The militaries of quite a few countries use computer games and simulations to equally educate and train armed forces and officers in tasks and thought processes related to their missions and specializations.
This technique is moving (little by little) into the corporate world as well, and one of the places where it’s making the greatest inroads is in the realm of executive training.
From the perspective of training new managers in your own organization, computer games and board games can be used to huge effect, however, there are some downfalls. First, make sure that you’re aware of what objective you’re aiming for - education or guidance? Educational games focus on one nested set of decisions and tend to remain quite theoretical.
A good didactic game - focused on project management training for instance - should permit the players to explore the decision space reflected by that kind of game.
A training simulation is intended to measure how well a student is getting familiar and re-enacting knowledge and training techniques.
While a first person shooting game, like Doom or Counter Strike is no replacement for rifle training for a soldier, it’s an outstanding instrument to assess if soldiers have learned about movement, communications, and coordinated actions in an aggressive environment, as the same things that will keep you breathing in the field will keep you breathing in the game - moving from cover to concealment, mobilized over watch, and comparable concepts.
Schooling isn’t just regurgitation of doctrine and training, it’s acquainting of the decision creation processes.
For exedcutives (and officers in the military) there needs to be stress on education as well as training.
A good executive should be familiar with the decision making process of the layer of management that reports to him, and for two levels higher than him.
The same applies to a executive in most businesses.
Furthermore, an executive (or manager) ought to be able to assess challenges to his line of actions, be conscious of resources accessible to him, and with initiative, be able to use those resources without compromising the tactics of those higher than him.
When taking instructions from computer games, focus on the decision making loops, and focus on concepts.
While trying to turn computer games into planned schooling for your workers, remember that games are intended to be enjoyable.
Games that aren’t fun tend to get unconstructive criticism from the players, and the teaching imparted by them don’t stick.
Focus on how the core concepts of the game will assist your new executives work in your company, but let them take pleasure in what they’re doing - people find out more, and take in the lessons better, when they’re having fun.
So, the first time you’re trapped playing a computer game in the workplace, maybe you can defend it as certified development.
Read full article Using Computer - and Other Games - to Learn Project Management Skills
- Steven L. Jacobs
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