The Secret to Winning Our Business Strategy Game
Published Date
Some time ago I heard a client talking, 5 years after the fact, about how her team should have won in a the Income/Outcome business simulation. It got me thinking about healthy competition in a business strategy game... and about why some teams win.
Here are a few clips of businesspeople telling their strategy for winning. The footage is from an Income/Outcome business simulation workshop. The first clip is Dr. Alison Keefe talking about how her team should have won that game she had played, 5 years earlier!
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaCA5XOxf3A[/embed]
Stealth learning works!
Notice how everyone seems to be totally engaged? They are playing Better Business Decisions (formerly called Entrepreneurial Challenge)–a fun 4 hour, open-ended business simulation ideal for developing business acumen through "stealth learning." Stealth Learning happens when people are so engaged in the game (and having fun) that they actually forget they are there to learn.
But while they are having fun competing to win, they are actually learning business finance, and gaining practice using tools.
'Fun' can make a huge difference in the value you receive from training. That's because boring business lectures (or simulations) prompt learners to disengage–which means they miss out on precious learning opportunities.
The Better Business Decisions simulation is all about working in teams to operate a business in a simulated competitive market. The teams make all the decisions: production, marketing, sales, finance, and they own all the results. Participants gain a big picture understanding of business, familiarity with financial statements, importance of cash flow, and more. And beyond helping to build business acumen, participants deepen professional friendships and have fun collaborating to win in a challenging environment.
Your two cents?
Have you played one of our business strategy games? What tips would you give someone heading into one?
Updated January 2025
