result from various factors, such as having diverse roles in a company, or having different backgrounds or training. Think about how you have reacted in situations when this has occurred and whether it has made you question your own perspective.

As you review Senge’s chapter on “Mental Models” and the class notes “A Brief Note on the Theory of Constraints” (located in this week’s resources), think about constraints that you may experience in your daily life.

Shared Practice Activity

This week’s Shared Practice is slightly different from what you are used to in this course. You will participate in a Card Deck Activity that is designed to have you consider the impact of focus on decision making.

• For this Shared Practice you will be posting a total of five (5) times during the week.
• The first two posts you will make in the Discussion forum will occur by Day 3 and then by Day 5. These will simply consist of the results of round 1 and round 2 of the Card Deck Activity. (Hint: You can reply to yourself for the second round due by Day 5).
• The next post is your initial Shared Practice Discussion post will also be due by Day 5. You will use your results and results of your colleagues from rounds 1 and 2 to formulate your response outlined in the Shared Practice.
• Then, by Day 7 you will return to the Shared Practice forum and read through the posts and respond to two or more of your colleagues.

You will get started by thoroughly reading the directions for Card Deck Activity and then following them carefully.

• Have a sheet of paper and either a pen or pencil ready so that you can take notes.
• By Day 3 (when fresh and alert), view the media program by clicking the link.
• When the program starts, you will view 15 different cards flashing up on the screen, one at a time, in a non-sequential order.
• Record what you see.
• If you cannot identify a card, make a note of it.
• View the media clip only once.

Day 3

Post your initial results.

• Your post should include a list of the cards you saw in round 1.
• For the activity to be most effective, Please DO NOT read anyone else’s responses at this stage.
• Later by Day 3 or by Day 4, when you are not as alert, review the media clip once more.
• Record the cards you see.

By Day 5

Post your results from round 2 to the Discussion Board (i.e., the list of cards you saw during the second round of the activity). You can post these as a reply to yourself.

Also, by Day 5, complete an initial Discussion post after you have read through your colleagues’ results that were posted through Day 5.

• Provide an analysis that compares your results with those of your colleagues and summarizes any differences you observe. Be sure to integrate Senge’s discussion on Mental Models in Chapter 9 of the text into your analysis.
• Provide one or more examples from your professional experience in which you think similar results are likely to occur and what steps you could take to address any implications.

By Day 7

Respond to at least two of your colleagues – try to select someone whose results differ from your own. Your responses should include, at a minimum, the following, based on what you have learned from the activity:

• A summary of what you think the implications are, based on the comparisons that your colleague made.
• An explanation of why there are differences in results, and any steps that can be taken to address the implications of these differences.

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