Training Magazine - October 2007 - (Page 6) editor’s note Game Plans sing games in training—video games, virtual world games, board games, any kind of games—sounds like a good idea. It’s fun for employees and right up the alley of those Gen Yers who were born with a video game controller in one hand and a mouse in the other. But convincing your CEO that playing games on corporate time makes business sense might be another story. “We don’t call it games,” admits Jonas Åkerman, president and CEO of vendor BTS USA. “Top executives don’t have time for games.” That leads to the question,“Are simulations games?” Based on some intense online exchanges among training professionals, that philosophical question ranks right up there with “What came first—the chicken or the egg?” Many seem to feel that the terms “games” and “simulations” are not to be used interchangeably. In his book, “Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning,” Karl Kapp cites a quote from Booz Allen Hamilton associate Mark Oehlert: “The most compelling distinction for me is that games construct their own reality, but simulations seek to recreate a certain slice of an existing or past reality.” As such, Kapp writes, simulations can run the gamut from physical procedures (i.e., flight simulator) and software emulation (tutorial on how to use software) to operational simulations (teaching organizational procedures), principle-based simulations (i.e., simulated team meeting or negotiation), and problem-solving simulations (learners are given an environment with rules and told to accomplish a broad task). For trends, case studies, and tips on simulations, plus a look at virtual worlds and games, see our special section beginning on p. 39. On the game front, MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) represent a growing business that, according to TowersGroup, will reach 40 million people and generate more than $9 billion in revenue by 2010. As detailed in their report, “Leadership in a Distributed World: Lessons from Online Gaming,” Michael DeMarco, Eric Lesser, and Tony O’Driscoll collected survey responses from 214 IBM professionals who participate in a community of online gaming enthusiasts. Some of their findings may help to convince your CEO that game-based training has merit: • More than one-third (39 percent) believe that MMORPG leadership approaches can be used to improve leadership effectiveness within the enterprise. As one respondent explained, “I believe the interpersonal, leadership, and management dynamics U of online games can be learned and developed in games, then mapped directly to a virtualized business environment.” • Nearly half (49 percent) state that game-playing has improved their real-world leadership capabilities. According to one respondent, “MMORPGs provide a test of how to work in teams and best utilize the potential of a particular person even when you do not have formal authority over him.” • Three-quarters believe the environmental factors within MMORPGs can be applied to enhance leadership effectiveness for the globally integrated enterprise. “Respondents indicated that any tool that enhances the ability of a gaming leader to better collaborate, envision, evaluate, or execute—whether that tool be an instant messaging capability or expressive avatar—ought to be applicable to the virtual business world,” the report notes. Created by Linden Lab, Second Life is the pioneer of virtual worlds. Today, companies such as IBM, Circuit City, and Reuters have a substantial presence in Second Life, according to The Conference Board. Should your company be dipping its toes in the waters of virtuality? A new Conference Board report advises companies to ask eight questions as they weigh their strategy: 1. What is your entry strategy? 2. What is the corporate purpose? 3. Do you plan to offer virtual products or services? 4. Who will be in charge of this virtual world? 5. Which virtual worlds should be used? 6. How much will it cost? 7. What is the revenue model (if any)? 8. Is IT up to the job? With more and more companies making the foray into virtual worlds, the need for talented IT people—and trainers—will continue to grow. Companies seem to be recognizing this, and they apparently are willing to pay for this talent. While salaries for information technology training managers declined sharply last year, they rebounded nicely with a 42 percent increase to $93,893 in 2007, according to Training’s Annual Salary Survey (see p. 14 and additional analysis at http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/ content_display/training/e3i7c662d1d50136b68c031143113ae 1de0). Overall, average salaries for trainers are $81,940 in 2007, up .56 percent from last year. For more industry research, keep an eye out for our November/December 2007 issue, which will feature our exclusive Industry Report. t PHOTOGRAPH BY DON SALKALN Lorri Freifeld lorri.freifeld@nielsen.com 6 | OCTOBER 2007 t r a i n i n g w w w. t r a i n i n g m a g . c o m http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_display/training/e3i7c662d1d50136b68c031143113ae1de0 http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_display/training/e3i7c662d1d50136b68c031143113ae1de0 http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_display/training/e3i7c662d1d50136b68c031143113ae1de0 http://www.trainingmag.com
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