Applications

Taking Skills To A Higher Level

There's a choice of six standard Business Game Options providing different numbers of decisions or trading periods; these cover the vast majority of requirements. With most of the policy decisions unrestricted, there are more permutations and combinations than the game of chess. Even if every human on the planet played every day for a billion years, no two events would be the same!

There are further similarities with the game of chess, the most obvious being the absence of dice. Luck plays no part whatsoever. Success requires clear priorities, objectives and strategies, coupled with an ability to understand competitor tactics, challenge assumptions and adapt to unexpected developments.

The flexible configuration means that Business Games can be integrated with training programmes and other events. A word of warning though. Competition can be intense and conference speakers tend to be asked significantly more questions than usual after their presentations, as teams seek to find better ways of applying new ideas.

Most Business Games events have between three and five teams competing in a group. For Partners working with a single start-up or micro-business, the client can act as a solo team, competing against "ghost" teams. These can have fixed strategies and decisions, or the Partner can adjust competitor responses individually, in response to the client team's policies.

Customised Versions

In the unlikely event that one of the six standard versions doesn’t quite match the needs of a client, it is possible to change the number of trading periods or decisions. Other changes to suit local requirements can also be provided.

Hybrids

Occasionally, Partners ask for additional decision input and outcome parameters to be added. An example is in safety training (including incident reporting and accident investigation) where the consequences of mistakes can include injuries, fatalities and hefty fines. The objective is to show how complacency in everyday compliance procedures can quickly translate into unacceptable or even catastrophic results.