More and more executive training programs are using games to build new skills. Not fun games, but “serious games” — video games that present simulated business environments designed to teach executives how to improve their decision-making abilities. An interesting Globe and Mail article by Graham Scott reports on the distinct advantages of these games over the long process of gaining real-life experience: a reset button, no consequence of failure, and immediate experience. Here’s a testament:
“I’m a big fan of the simulation,” says Tammi Langdon, a human resources consultant with Bell Canada who recently used [a business] game as part of a management training session. “Teaching people theory is one thing, but being able to apply that theory in real time drives home that concept really well. It’s a great team-building exercise.”
Of course, nothing quite matches real management experience, and simulations are unlikely to create all the nuances of the real deal. But as more and more younger workers fill upper-management positions, simulated training games should gain in popularity — who wouldn’t want to play video games at work?
