From Board Games To Learning Simulations: The Evolution Of Strategic Thinking Training

Let's take a trip down memory lane to our childhood. Do you remember the good ol' days when we used to play board games with our family and friends? Whether it was Monopoly, Chess, or Risk, we used to spend hours strategising and trying to outsmart each other. Those games were more than just a fun way to pass the time - they were actually challenging our minds and teaching us valuable strategy skills.

But as we grew older and life got busier, our board games collected dust and our strategic thinking skills slowly dulled. However, it's time to bring those skills back to the forefront. In today's fast-paced business environment, strategic thinking is more important than ever before. It's the ability to think critically, plan ahead, outpace competitors, and make proactive decisions in the long run.

So, how can we enhance our strategic thinking at the workplace? The answer lies in bringing back those beloved games but in a corporate setting.

This is where gamified business simulations come into play. Yes, simulations! They are proving to be one of the most impactful tools for strategic thinking training at the workplace.

Before we delve deeper into the role of Learning simulations in enhancing strategic thinking, let's first understand what strategic thinking actually means in the context of the workplace.

Strategising Our Way Through The Modern Workplace

As strategic psychologist Dr Max McKeown says, "Strategic thinking is the ability to see the whole chessboard, anticipate moves and counter-moves, and develop a winning strategy."

In simple terms, strategic thinking involves understanding the big picture and thinking 5, 10 or even 20 steps ahead. It's a crucial skill in the modern workplace, where companies face a rapidly changing business environment and increasing competition.

A great example is Netflix. Netflix changed the game of the entertainment industry forever by thinking ahead of its time. The company realised that streaming was the future of entertainment and ushered in the 'OTT' age as we know it, enabling customers to watch what they preferred, wherever and whenever they wanted. Today, it is the most subscribed OTT streaming service in the world!

Clearly, strategic thinking is critical for a company to sustain itself in the long run. Yet, it is found that only 15% of executive leadership teams discuss strategy for more than an hour per month, and 50% don't discuss it at all.

Here are a few key reasons why strategic thinking, and especially its training, needs to be prioritised:

Understanding organisational goals: Strategic thinking helps employees understand the big picture and develop a roadmap for achieving their personal goals and that of the organisation. This can help the company stay focused and make progress towards its objectives.

Planning & prioritising: Strategic thinking involves analysing a situation from multiple perspectives, weighing the pros and cons, and considering potential outcomes. This approach can lead to informed decisions, better resource allocation and overall effectiveness.

Driving innovation: For a company to remain competitive and grow, it needs to innovate. Strategic thinking helps employees identify emerging market trends and customer demands, develop creative solutions, and take calculated risks. This can lead to innovation and help the company stay ahead of its competition.

Adapting to change: The business landscape is constantly evolving, and companies need to be able to adapt to stay relevant. Strategic thinking can help employees anticipate changes and develop strategies for adapting to them. This can help the company stay nimble and agile in the face of uncertainty.

Although, the importance of strategic thinking can't be stressed enough, traditional corporate training methods often fall short of developing strategic thinking in employees. Let's understand why.

The Downside Of Training Without Gamification

Lack of active engagement: Traditional training methods such as lectures and presentations often fail to fully engage employees in the learning process. Passive learning, where employees simply listen to a trainer or instructor, may not be effective in helping them develop strategic thinking competencies.

Limited practical application: Traditional training methods may focus more on theory and less on practical application. Employees may learn about strategic thinking concepts, but they may not be able to apply them in real-world scenarios.

Insufficient feedback: Often, learners may not receive constructive feedback or may have to wait till the end of the course to receive feedback on their performance. This can make it difficult for employees to identify areas for improvement and make meaningful progress in their development.

One-size-fits-all approach: Traditional training methods may use a one-size-fits-all approach, where the same training is delivered to all employees regardless of their individual needs and learning styles. This can limit the effectiveness of the training in developing strategic thinking skills in employees.

Digital Simulations Adding A Dash Of Gamification

To overcome the challenges mentioned above, organisations use a range of methods and tools, including learning simulations and gamified learning platforms, to help employees build their strategic thinking abilities and apply them in the workplace.

Simulations are essentially digital recreations of real-life scenarios, allowing employees to experience different situations and outcomes in a safe and controlled environment. They can range from basic decision-making exercises to complex virtual reality simulations.

Active learning: The beauty of learning simulations is that they allow employees to learn by doing. Instead of passively listening to a lecture or reading a manual, employees can actively participate in the learning process.

Highly engaging: Traditional training methods can be dry and boring, causing employees to lose interest and tune out. Simulations, on the other hand, provide gamified learning that involves immersive storytelling and interactive business scenarios, capturing employees' attention and keeping them engaged throughout the training process.

Training that sticks: Through gamified learning simulations, employees can experiment with different strategies and see the outcomes in real-time. This helps to reinforce the lessons learned and makes the training more memorable.

Progress tracking: Gamification elements like game points, mastery levels, and leaderboards encourage learners to reflect upon their actions, track their progress, and try to outperform their peers. Just like any game, it sparks people's natural desires for competition and reward, motivating them to keep climbing the scoreboard.

Real-time feedback: Constructive feedback throughout the learning journey allows for reflective observation and helps employees to re-look at their strategies, identify areas for improvement, and continuously grow.

Safe environment: Learning simulations also provide a safe space for employees to make mistakes. In the real world, mistakes can be costly and have serious consequences. However, in a gamified simulation, employees can make mistakes without any negative impact on the company. This allows them to learn from their mistakes and then apply those lessons to real-world situations.

Customisable: Strategising is more fun when you can relate to the challenge on a personal level. In the same way, learning simulations can be personalised to make each challenge more relevant and meaningful. For example, a company in the healthcare industry could use simulations to train employees on how to handle medical emergencies. A financial services company could use simulations to teach employees how to identify and mitigate financial risks. The possibilities are endless.

Winning The Strategy Game At Work

In conclusion, strategic thinking is a crucial skill in the modern workplace that allows employees to think critically, plan for the future, and make informed decisions. While traditional training methods may fall short in developing this skill, gamified simulations are an effective learning solution. Investing in learning simulations as a tool for strategic thinking training can be a valuable asset for businesses looking to stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive in today's fast-paced business environment.

Enparadigm is one such company that offers a gamified learning platform for talent development that enables organisations to develop strategic thinking abilities in their employees. Through the use of engaging gamified content, an experiential training approach, and AI-led solutions, organisations can build an edge in today's competitive market.

Visit our website to know more:
https://www.enparadigm.com/catalyx-talent-intelligence-platform

Enparadigm
Metro Station, The Summit Business Bay (Omkar), 604, 6th Floor, behind Western Express Highway, Andheri East, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400093
marketing@enparadigm.com

Enparadigm: AI-Driven Experiential Learning Simulations for Leadership Development Enparadigm is reshaping how organisations approach employee upskilling by harnessing the potential of AI-powered talent intelligence and experiential learning solutions.With an emphasis on application-oriented and adaptive training, we are committed to empowering organisations with the adequate knowledge and skills.

This release was published on openPR.