Ten Secrets of Successful Simulations

An experiential simulation can be a wonderful training method. But it’s easy to create a one that is not as effective as it could be. Here are some suggestions for improving your chances of being successful.

One of the most satisfying experiences in training or education, no matter what the subject, is the so-called "Aha!" moment, that instant when sudden, spontaneous insight cuts through the tangle of loose ends in a learner's mind to reveal a,memorable truth.

Having spent nearly 40 years designing experiential simulations, I believe simulations are the most likely teaching method to create those "Aha!" moments. In a simulation called "StarPower," the moment occurs when trainees, who might be police officers or corporate managers, unexpectedly realize that the only way to keep power over others is not to use it.

In "BaFa' BaFa’," the moment comes when trainees suddenly grasp the idea that good intentions can actually worsen cultural misunderstandings. In a team-building simulation called "Pumping the Colors," it happens when trainees abruptly comprehend that the rules a team operates under are actually the team's responsibility.


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