Valley Crossing Problem.

Another fun activity in the class along with the important learning was arranged for us by Dr. Mandi. The name of activity was Valley Crossing Problem.  

What is Valley Crossing Problem ?

The problem is that 3 people have to cross a valley and the only resource they have is a rod. The width of the valley is such that it is longer than a step a person can take but shorter than 2 steps a person can take.
 

Solution :-

1. When the first person will take the first step, he will be half risky since one of his feet will be in air and other on the ground, at the same time other two people will be full safe.
 
2. Everybody will take one more step at this moment, first person will be fully risky and other two will be full safe. But since other two people will be holding the rod, with proper communication and trust the first person will not fall and so they can cross the valley.
 
3. This process will be repeated for other two persons. Every time they will be either half risky or full risky.
This is depicted in the diagram which will give the clear picture of the Valley Crossing problem.

 

Persons	First Person	Second Person	Third person
Step
1	Safe	Safe	Safe
2	Half Risky
3	Full Risky
4	Half Risky	Half Risky
5		Full Risky
6		Half Risky	Half Risky
7			Full Risky
8			Half Risky
9	Safe	Safe	Safe

  Learning from this activity :-

1. Team Work :- Team  Work ofcourse play a important role here . It is very much understood that the valley could not be crossed by the single person but  if we do any task (even to the highest extent of difficulty) in a team then we can definitely  can find a effective approach towards the problem and solve it easily . In this same way , organization performance cannot be generated individually , every person working in the organization should give their best shot in the work to achieve excellence. One of the very good example of team work which we see today is INDIAN Cricket Team. All the players in team India try to give (and they actually give) their best performance in cricket and hence result is in front of us. Team India is currently number one cricket team of One Day International Cricket. So, Team Work is very much important for the excellence.              


2. Communication :- Communication is perhaps the most important aspect to achieve anything. In this example , all three have to communicate continuously to achieve this task. Similarly, In an organization it is very important that every level of management, should co-ordinate each other and with the work force. Communication is best medium  to make others understand about his/her own plan, feeling , thought. A clear communication can help to bind the team together and achieve the task goal in efficient manner.

3. Trust :- If we working in the team , then trust also plays a very important role. Trust for three people crossing the valley is very important , as at different times, a particular person becomes  vulnerable and his safety lies in the hands of the other two people .Similarly, in the case for any small or large, significant  activity in any organization. As the success in any endevour of the of the organization hugely depends on teamwork, trust among the members is important for coordinating effectively to achieve the objectives of the organization. For example in Indian Cricket Team the captain shows his full trust on his team members and in turn team members also show their full support to the Captain. If this sort of structure prevails in the team or organization then no body can stop it from achieving the want they want.

4. Goal :- Goal setting determines the ultimate objective. As all the three people who were crossing the valley, has one and only one goal i.e. To Cross the Valley. If they would not have the common goal then , they could have never ever have succeeded in crossing the valley. 

5. Harmony :- Every member in the team and especially the leader should try to maintain the calm and harmony in the team or organization. Harmony in a way keep the environment and the work culture pleasant and this directly and indirectly boosts the efficiency of the team or organization. Here  also the three people work in harmony and no one seems to be irritated or annoyed. Had this been not the case , they would have failed. Like the captain of Indian Cricket Team , he seems to be very calm ,self motivated and this adds sparks to his fellow team members  which automatically brings positive energy  to the team.