The rig: A leadership practice game to train on debiasing techniques

Cognitive biases such as myopic problem representation, group think, the conjunction fallacy, and confirmation bias impair effective decision making. Therefore, successful leadership should be able to spot and mitigate circumstances that promote cognitive biases. To understand and experience the consequences of cognitive biases and to teach and train on adequate countermeasures (debiasing techniques), this article presents a serious game for leadership practice. In a round-based game, a group of participants works as a team to make decisions constrained by time, uncertainty, lack of information, and conflict. The game simulates the last stages of finalizing deep sea oil exploration. While the game focuses on behavioral learning outcomes, the final debriefing emphasizes emotional aspects to achieve a long-lasting learning effect. The debriefing reveals that the game is not artificial but mimics exactly the stages that led to the real catastrophe at the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.