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Learning project management skills while playing computer games
By | October 26, 2009
The militaries of quite a few countries use computer games and simulations to equally teach and coach armed forces and officers in tasks and thought processes related to their missions and specializations.
This technique is moving (slowly) into the corporate world as well, and one of the places where it’s making the greatest inroads is in the realm of decision-making training.
From the perspective of training novice managers in your own business, computer games and board games can be used to great effect, though, there are some downfalls. First, make sure that you’re aware of what goal you’re aiming for - education or training? Educational games focus on one nested set of decisions and tend to remain quite theoretical.
A high-quality 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 designed to measure how well a student is absorbing and re-enacting knowledge and training techniques.
Though a first person shooting game, like Doom or Counter Strike is no replacement for rifle training for a soldier, it’s an excellent tool to observe if soldiers have learned about movement, communications, and coordinated actions in a hostile situation, as the same things that will keep you alive in the field will keep you alive in the game - moving from cover to concealment, mobilized over watch, and similar concepts.
Education isn’t just regurgitation of principles and training, it’s acquainting of the decision making processes.
For exedcutives (and officers in the military) there needs to be stress on teaching as well as guidance.
A excellent officer should be familiar with the decision creation process of the layer of management that reports to him, and for two levels higher than him.
The same applies to a manager in most companies.
Furthermore, an executive (or supervisor) should to be able to assess challenges to his line of actions, be aware of resources available to him, and with initiative, be able to use those resources without compromising the plans of those higher than him.
When taking instructions from computer games, focus on the decision creation loops, and focus on concepts.
When trying to turn computer games into planned education for your employees, keep in mind that games are intended to be enjoyable.
Games that aren’t fun tend to get negative criticism from the players, and the teaching imparted by them don’t stick.
Center on how the core concepts of the game will help your fresh executives work in your business, but let them enjoy in what they’re doing - people learn more, and take in the lessons better, when they’re having fun.
So, the next time you’re trapped playing a computer game in the office, 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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