Elementary, My Dear Watson It's an air-tight case: Staging business-related mystery events proves positive!
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There was no mystery about Michael Gordon's motives forgathering Angelo Gordon & Co.'s employees together. The NewYork City investment firm's co-owner and COO wanted to give his40 employees an evening of socializing, relationship-building andfun. The time and date were set. The place: a New York Cityrestaurant. Which left only one question--who done it?
Five years ago, Gordon, now 54, held a corporate mystery event.Over dinner, his employees were challenged to solve a make-believemurder staged by hired actors as part of an exercise inteam-building, problem-solving and icebreaking. "It was verygood," reports Gordon. "Everyone got involved, and it wasa fun, relaxing night."
It turns out plenty of other corporate types have been sleuthingin the name of management. Companies such as Dell Computer, SamsungSemiconductor and Hershey Chocolate are just a few of thename-brand firms that have hired one of the burgeoning number oftheatrical companies that mix mystery with business goals. And theidea works just as well for entrepreneurial firms.
The combination is a legitimate one, says Austin, Texas,communications consultant Lynn Segall. Although sleuthing mightseem far removed from everyday management practices, placingemployees in the middle of a pseudo-mystery is, if nothing else, agreat way to engage their attention while imparting a bottom-linebusiness message. And, Segall notes, "The amount ofinformation you [need to dispense these days] is so overwhelming,any chance to plug entertainment into training is a plus."
Mysteries in the Making
Participatory mystery theater originated in the 1970s when agroup of New York mystery writers started staging solve-it-yourselfcrimes for their own amusement. In 1981, two members of the group,husband
and wife Bill and Karen Palmer opened a New York City restaurantthat served make-believe mysteries with each entree. The restauranteventually morphed into Bogie's Mystery Tours, which producesmystery events.
Through this venture, the Palmers found a new market for mysteryevents among businesses. "We've done jobs for AT&T,Ford Modeling, Cunard Line, J.P. Morgan and The New Yorker,"Karen says. The events have included crime mysteries and scavengerhunts. Held in restaurants, hotels and even on cruise ships, someevents last as long as an entire weekend.
Today, dozens of companies nationwide offer similar events tobusiness clients. Charles Granade was a University of South Alabamasophomore when he scripted his first mystery for a collegefunction. The event's success led him to found GrenadeEntertainment Inc., an Austin, Texas, company that, since 1995, hasstaged dozens of mystery events for clients. "There's agreat future for this," says Granade. "To bring drama andacting into the workplace is really something new."
What's the Motive
What exactly do business owners see in mystery events? Theanswer, apparently, is an appealing combination of a good time anda good lesson.
Firms often tap the entertainment content in a mystery bystaging them for employees as incentives or rewards forsuccessfully completing demanding projects, says Palmer.
Better communication is another key benefit. Mixing employeesfrom different levels in temporary crime-solving teams lets juniorexecutives talk to CEOs on an equal level, says Granade. Customersand suppliers are also often invited. When customers enjoy a goodtime with their account executives, it can help seal profitablebusiness relationships, notes Granade.
Many mystery events stress team-building. Putting peopletogether in sleuthing teams allows them to practice the sameproblem-solving and communication skills they need at work, but ina more appealing environment. "The participants don'trealize they're doing a team-building [exercise], so it'smore fun," says Palmer. The pitch has found ready listenersamong business meeting planners and trainers.
Get a Clue
There's more to putting on a corporate mystery thanscattering a few clues and handing out magnifying glasses. Thebasic technique calls for using actors--perhaps augmented by a fewtheatrically-minded employees--to enact a not-too-convincing crime,then inform those in attendance that collaring a suspect is theirjob. Granade has, for instance, appeared at meetings as ateam-building trainer whose speech is interrupted when a stoogebursts in to announce that the company president has beenkidnapped. The employee/crime fighters are asked to searchthroughout the room or building for clues, then assemble them tocome up with a convincing solution.
Beyond these basics, the plot thickens. One trick is to makesure the script fits the company's culture and goals. Forinstance, Granade says that one client asked him not to base themystery on a violent crime. So his script revolved around the theftof an important plan. Kidnappings and scavenger hunts are othergore-free options.
It's important to involve as many people as possible. Officeclowns and company hams may be recruited as amateur actors. Otheremployees should be assigned to detective teams whose compositionis aimed at achieving team- or relationship-building goals. Forinstance, teaming salespeople with product developers can helpbreak down the barriers that typically exist between thesedepartments, says Granade.
Whatever you do, don't present a mystery that can't besolved within the time limit, which is typically a few hours."How would you like to spend three or four hours doingsomething that couldn't be solved?" asks Palmer. "Itwould be frustrating and, at the very least, not much fun."Ideally, she says, 10 percent of those in attendance should be ableto solve the mystery in the time allotted.
To get the most impact from your mystery, use a script writtenspecifically, or at least adapted, to your goals. Warns Segall,"Don't do team-building in a can."
Mysteries Better Left Unsolved
A mystery event can be a great way to kick off or wrap up aproject, but it's likely to be a bad idea if you face a seriouscrisis or deep-seated conflict in your company, warns Segall."You're not going to mend relationships or overcomedeep-set distrust with this lighthearted approach," hesays.
Cost is also a factor when deciding whether a mystery event isright for your company. It generally costs a minimum of $1,500 toput on a mystery event, which mostly covers the actors fees; largerevents can cost $5,000 or more.
If you're going to lay out that kind of money, mysteryplanners say you should make sure you have a solid business goalbeyond merely enjoying playing the part of sleuth. "Thisisn't just a mystery event," says Granade. "We mayhelp give people a good time, but if we haven't helped peopleunderstand one another, then we've failed."
Contact Sources
Bogie's Mystery Tours, 328 W. 86th St.,#4A, New York, NY 10024-3124, (212) 362-7569
Grenade Entertainment Inc., (512) 302-9569, fun@team-focused.com
Segall Resources, 1212 Guadalupe St., #408, Austin, TX78701, (512) 478-4308
