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The Search For The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine

The Search For The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine is a simulation that explores the human interplay of the individual with self, others, and the environment. This holistic perspective is one of the key differentiators, which makes Simulations extremely effective.

The Search For The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine generates curiosity, understanding, commitment, and leadership to enhance strategy in the organization.

It is a simulation by Performance Management Company, and Square Sequel Consulting acquired its license in 2007, and we have been playing The Search for the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine game since then. It has improved all types of businesses on a global scale, resulting in substantial advances in communication, cooperation, leadership, resource management, and team dynamics. It motivates employees at all levels to improve their performance and create value for the company.

It is conducted when an organization wants to –

  • Come out of the silo culture at work.
  • Imbibe creativity, proactiveness, and optimism in the teams.
  • Build a sense of trust in the leaders.
  • Align organizational goals with the employee goals.
  • Encourage collaboration among the teams rather than competition.
  • Enhancing employee efficiency in quick decision-making.
The Search For The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine Simulation is exhilarating, visually stimulating, and highly interactive, creating an ideal learning environment that is complemented by rich debriefing materials that encourage solid learning points and an emphasis on implementation. With regard to the self, Simulations take into account the psychological profile, values, beliefs, biases, and prejudices of the individual along with his competencies as well as mental, physical, and emotional fitness.
It also takes into account the existence of other people affecting the individual like family & friends (personal) as well as external and internal customers, team, supervisor & subordinates (professional). And finally, it addresses the environment affecting the individual, which includes competition, market forces, and availability of resources. Thus, Simulations Conducted by Square Sequel Consulting provide a solution that is a conjunction of the individual along with the self, other people, and the environment in which the individual operates

How Does It Add Value?

The advantages are manifold, first and foremost, the learning gets translated into practice during the program itself. 

This aspect of Simulations bridges the gap between the “classroom” and the “workplace.” It also addresses all forms of learners who may be either visual, auditory, or tactile/kinesthetic learners. 

We at Square Sequel Consulting ensure the continuous engagement of participants as well as associative recall. Hence the retention of learning by the participants who undergo simulations is very high.

It also addresses the “Complete” person. It takes into consideration not just the mind and body, but also an individual’s intellect and emotion. And it also simulates “real conditions”, i.e., the unknown and ever-changing environment, competition, failures, successes, and ‘survival through speed.’ And all through the program, we ensure a spirit of camaraderie through a common objective as well as experience-based action planning.

Details About The Game

Apache Junction is the starting and ending point, located at the bottom left of the poster that teams use for their planning and tracking. Note that The Lost Dutchman’s Mine is near the top-right of the map. In the corners are Supply Depots where teams may also exchange resources should they not have planned their resource consumption well. Teams have the choice of three trails to the Mine.

The safest and most straightforward route is up the middle, via The Plateau Trail. On this route, it takes 7 days to the mine. Teams get Gold every day in the Mine and teams must return to Apache Junction by Day 20 with the days being 2 minutes long.

Another route takes them across the higher-risk Low Country Trail. This route is apparently 5 days in length, although Tom’s Canyon Ford across the arroyo has been known to flood and impede progress. When the weather is beautiful, this trail also turns to mud, causing teams to use up extra fuel. A third option is The High Country Trail, so-called because it heads up toward Tortilla Flat. This route is apparently longer, but there is also information about Tortilla Flat available in the Library at Apache Junction.

This leads to a discussion of the weather patterns, which influence the mud on the Low Country Trail and which can cause increased consumption of resources during the Arctic Blasts, which may occur. Since teams have limited but sufficient resources, strategic planning is most critical to optimizing their results.

Results: However the focus is not at all on the “winning” team for a couple of reasons.  In the workplace, the jobs continue and who wins today is less important than continued improvement and the OVERALL success of the Group.

It can bring in 

  • Leadership – involving and engaging
  • Communications – within and between people
  • Profitability and Productivity
  • Quality Improvement and Cost Reduction
  • Collaboration
  • Mining Gold is a great metaphor for organizational improvement.
  • Gold is a great metaphor for evolution.

Perceived Outcome

The focus is not at all on the “winning” team for a couple of reasons.  

  • “The goal is to Mine as much Gold as We can.” – How the union – (sharing /working together/collaborating) takes the organization to the next level.
  • In the workplace, the jobs continue and who wins today is less important than continued improvement and the OVERALL success of the Group.
  • “We” is meant for all the teams. Maximize ROI (Return on Investment). Give the Expedition Leader the best results.