Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.
Benjamin Franklin
Studies show that through the use of games, information comes alive in interesting ways to better facilitate a student’s learning experience. This enables them to quickly cultivate knowledge and equip them with the skills to progress.
The idea behind gamification, according to US-based gamification consultancy, Bunchball, is that one takes the data-driven techniques that game designers use to engage players and then apply them to non-game experiences so you can motivate actions that can add value to your business.
It’s clear to see that the idea of gamification has caught on, in mainstream circles, with many top organisations embracing it wholeheartedly. One such gamification approach is simulation-based learnings.
It is because of the effectiveness of gamification as a learning tool that the idea of Developing Business Centric Leaders, a business simulation programme was developed. A collaborative effort between LeadWomen and ProfitAbility of UK, this two-day programme which was initiated last year, takes the approach of developing business and financial acumen to provide engaging, memorable and highly relevant experiential learning through tailored business simulations.
This programme is designed to give a global overview of how a company works, and to make the learning of strategic planning, marketing and financial concepts as easy and as enjoyable as possible.
The key word here is ‘relevant’ – and the focus is on – how it is relevant to the roles of the managers and the desired business outcomes. Coupled with the fact that learning is re-enforced in the workplace, this then ensures that the learning is readily applied and ‘sticks’ forever. In essence, it is embedded in the learner’s thinking processes and behaviour during the business simulation activities.
How does this work?
For example, when learning financial basics, a board game style business simulation is pretty effective because it is visual, tactile, social, and lastly, transparent. The game board is a visual Balance Sheet. It shows you exactly where your money is tied up at any one time. There are no hidden algorithms spitting out results without you knowing how it happens. The simulation developed by ProfitAbility Business Simulations Ltd, UK is used by global companies like Nestlé, Siemens, Volkswagen, GKN and Roche as well as leading B-Schools such as the London Business School.
ProfitAbility has a great track record in teaching business acumen which enables managers to run their businesses better, as opposed to providing detailed financial training which is often unrelated to their day to day jobs. While a small number of financial concepts are fundamental to understanding business, LeadWomen’s focus here is firmly on giving people the knowledge they need to do their job better and making sure that they know how to use it, and then do use it subsequently for both their personal and their business’s profitability.
Aimed at professionals in leadership positions who are looking to develop an understanding of strategy, operations and finance, you can find out more about the programme at www.lead-women.com/sc-dbcl
#board #leadership #women #strategic #gamification
