Games

There is a common belief that all training must somehow be painful, difficult and boring. The old, “no pain, no gain” adage of physical training seems to transfer to corporate learning.  If it’s fun, it must be frivolous.

It’s as if mention of the word, “game” triggers a thought sequence that goes “game = child’s play= not serious = no learning.”

In fact, all research reveals that this is the exact opposite of the truth. Accerlerated Learning has shown that adults – just like children – learn faster and better through play than through fromal presentation.  That is why games are such fantastic training tools – they are a super-effective form of Experiential Learning

But playing games in the training room just for their own sake achieves nothing but resentment and frustration. What is crucial, for a teaching game to be effective, is that it must be seen to be related to the workplace. It must provide knowledge, reinforce attitudes, or initiate action that is linked to job success. It must help people learn how to think, access information, react, understand, and create value for themselves and their organizations.

That is why an essential element of using Games in training is the debrief. There must be time to allow for reflection, and for understanding the learning that has taken place.

Learning Games have a strong value in an organisation’s learning environment. They are one of the most effective learning tools we have. Encourage your people to play them. I certainly will…

Click here to read an article of mine published in The Training Journal on June 2007 on The Use of Games in Corporate Training