The client
Each year The William J Clinton Leadership Institute at Riddel Hall plays host to 30 PhD students from Queens University Belfast, University College Dublin, and Trinity College Dublin for a week long innovation academy. The academy concluded its final day with a team-based change management simulation where the students vigorously competed with each other in teams. This case study is for business schools and executive education teams looking for a team-based change management simulation that can hold a bright, easily bored cohort for a full day.
Client need
The requirement was for a team-based simulation which would stretch and engage 30 high-potential, bright, and easily bored students for a full day, and to deliver valuable and practical insights on a key business topic as well as team dynamics and individual style.
Influence
In Influence participants lead a nine-week organisational change project, developing and executing a strategic plan while navigating the priorities and influence of multiple stakeholders. The simulation is conducted using a highly structured approach which blends gamification, informal/social learning, behavioural economics and business simulation. In this instance it was played in five competing teams. Influence can also be set in your own organisation, so tailor-made solutions are the route for a custom scenario, and the change management challenge shows how it fits a wider programme.
The simulation builds capability in three key areas:
- Stakeholder influence and engagement
- Change planning and strategy
- Adaptive leadership under pressure
Participant feedback
Below are some direct quotes from the students about what they learned from the simulation:
You need to engage with everybody to make change happen - nobody is unimportant!
It is important to listen to the views of your team members - diversity is a strength.
We needed to have a game plan, and we needed to stick to it!
Overall conclusions and value
We asked Davy McAlinden, Programme Director, at the Institute who introduced and observed the game for his observations:
The students found the combination of gameplay, experiential learning and social learning to be a most engaging and fun way to rapidly acquire vital skills for their business careers. Participants commented how they quickly developed valuable insights in key areas such as how to influence others, working effectively in teams and operating successfully under constant time pressure and change.
Davy went on to say:
We have run the Influence simulation three times with exceptional feedback each time. This type of game-based learning is definitely an extremely effective way to rapidly develop key skills
