Use the Right (Sim) Tool for the Job

Here at PriSim we love our experiential, multi-day, competitive simulations – and our clients do too.  They’re dynamic, complex, and the business-acumen lessons learned have a profound impact on our clients’ business results and on our participant’s careers.  Plus, the no-holds-barred sparring between the competing teams is more fun to watch than a Roman arena spectacle.

But a holistic business simulation that spans every aspect of the company or industry is not always the best answer for every learning objective – and shouldn’t be the only (sim) tool in your belt.

In fact, a simpler simulation approach delivered in a part-day agenda might actually produce a better ROI and be equally effective in moving your organization toward its business goals, particularly if:

  1. The time allocated for the course is short.
  2. Budgets are a limiting factor.
  3. The learning objectives are few and precise.
  4. There is a need to quickly scale-up and deliver focused training to many participants.
  5. The competition aspect (fun though it is) is not a key part of the learning objectives.

Simulation tools that can be incorporated into a focused and shortened course agenda and that provide experiential learning while also delivering a high ROI include boardgames and What-If tools.

Here’s a sample agenda and class portal for a 7-hour class we put together at PriSim titled “Insurance Carrier Finance for Non-Financial Manager”.  The class is hyper-focused on insurance industry finance and combines lectures, a boardgame, and a What-If tool.  Feel free to try out the What-If tool using the link in the Prework section.

So, choose the (sim) tool for the job wisely.  If it fits, we’d still advocate for a holistic, company-wide business simulation.  But also keep in mind the opportunities to deploy hyper-focused and simpler business simulation tools.

Because when it comes to business simulations, one size does not fit all.