The Benefits of Using Games in Leadership Training and Skills Development
The Benefits of Using Games in Leadership Training and Skills Development
The Benefits of Using Games in Leadership Training and Skills Development
Surprisingly, you can learn a lot more in an hour of play than in a one-year conversation. The endless benefits of games in different sectors have made gaming activities, especially video games, important learning methods currently. Unfortunately, tutors, industry leaders, and trainers rarely incorporate gaming activities in leadership training. Regardless of your adopted educational leadership style, using games in leadership training has the following benefits.
1. Teaches Real-Life Lessons Without Real-Life Consequences
A major part of leadership training is helping future leaders make better choices. Unfortunately, this can’t be practiced in real life, especially in one-time decisions without comebacks. Most leadership training games, such as Improv night, The Virus to Win, Pass the Hoop, and Desert Island, are designed to imitate real-life or work environments.
They trigger automatic behavioral patterns and responses that help learners. The best part is that there are no real-life consequences or implications, making it safe for everyone to experiment with new behaviors. Individuals can only draw conclusions and lessons after the game.
2. A Gaming Generation
Most people enrolling in leadership training programs are millennials and Gen Z, who just began their workforce experience. Business owners and those in charge of training activities should introduce new leadership training programs that adapt to the expectations of the young generation.
Most millennials and Gen Z grew up playing video games, with many taking it as a life-long hobby. A recent survey found that 41% of people between 18 and 35 play video games regularly. Adopting a gamified learning approach to leadership training for young employees can prove more effective.
3. Better Problem-solving Skills
Problem-solving skills are must-have skills for all leaders. While learners can improve these skills through various means, games effectively boost problem-solving skills. Puzzle games require players to find solutions to various intellectual problems. Players have to piece several things together using different clues. These are important skills that are transferable to real-life situations. How individuals approach challenges reveals a lot about their leadership abilities.
4. A Collaborative Experience
Success in most gaming activities heavily relies on collaborative efforts from different players. Business leaders can’t succeed without efforts from employees of different departments. Similarly, team members can’t succeed if they don’t collaborate with their leaders. Gaming activities help learners understand the importance of collaborating with junior and senior employees.
5. Navigate Complex Situations
Even if you know the rules, you should readily anticipate new circumstances and complex positions when playing a game. Players must deal with constantly changing circumstances during gameplay. Such conditions help individuals develop a mindset for handling unexpected and complicated situations at work or in life. Games are non-linear, and players who plan their gameplay often lose. The same applies to leadership.
Endnote
Games like Minefield, Tallest Tower, Spot the Difference, Survive the Sinking Ship, and Leadership Crests are effective in leadership training and leadership skills development. They are a perfect substitute for formal training programs that most millennials and Gen Z find boring. However, trainers should find appropriate ways of incorporating these gaming activities into leadership training programs.