第1698期：MBA大战幼稚园小童，你猜输赢几何？
五个顶级大学商学院毕业的MBA（business grads）、五个律师（lawyers）、五个CEO，五个幼儿园小孩（kindergarteners），如果让这四组人来比赛，你觉得哪一组胜出的几率最大？
很多年前，设计师Peter Skillman设计了一个小游戏，道具和要求都很简单。
四样物品：
· Twenty pieces of uncooked spaghetti 二十根生意大利面条
· One meter of masking tape 一米长的胶带
· One meter of string 一米长的绳子
· One standard-size marshmallow 一个标准尺寸的棉花糖
要求在18分钟内使用这四种东西搭建一个能自己立起来的东西，棉花糖要固定在最上面。搭建的东西最高者获胜。
Their task is to build a structure by using spaghetti, masking tap, some string and with marshmallow on the top.
这个小游戏进行了很多场，参与者形形色色，不下2000人。
你猜到这四组人里面哪一组的成绩最好，哪组表现最差了吗？
答案是：
Business grads表现最差
其次是lawyers，第三是CEO’s，表现最好的是Kindergarteners。
原因很简单，MBA学生们在开始动手搭建之前花了大量时间分析任务，制定目标和战略，选出小组的领导，设定分工，看似是个团队，但并没有产生合力。
幼儿园小童则不然，他们什么也没谈，直接上手就开始搭建。搭了一个塌了，再换一种方法，又倒了，再试一种方法，最后成功。就这么简单。
作者及这个游戏的研究者总结幼童们成功的关键时说：They tried and failed more than any others. That’s all.
这个游戏就是著名的棉花糖和意大利面游戏（the Spaghetti Tower Marshmallow Challenge）。
我昨天早上在一本书中读到这个故事，惊叹不已。本来只是打算随便翻翻，结果一口气看了两个多小时，连班都不想去上了。
一本好书，推荐给你：Culture Code, by Daniel Coyle.
作者对这个游戏结果的分析非常精彩：
The business school students appear to be collaborating, but in fact they are engaged in a process psychologists call status management. They are figuring out where they fit into the larger picture: Who is in charge? Is it okay to criticize someone’s idea? What are the rules here? Their interactions appear smooth, but their underlying behavior is riddled with inefficiency, hesitation, and subtle competition. Instead of focusing on the task, they are navigating their uncertainty about one another.
The actions of the kindergartners appear disorganized on the surface. But when you view them as a single entity, their behavior is efficient and effective. They are not competing for status. They stand shoulder to shoulder and work energetically together. They move quickly, spotting problems and offering help. They experiment, take risks, and notice outcomes, which guides them toward effective solutions.
Reference
http://www.peterskillmandesign.com/#/spaghetti-tower-design-challenge/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0_yKBitO8M
