Strategy focused simulation experiences
When we think about how best to develop our leaders for the future, we spend a lot of time obsessing about message, and perhaps not enough time obsessing about method. Leadership development is not just about sharing information, but also about the process through which we engage with it.
Books and lectures will always play an important role in strategy education, but simply transmitting knowledge doesn't necessarily lead to a shift in behaviour. We shift our behaviour when we discover things for ourselves.
'Knowledge cannot be pushed into a brain; it needs to be pulled in.'
– Chris Anderson, head of TED
Business simulations allow you to leverage a method for strategy education that is highly compelling. We get to co-create learning experiences that are:
experiential & interactive - Simulations allow us to turn information into interactive experiences that grab people's attention. They are fun! They spark people's curiosity. We create stories in which participants get to play the leading role. It is all about them as learners – their decisions, their discovery, their journey.
big-picture thinking – A simulation is a simplification of reality designed to promote understanding. It allows us to strip out real-world complexity so we can understand how things connect within the wider system and how small changes to one part of the system influence other parts. Just like we use maps to help us navigate cities, we can use simulations to help us understand how to navigate a complex business world.
risk-free practice - We need learning experiences that allow us to contrast and compare the impact of different choices. We need a safe space in which people don't need to be defensive about their chosen course of action, but where they can explore new ideas and different possibilities. It's not just about sharing knowledge to solve problems; it's about creating experiences that help develop the adaptability skills that leaders need to deal with a future that is uncertain.
Creating a strategy focused simulation experience is about two things - it's about sharing a powerful message (your strategy), using a powerful methodology (a business simulation). And if message and method work together in harmony, the need for behaviour change is not forced – it's discovered.