THE "VOTING OUT" DILEMMA - SCREENING EXERCISES/ACTIVITIES FOR MILITARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRST RESPONDERS, RESCUE UNITS, AND MORE

Disclaimer: The content provided by Dr. Moran Sciamama-Saghiv on physical screening for military, law enforcement, and similar professions is intended solely for educational and informational purposes. It does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice, nor does it establish any professional relationship. Readers must obtain proper medical clearance and institutional authorization before applying any information. Dr. Sciamama-Saghiv disclaims all liability for injury, loss, or misuse of the material.

I am Dr. Moran Sciamama-Saghiv, ex-Army officer and an expert of many years on screening processes (especially yet not limited to military with an emphasis on special forces; physical aspects). I offer consultation services and a variety of lectures related to the Israeli military. I would be happy to collaborate with you (if and when relevant). In the meanwhile, I invite you to read my blog post series on the screening processes for military, law enforcement, rescue units, first responders, etc.

In a previous series of blog posts, I have surveyed the multiple and diverse aspects of how to establish or improve a physically-based screening process for military, law enforcement, first responders, rescue units, and more. In this series we will focus on actual suggestions for exercises/activities that can be used in a screening process, and possible variations. Each blog post in the series will analyze the elements that the screening activity requires, "pros" and "cons", "do" and "don'ts", and how the screening activity serves as a tool in the hands of the evaluators.

In some cases, there is more than one way to conduct the exercise, analyze it, or experience it. We will survey both physically-based screening exercises/activities, and non-physical screening exercises/activities. Furthermore, many screening exercises are planned in a way that your ability to prepare for them is limited as much as possible (even with previous knowledge and practice) or simply are meant to examine if you meet the minimum requirements and nothing more.

The "voting out" dilemma is a non-physical exercise/activity that is meant to determine the social and/or professional hierarchy of the group. Accordingly, each candidate first must rank the team from most to least according to the trait or ability being ranked. Social aspects can include ranking your peers from most friendly to least or from best team-player to least. Professional aspects can include ranking your peers from best fire-fighter to least, fastest to slowest. The possibilities are endless.

The "Voting Out" Dilemma - and Then There Were Only Five!

Next, we instruct the candidates to choose who is excluded from the group? - the person with the most votes is made inactive or removed physically from the rest. This continues until there are two left. In the last act of the screening exercise/activity, the two remaining candidates must choose again.

There are multiple possible versions to the "voting out" dilemma that can be created by:

1. Changing the question each round.

2. Changing how many people are excluded randomly.

3. Keeping the voting process private (peers do not know who voted against them) vs keeping it public (peers know who voted against them).

4. Counting how many voted in favor (a positive mindset) vs how many voted against (a negative mindset).

5. Use more offensive and negative language. For example - "rank your peers from according to who you would like to dump the most to dump the least". The use of the term "dump" is usually considered as harsh. There are even more extreme options such as using the "F word" instead of "dump". There are also more subtle or nice options.

6. Giving the option to "save" a person excluded for two others (keeping the dynamic of reduction in people included from round to round). Limiting (or not) how many times they can "save" someone. This can created meaningful group and inter-personal dynamics.

7. There is an option to have a vote of "immunity" before and/or after the group knows what the exercise/activity entails. This shows who is considered "untouchable" or how consequences change the candidates decisions.

8. Leave the decision between the last two left to those that have excluded by them.

9. Allow a person voted out to plea their case, and then have another vote. This tests the power of persuasion candidates have.

10. Lie about the meaning of being excluded to give greater severity/weight to the decision. For example - convince the candidates that whoever is voted out, their changes of making it in, are terminated immediately.

11. Changing the amount of time to make a decision. Less time will increase the pressure, yet result in less "well-thought of" decisions, as well as more emotionally-based decisions. More time will decrease the pressure, yet result in "well-thought of" decisions and probably more strategic choice.

12. What does it mean to refuse to vote?

Group Dynamics as Part of a Screening Exercise/Dilemma

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