Chilean Mine Rescue: The Unstoppable Team

Subtitled “A Case Study in Group Decision Making,” this short film draws on one of the most dramatic news events of recent years—the 2010 rescue of 33 Chilean miners who were trapped underground for 69 days following a massive cave-in—to present a business training exercise. The effort to retrieve the men involved the participation of an international coalition of government and private entities—including the seemingly unlikely assistance of NASA. The successful liberation of the workers from their subterranean captivity serves here as a case study of how corporate teams can effectively achieve their own desired outcomes. In concept, the premise is strictly Business 101: covering the importance of having a clearly defined goal, the ability to reinforce the vision of the mission, the need to leverage the skills and talents of the multiple personalities involved in a project, the willingness to recruit outside partners when extra assistance is needed, and the versatility to adapt alternative solutions when initial strategies fail. A somewhat odd example for a corporate training work, it nonetheless serves as a vigorous reminder of the indefatigable spirit of the parties involved in the rescue and a stirring tribute to the bravery of the trapped miners and their anguished families during the extended period of the mission. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)