Load video: Counter Intelligence Introduction Video

Counter Intelligence

10-20 Minutes

Ideal for 6 - 15

Possible for 5 - 20

Test your leaders' critical thinking and task supervision skills with Counter Intelligence

Overcome fragmented data without sharing any visual clues
Develop task supervision skills in a 15-minute challenge
Spark profound discussions on corporate compliance and leadership ethics
Push teams beyond comfort zones to build "antifragile" learners

Counter Intelligence is designed to focus learning on:

Collaboration
Effective Communication
Instruction & Delegation
Problem Solving
Strategic Thinking

£99.00

Shipping calculated at checkout.

Available in stock

Next working day dispatch on all products
12 month unconditional guarantee

Activity Overview

Are your leaders struggling with information silos, critical thinking, or task supervision under pressure? Counter Intelligence is a high-impact, experiential problem-solving activity designed specifically to tackle these issues for first-line supervisors and executive teams.

Ideal for groups of 6 to 16, this intense 15-minute "pressure cooker" simulation isolates the crucial variables of information management and logical deduction. Participants are dealt face-down instruction cards and must collaborate to arrange coloured counters into a specific shape. The catch? They are strictly prohibited from showing their cards to anyone else. This intentional data fragmentation forces teams to rely on robust verbal communication, mutual trust, and "The Art of Representation"—accurately communicating their own clues while interpreting their colleagues' data without visual aids.

Beyond pure logic, Counter Intelligence operates within strict behavioural "rules," sparking profound debrief discussions about corporate compliance, ethics, and whether leaders prioritize following instructions or achieving the objective. By allowing for discomfort and the real possibility of failure, it pushes delegates out of their comfort zones to build "antifragile" learners who thrive in uncertainty.

Whether you are running a corporate leadership conference or a university workshop, this durable toolkit provides enough materials for two concurrent groups of six and requires minimal facilitator intervention. If you want a fast, hands-on, and verifiable way to test a team's ability to establish processes and manage human inputs, Counter Intelligence is an essential addition to your training portfolio.

Click on the thumbnail below on the right to view a recording of a live demonstration of the Counter Intelligence activity, and a discussion of the learning applications and review options.

Learning Objectives

Exhibit strong task (and process) supervision skills
Observe both process and task instructions to be considered ‘successful’
Establish and control a problem solving process that incorporates all players
Give clear instructions to all players based on information provided
Manage each other’s inputs and progress according to the information they have
Problem solving and strategic thinking skills
Team communication skills

FAQs

What's the main learning focus for this activity?
Counter Intelligence is a group problem solving activity designed originally by Steve Hutchinson and Helen Lawrence to be used with sub-groups of around 6 people in a supervisor development programme. It focuses on task supervision: establishing and controlling a process, giving clear instructions, asking for and summarising inputs and setting out next steps.
What are some of the key behaviours that will lead to sucess in this task?
This activity works well at first line supervisor level and allows group members to exercise a range of communication and strategic thinking skills. It involves active participation from all group members as each is required to contribute their information in order to complete the task, and a leadership role can be assigned (or left to emerge from within the group).
What other area of learning can the activity be extended to in the review?
A range of information is provided to the participants: some relates to the task performance and others to the process and ways that the participants behave. 'Rules’ are provided and the review will typically include to what extent these ‘rules’ were observed, and whether or not the rules are 'important' or not in order to complete the task. The exercise can develop into an exploration of values - is the objective to obey the instructions or to complete the required shape?

What's Included

Activity Contents:

2x Sets of 32x Coloured counters,
32x Instruction / task cards,
Facilitator manual

Package Weight: 0.8kg

Downloads

Counter Intelligence (PDF • 529.71 kB)

Delivery & Returns

Delivery

Product prices shown do not include delivery costs We use international and local courier services to provide a fast, secure and traceable shipping service to our customers. Typically we will ship within one working day of receiving your order (if received by 14.00 local time), and your goods should be with you wherever you are in the world within one week!

All our prices for International Export (from UK or USA) are DDU (Delivery Duty Unpaid), so you may be required to clear your local import customs authority and possibly be required to pay import duties.

We do however note that all our products are for educational use and supply a customs invoice showing local variations of the HS Code relevant to our training tools:

902300 - apparatus designed for education purposes, unsuitable for other uses

Returns

We provide a 12 month unconditional guarantee. If you have any problems with our materials, we will replace any defective parts, or you can return the product for a refund.

Counter Intelligence

£99.00

Watch Counter Intelligence in action

5 stars: 3 (100%)
4 stars: 0 (0%)
3 stars: 0 (0%)
2 stars: 0 (0%)
1 star: 0 (0%)

A great follow on from the Workstations exercise

Having previously used the Workstations exercise, with a group of 9 on a leadership development programme, this was a perfect follow up exercise. They applied their collective and personal prior learning on how to work together brilliantly as a team. They also recognised the need not to make assumptions based on a past experience!

Great Icebreaker for Empowerment Session

Counter Intelligence worked very well for us - a group of 50 people spent their first 20 minutes working in self-directed teams on a challenging but fun exercise - really set us up well for the rest of the Workshop

A relatively quick exercise that is rich in learning

There were lots of important lessons for effective teams, and the most memorable though from a participant in the de-brief was that "everyone has something valuable to contribute". This was particularly poignant for the group in question, who are often dominated by a small number of people.
I was pleased that there were two sets of the activity in the kit

Our Clients

We like to work with anyone who wants to use powerful, active, memorable experiential learning activities & processes in individual, team, management & leadership training.

Whether working remotely or face to face, and whether we're helping you improve your offering to your client, or helping your learners directly, we want to make your learning more engaging and effective.

Consultants

We work with training consultancies and independent trainers, helping you to identify appropriate tools and resources to integrate into your own client work, and helping you strengthen relationships with your clients.

Learn More

L&D Advisors

We work with internal Learning & Development specialists, supporting you in sourcing the right activities and processes to achieve the learning outcomes your business partners need to move forward.

Learn More

HR, Managers & Directors

We work with HR and Line Managers, Business Leaders and Senior Executive Teams, supporting major organisational developments, addressing specific business problems and achieving aspirational business goals.

Learn More

Educators

In the world of education, we work in leading international business schools and universities, in further and vocational education and in the later years of school as young people prepare for employment.

Learn More

Next business day shipping on almost everything

Next Day Shipping

All orders received by 2pm are shipped next business day

Shipping & Delivery

Secure Payment

Shop with confidence knowing your payments and your information are secure

30-Days Free Returns

Enjoy the freedom of stress-free shopping with our hassle-free and return policy.

Return & Refunds

Counter Intelligence

Test your leaders' critical thinking and task supervision skills with Counter Intelligence

Counter Intelligence is designed to focus learning on:

Activity Overview

Learning Objectives

FAQs

What's Included

Downloads