Karrieren-Poker

Game Introduction

Big Boss and HR Manager present themselves in appropriate attire and sell their idea:

"We are going to create a company that will be successful well past the turn of the millennium. Our company has four floors, each with a social layer. So an executive floor, cadre floor, worker floor, and unskilled worker floor. You decide in which position you will enter. However, this hierarchy can change later, of course.

We, as the business owners, provide the capital and expertise to run the company. You develop the product. The goal of the company is to become the market leader in sports. Our product should appeal to young people and must become a best seller.

You can present your product by means of a two-minute commercial. There is no time overrun, as advertising seconds are incredibly expensive!

Your product can be drawn, described or built. In addition, your "racer" needs a meaty name. You have 30 minutes for this assignment - time is money! The company looks forward to seeing successful products! Good luck."

Teenies will be divided into four groups that will remain throughout the event.

1st round of applications - Presentation of products

The ingenious inventions with equally ingenious names will be presented.

Judging will be done by the groups:

• The teams will receive Fr. 1800 (Monopoly money) from the Big Boss.
• Each group must distribute all of their money among the other three groups.
• In doing so, nothing may be bet on itself.
• The amounts distributed must be kept secret.

The money is collected in envelopes by the personnel manager.

Application interview

The product is important. The people behind it even more important! That's why it's all about choosing the right people now.

The hiring manager and the big boss have come up with an appearance of the company:

• confident appearance
• total commitment to the company
• Personal chit-chat and glee have no place
• Outward appearances such as dress, grades, and credentials do not have much value
• Motivation is crucial
• Big boss appreciates flattery
• Punctuality is important
• forgotten paperwork not so tragic if good will is there
• Family is not bad but not too many kids and not too much time commitment to it

These characteristics are needed to evaluate the following questions. One by one, one applicant per group tries their hand at answering. Who corresponds most to the company ideas, gets Fr. 50.

• You come in to the office and say hello. How do you do that?
• Describe your attire
• What excuse do you make when you are late for an interview?
• What do you actually think of my tie?
• The Big Boss drops something on the floor in between interviews. Which group picks it up?
• An employee comes to your office at 11:45 with a personal problem. How do you respond?
• The personnel manager wants to see your application documents - but you have forgotten them. How do you react?
• Do you have a family? What does it look like and what does it mean to you?

Now the envelopes with the money are distributed and counted by the groups.

Exchange

Every team now has the opportunity to grow (or lose) their capital. However, speculation on the stock market is voluntary. The group decides whether to bet and how much money to bet. They report their decision to the big boss.

Game setup: a deck of cards is laid out on a table. Teams send a delegate to turn over a card that affects the bet.

• Heart: doubling
• Scoop: loss
• Corner: stagnation
• Cross: draw again

Fixing the hierarchy

Whoever has the most money after the stock market gets to sit at the executive table, then the cadre, workers and unskilled workers follow.

This division is expressed primarily in the equipment of the tables:

The management has china plates, silverware, wine glasses, etc. They drink rimuss and orange juice.

The squad has camping plates, camping cups, and regular cutlery. They drink Coke and mineral water.

The staff have paper plates, plastic cups and plastic cutlery. They drink tea.

The unskilled workers have gamelles and a plastic spoon. They drink plain water.

Of course, they have to serve the bosses food and then also wash all the dishes and re-serve them. In order to prevent the serving from escalating, the leader has to make sure that it is serious. For the relief of the helpers, they only have to serve each boss once (they can get supplies themselves).

In this hierarchy, they eat the appetizer (e.g. salad and rolls). At the same time, they have to come up with a performance befitting their status on each floor, which is performed after the meal.

2nd round of probation

After the presentation of the performance Fr. 1800.- will be distributed to the groups again. This sum must be distributed to the other teams as in the first time.

Strike card

Although striking is unworthy of a true Swiss, this card can be won. However, it is only of use to unskilled workers. They can use it to refuse their Ämtli and the serving and washing up must be done by the workers. If another group wins the card, it can be sold at the end of the round. The card is won by the group that draws the shortest match at Big Boss.

Event: Theft

Unfortunately, there are thieves in our company too. Of course, it is never the upper floors, but the workers and unskilled workers are to blame.

They are allowed to hide the stolen items in bags and wool blankets and must present themselves one by one to the upper floors. The others, of course, are allowed to carry bags, etc., for confusion. Although you won't see the items, you can often tell by their behaviour whether they are carrying stolen goods or not.

The directors judge the unskilled workers. The cadre the workers.

For each person correctly guessed, the company gives Fr. 250.- bonus. If the smuggling succeeds, the lower layers receive the same sum.

Event: accident

Unfortunately, an industrial accident has occurred. This damages the reputation of the company and the directors are deducted Fr. 150 for loss of shares. Who else is at fault is decided with a game:

A course is marked out with traffic monarchs. This must be completed with a loaded pallet trolley or luggage trolley.

For every monster knocked over, a penalty is imposed

For each monarch knocked over, there is a fine of Fr. 100. The slowest group will also pay Fr. 300.

Exchange

As previously announced, the probation round will be completed on the exchange.

After that, the money is counted and the hierarchy is redefined. At most, the strike card may still be sold, which may still affect the division. After the definitive determination, the main course is eaten in this formation.

3rd Endurance Round

After washing up and being served up by the roustabouts(or strike carded by the workers), it's on to the endurance round. again, the economy doesn't mean well for us.

Event: environmental scandal with corruption

Unfortunately, a tiny bit of chemicals got into our sewage (but the public need not worry). Of course this hurts the image and the management loses Fr. 150.-. But again, it is clear that one department has to take the main blame. But which one? The culprits are determined with dice. Each group sends a delegate. They roll the dice one after the other. The first group to score 20 or more points is off the hook. The last one pays Fr. 500 for the environmental damage caused.

Before rolling the dice, however, the following must be noted: Corruption seems to exist in our company too... the big boss or the HR manager is on the take (must be agreed beforehand). The departments can decide if they want to bribe someone with Fr. 50.

If they bribed the right person and become guilty, then they don't have to pay the Fr. 500.-. But if they have bribed the wrong person and become guilty, they will pay Fr. 200.- in addition to the bribe and the fine because of the bribery affair that was triggered. Paid bribe without later proven guilt remains without consequences.

Event: tax fraud

No sooner is the environmental scandal over than the next calamity arrives, ready and waiting. The tax authorities have identified shortcomings in the accounting. Who made this mistake is found out with a simple exercise: All departments get the following bill: 15,233 + 16,105 - 2553 x 2 + 18,228 - 23 x 5 + 11,001 = 55,346

Each group that gives a wrong result is guilty and pays Fr. 200. The fastest one gets Fr. 300.- as a reward for special merits. The second Fr. 200.-. The third Fr. 100.-.

Event: love affair

Since Clinton at the latest, every company knows how damaging a love affair can be. Apparently, there are also in ours some hanky-panky, but they can only be tolerated within the departments. Gameplay: Four similar-looking guys from each department are selected by the personnel manager, and the groups designate a girl who must be taken out of sight. Once they are gone, the boys are stripped of rings and glasses in a separate room, and sweaters and pants are exchanged. They are then led back in and placed on four chairs provided. Then the girl of the first group is led in blindfolded. She now has to find out by touching and smelling which boy belongs to her section. Of course any noise on the part of the groups or the candidates is punished with a high fine. After 2 minutes at the latest the girl must have decided and she sits down on the knees of the chosen boy. If she guesses wrong, it will cost this department Fr. 300.- for lawyers to set the affair right again.

Event: product error

As a final event, another product defect happens to our company. Fixing it requires extreme speed and precision, and is rewarded accordingly.

Gameplay: The solution word (e.g. machine settings) is written down with four colors and the individual letters are cut out. These are distributed throughout the room. Each group is assigned a color. They look for the letters together and try to find out the solution word. The fastest group receives Fr. 500. Unfortunately, Fr. 100.- will still be deducted from the management due to the loss of production.

Exchange

The endurance round is completed - as already known - at the exchange.

After that, the money is counted and the hierarchy is reset. At most, the strike card may still be sold, which may still affect the division.

After the definitive determination, the dessert is eaten in this formation and the offices are performed.

4. Important Notes

If the devotion wants to be integrated, this works well as a table talk. Suitable topics include:

• Injustice at school/work
• Bullying
• Misogyny
• Serving one another
• Dealing with power/money God = big boss? Good deeds - reward, bad deeds - punishment?

The game leadership has good ways to keep discipline in check by punishing or rewarding foul remarks and good deeds with financial resources. It mustn't be overdone, though, or it takes on too much weight.

This game goes on for a long time. In the basic sports course with about 70 participants, the full version described took over six hours! So it can be played almost only in a camp or weekend.

It's worth it! Despite the length, the mood remains super and the teens are totally thrilled.

Source reference:

Content and cover image: Copyright BESJ, www.besj.ch

Author: Matthias Spiess, BESJ Team Secretary