You’re sitting in a training room listening to a speaker who seems quite passionate about her subject. You thought

the subject would interest you, but your brain just doesn’t seem to be clicking in. You check your watch. It’s only been

15 minutes. You wonder about dinner tonight. Should you take the family out or bring in some pizza? Wait. Pay

attention. What did she just say? It certainly sounded important. Maybe a co-worker is taking notes. Where’s Todd?

Oh yeah, over there. But he seems to be dozing. Pizza it is. You check your watch again: 20 minutes. Or maybe tacos.

Soundfamiliar?Asalearningprofessional,youcan’taffordtowastetime—ormoney—on

trainingprograms.Andwhilekeepinglearners’attentionseemslikeabasicconsideration,itcanbe

arealchallenge.

It’snotsurprisingthatbrainsgoelsewhereduringalecture—brainsjustaren’tmadetobe

talkedat.Talking,nomatterhowanimatedorpassionate,doesn’tprovideenoughstimulationfor

ourbrainstowork…andsotheydon’t.Andifourbrainsdon’twork,wedon’tlearn.Period.

Organizationstoday,facingincreasedcompetitionfromallareasoftheglobe,neededucated

managersandemployeeswhocansolveproblems,workinteams,understandcomplexissues,

dealwithfast-pacedchange,andlearnnewskillsquicklyandeffectively.Thismeansthattraining

organizationsneedtoprovidelearningopportunitiesthateffectivelyaddresstheseissuesinways

thatproducehighretentionrates,resultinginbottom-lineresultsasemployeestaketheirnew

skillsbacktotheirjobs.

Iflecturesandother“sageonthestage”approachesdon’twork,thenwhatdoes?

Enterdiscoverylearning.

Executive SummaryCorporate learning professionals can’t afford to waste time or money on training programs that don’t produce results. Discovery learning is a proven instructional approach that actively involves participants in the learning process. Techniques like business games, simulations and Discovery Maps® are all part of well-designed discovery learning sessions. All of this leads to accelerated learning, high knowledge retention and motivated learners who can successfully transfer what they’ve learned in a classroom setting to their jobs. In this white paper, you’ll learn about the five characteristics of effective discovery learning experiences, the steps in a discovery learning design and the advantages of discovery learning over traditional training.

ImprovingCorporateTrainingResultswithDiscoveryLearningMethodology

By Catherine J. Rezak

BUSINESSG AMES, S IMULATIONS andD ISCOVERYM APS ®

IslandCenter,2701NorthRockyPointDriveTampa,F lorida33607

(813) 287-9330www.ParadigmLearning.com

BUSINESSG AMES, S IMULATIONS andD ISCOVERYM APS ®

WhatIsDiscoveryLearning?Discoverylearningisapowerfulinstructionalapproachthatguides

andmotivateslearnerstoexploreinformationandconceptsinorder

toconstructnewideas,identifynewrelationships,andcreatenew

modelsofthinkingandbehavior.

Whentheyarewelldesigned,discoverylearningeducational

sessionsarehighlyexperientialandinteractive.Theyusestories,

games,simulations,visualmapsandothertechniquestoget

attention,buildinterestandleadlearnersonajourneyofdiscovery

towardnewthinking,actionsandbehaviors.

Thediscoverylearningapproachincorporatesthree

keyideas:

1. Problem Solving:Thelearningdesignmustguideand

motivatelearnerstoparticipateinproblemsolvingasthey

pulltogetherinformationandgeneralizeknowledge.

2. Learner Management:Learningmustbelearner-driven

sothatparticipants,workingaloneorinsmallteams,can

learnintheirownwaysandattheirownpace.

3. Integrating and Connecting:Learningmustencourage

theintegrationofnewknowledgeintothelearner’sexisting

knowledgebaseandclearlyconnecttotherealworld.

Discoverylearningworksbecauseitensuresthatlearners’brains

areengagedinthelearning.Thelearningenvironmentpromotes

stronginvolvement—participantsmaybemanipulatingpieceson

agameboard,workingwithotherlearnerstomakeadecision,or

pullingtogetherseeminglydisconnectedpiecesofinformationfrom

avarietyofsourcestosolveaproblem.Becauseitengageslearners’

brainpower,discoverylearningacceleratesthelearningprocessand

resultsinhigherlevelsofretentionthanmoretraditionallearning

approachesdo.Withlearningtimeinshortsupply,andlearning

ingreatdemand,discoverylearningcanhelporganizationsoffer

trainingthatworksquickly—andwell.

ABriefHistoryofDiscoveryLearningAsearlyas1916,anAmericanphilosopher,psychologistand

educationalreformer,JohnDewey,studiedtheconceptof“learning

bydoing.”Inhisbookonthesubject,Democracy and Education,

Deweyarguedthatitwascriticalforteachingtogobeyondthe

presentationoffacts.Socialinteractionduringthelearningprocess,

hebelieved,wascriticalsothatlearningcouldbeintegratedinto

students’lives.Hiscoreconceptwasthatdevelopingproblem-

solvingandcritical-thinkingskillswasmoreimportantthan

memorizingfacts.Histhinkingwasoftenreferredtoas“progressive

education,”anditsignificantlyinfluencedtheeducationalfield

throughoutthe20thcentury.

Theconceptofstudentsasactive,participating,collaborative

learnerswasstudiedbyotherpsychologistsandresearchers

throughoutthe1900s.JeanPiaget,abiologistandphilosopher,

focusedhisresearchonthethinkingandreasoningprocesses.In

worksthatwerepublishedinthe1960sand’70s,hedemonstrated

thatchildrenwerenot“emptyvessels”tobefilledwithknowledge,

butinsteadwereactiveparticipantsinbuildingtheirown

knowledgebase.

JeromeBruner,aneducationalpsychologist,studiedcognitive

learningtheoryinthe’50s,’60sand’70s.Brunerlookedatlearning

acquisitionandproposedadiscovery-orientedapproachforschools.

Hepromotedtheconceptthatlearningisaprocessofcreatingnew

ideasbasedoncurrentandpastknowledge.Students,hefound,

couldbemoresuccessfullearnersbyworkinginenvironmentsthat

facilitateddiscovery,activelyexploringinformationinorderto

findconnectionswithwhattheyalreadyknewandforming

conclusionsfromthisexploration.Theteacher’srolewastohelpraise

theinterestoflearners,guidethemindiscoveryandensurerelevance

oftheexercises.

Overtime,theterm“discoverylearning”wasoftenusedto

definethisprocess.

DiscoveryLearninginCorporateEducationDiscoverylearningtechniquesbegantofindtheirwayintothe

worldofcorporateeducationintheearlytomid-’90s.Initially,

sometrainingsuppliersandcorporatetrainingprofessionalsbegan

toincorporatediscovery-orientedexercisesintotheirexisting

trainingprograms.Traditionaltraining,however,continuedto

dominateuntilseveralpioneeringtrainingsuppliersbegantooffer

innovativenewprogramsandservicesthatusedmore-robust

discoverylearningapproaches.

Oneofthesecompanies,ParadigmLearning,begandesigning

discovery-basedprogramsin1994andofferingthemtoFortune500

companiesintheformofclassroom-basedgamesandsimulations.

Sincethattime,morethan1,000organizationshaveusedParadigm’s

programsworldwide.ThisarticledescribesParadigm’sperspective,

approachandtechniquesastheyhaveevolvedsince1994.

FiveCharacteristicsofEffectiveDiscoveryLearningExperiencesThecontentoflearningprogramsiscritical.Equallyimportant,

however,istheprocessfordeliveringthatcontenttolearners.A

discoverylearningexperiencehasseveralcharacteristicsthat,in

combination,setitapartfromotherlearningmethodologies.

Team Problem Solving:Duringadiscoverylearningsession,

learnersengageinproblemsolvingwithotherlearners,usingtheir

combinedknowledgeandexperiencetoachieveagoal.Small

teams—generallytwotosixlearnersperteam—worktogetherto

explore,discuss,analyze,makedecisions,challengeassumptionsand

accomplishothertasks.Thisapproach“protects”learners(“I’mnot

aloneinthisactivity”)whileitprovidespowerfulpeerreinforcement

andfeedback.

Hands-on Learning:Activeparticipationbylearnersin

exploringinformationandideashelpsgetbrainsengagedinthe

learningprocess.Physicalengagementmightmeanmovinggame

piecesaroundagameboard;assembling,prioritizingorintegrating

itemstosolveproblems;engaginginrehearsalsorgames;or

physicallymovingaroundthelearningenvironmenttoaccomplish

assignedtasks.Gettinglearnersmovingandmanipulatinggets

themlearning.

Guided Discovery:Learnersmustbeguidedalongapath

towarddiscoveryofideas,conceptsandinformation.Thisrequires

twothings:

1. Alearningdesignthatbuildsever-increasing

understandingandcomprehensioninlearnerswithout

causingfrustrationorapathy.Challengingyetachievable

activitiesallowlearnerstostretchtheirthinkingand

besuccessful.(Atestofagoodlearningdesign:lookfor

scrunched-upforeheadsfollowedbysmilesandfacial

expressionsthatindicate“aha”moments.)

2. Alearningfacilitatorwhoisaguideratherthana

teacherduringthelearningactivities.Facilitatorsprovide

initialguidance,monitorprogress,steerlearnersbackon

trackifnecessary,askquestionstoensureunderstanding,

32

facilitatefeedbackwhenrequired,givepositivereinforcement

andhelplearnersintegrateconceptsintothelearners’own

jobresponsibilities.They’reimportanttotheprocess,but

theydon’tinterferewithdiscovery.

Reflection and Connection:Insightslearnedmustclearlyconnect

torealworkplaceissues.Withinthelearningexperienceitself,

thelearningdesignmusthelpteamsconnectideas,conceptsand

informationtotheirowncompanies,departmentsand/orissues.

Individually,learnersmustalsobeprovidedwiththetimeandtools

toreflectontheirowninsightsandtoplanwaystoincorporatethem

intoon-the-jobaction.It’sallaboutconnectingcontenttocontext.

Learner Accountability:Well-designeddiscoverylearningprograms

placelearners“inthedriver’sseat.”Althoughtheroadispaved

androadsignsprovideassistance,learnershavethewheel.They’re

accountableforgettingtotheirdestination—whichmeansthatthey

shouldbeworkingmuchharderthanthesessionfacilitatoris.

TheFiveStepsinaDiscoveryLearningDesignAttracting and Intriguing

First,grabthelearner’sattentionwithsounds,visuals,power

openings,gameboardsandothertechniques.

Thelearner’sresponse:

“Hey…I’m interested in learning.”

Jump-Starting

Next,giveparticipantsjustenoughinformationtoget

theexperiencestarted.“OK, I’m ready to learn.”

Brain-churning = Learning

Guidedsmall-teamactivitiesgetlearnersthinking,

doing,analyzingandquestioning.

“Wow…I wonder why…if…how…?”

Discovering and Concluding

Participantsdiscussideas,drawconclusions

anddevelopinsights. “Aha, I get it!”

Bridging and Connecting

Learnerstransfertheexperiencesandinsights

torealworkplaceissuesandbridgetofollow-up

actiononthejob.“Now I know what to do, so I plan to…”

©ParadigmLearning

DiscoveryLearningDesignTechniquesThereareseveraldiscoverylearningtechniquesthatworkwellto

engageandeducatelearners.Theyinclude:

Stories:Agreatstorylinecan“hook”learnersquicklyandkeep

theminvolvedthroughoutthelearningexperience.Storiesarealso

likelytoberememberedovertimeandcanhelpwithretentionof

learninginsights.

Visuals:Gameboards,wallvisualsandcolorfullyillustrated

mapsmakelearnerswanttolearnandprovidegraphically

interestingcluesandmetaphorstospeedthediscoveryprocess.

Small-Team Exercises:Atableteamenvironmentgives

learnersastrongsenseofcommitmenttolearningandencourages

activeparticipation.

Simulations:Simulationsreplicateasliceofrealityfromthe

workplace.Theyaretime-compressedandsafesothatlearners

canmakemistakesandlearnfromthemwithoutreal-world

consequences.

Maps and Models:Mapsandmodelshelpimprintcritical

contentinformationduringthelearningexperiencewhileproviding

acontextfortheknowledgeorskillsbeinglearned.Theycanalso

becomeon-the-jobreinforcementandretentiontools.

Gaming Techniques: Chips,cards,gamepieces,dice,timers

andotheritemscanboostthefunfactorandprovideacompetitive

elementthatkeepsthefocusstrongandtheenergyhigh.

Itisimportanttonotethattheuseofoneormoreofthese

techniqueswithinatraditionaltrainingprogramdoesn’tmagically

maketheprogramadiscoverylearningexperience.Games,for

example,havebeenincorporatedinmanyformswithincurriculum

offeringsforalongtime.Itisonlywhenthesetechniquesform

thefoundationofthelearningexperienceandwhentheentire

experiencepromoteslearneraccountabilityfordiscoverythatatrue

discoverylearningexperienceemerges.

GenerationalConsiderationsMuchhasbeenwrittenabout

today’smultigenerationalemployee

populations.Readthearticlesand

you’lllearnthatbabyboomershave

astrongworkethic,organizational

loyaltyandmotivationforsecurity.

GenerationXersvalueawork-lifebalanceanddemonstratea

highdegreeofindividuality.GenerationYersseekstrongsocial

relationshipsandinformalityandhavehighexpectationsof

themselvesandtheiremployers.Andmillennials,justentering

theworkforce,areconfidentandachievement-orientedandenjoy

workinginteams.

Thesetypesofcharacteristicstranslatetodifferencesinlearning

styles.Fromapracticalstandpoint,however,organizations

cannotaffordtodesigntrainingspecificallytargetedtoeach

generationofemployee.Theymustrelyondesignsthatcutacross

thesedifferences.

Thegoodnewsisthatdiscoverylearningappearstoappeal

equallytoallgenerationallearners.Becauseitincorporatesavariety

offast-pacedandinteractivetechniquesandbecauseitislearner-

driven,itisamethodologythatseemstohitthemarkwithmost

learners.Agrowingnumberofcompaniesareusingdiscovery

learningasthemethodologyofchoicewithmixed-generation

employeegroups.

AdvantagesofDiscoveryLearningoverTraditionalTrainingAsdiscoverylearningtechniqueshaveincreasinglybeenusedin

educationalsettings,formaland

informalstudieshaveidentified

fourkeyadvantagesover

traditionallearningapproaches:

1. Motivation to Learn:

Discoverylearningtechniques

helpdrawlearnersintothe

learningenvironmentandkeep

theminterestedandinvolved.Astheyseekinformation,

workwithpeersandexploreideas,theirnaturalcuriosity

isarousedandultimatelysatisfied.The“funfactor”ishigh

whengames,simulations,colorfulvisualsandcompetitive

challengesareusedtocreateanexperientialenvironment

forlearning.

“Getting the message out there couldn’t wait, and this methodology fit our need to be innovative with

the approach. But ours isn’t a short-term goal. We’re in it for the long term, and leveraging ‘the

power of discovery’ is one of the tools we are using to make the concept live for our employees.”

– Brinker International

4 5

2. Acceleration of Learning:Becausediscoverylearning

programsaresohighlyengaging,learnersquicklybegin

usingtheirmindstodigestnewinformation,make

connectionstotheirpreviousexperiencesandpull

togetherdisparatepiecesofknowledge.Assimilationof

theprogram’scontent,therefore,isaccomplishedmore

easilyandquickly.

3. Acquisition and Retention of Learning:Inself-report

studiesandpost-sessionevaluations,learnersconsistently

reportand/ordemonstratebetterunderstandingand

recollectionofinformationandskillsafterreceivingthem

experientially,whencomparedtomorepassivelearning

approaches.

4. Transfer of Learning to the Job:Becausewell-designed

discoverylearningapproachesmirrororillustratelearners’

actualjobenvironments

andbecausetheyhave

clearjobconnection

activitiesandexercises

builtintotheexperience,

learnersaremorelikelyto

transfernewknowledgeor

skillstotheworkplace.

Discoverylearningprograms

takemoretimeandexpertisetodesignthantraditionaltraining

programs.Thisis,nodoubt,whyfewexternalsuppliersandinternal

trainingprofessionalsusethisapproachwhenbuildingtheir

educationalofferings.However,thereseemstobegrowingevidence

thatuseofthismethodologycanmakeabigdifferenceinhow

quicklyandeffectivelylearningisassimilatedandretained.

DiscoveryLearning:OnlineorLive?Manyofthetechniquesofdiscoverylearningcanbeusedeffectively

withinanonlineenvironment.Games,simulations,modelsand

otherstrategiescanbeusedtohelplearnersworkthroughthe

explorationanddiscoveryofinformation,conceptsandideas.

Usingthesetechniquescanmakeonlineeducationmoreengaging

andeffective.

Thereis,however,akeydrawbackthatcanbemoreorless

significant,dependingontheeducationalissuebeingaddressed.

Team(peer)interactioniseasierinalivesessionandcanbe

powerfulasissuesareexploredtogethertowardhigherlevelsof

understandingandcommitment.Forexample,whenoneofour

clientswasimplementingaverycomprehensive—andexpensive

—newtechnologysolution,onlineeducationthatfocusedonhow

tousethenewtechnologywas

successful.However,getting

employeestounderstanditand

committousingitwasanother

story.Onlywhenthecompany

electedtogathergroupsof

employeestogethertowork

throughaguideddiscovery

experiencedidthelightbulbs

begintogoonaboutwhatthenewtechnologywasintendedtodo

andwhyitwassoimportanttothecompany’ssuccess.Discussion

anddialoguewereneededtomakethatlevelofacceptancehappen.

Someotherthingstoconsider:Giventhesometimes

higherdropoutrateofonlinelearners,itisimportanttoassess

theimportanceofthesubjectand/orcommunicationtothe

organization.Ifitiscriticaltoensurethatlearners“getit,”ifit’sa

“The post-course evaluations say it all. ‘It was the most fun and interesting class I’ve ever taken,’ one participant writes. ‘Makes me want to learn more,’ writes another. ‘Fun and so easy to stay engaged,’

another participant writes. ‘I found myself wishing that college finance and accounting had been delivered with

a similar approach.’”– Expedia

subjectthatisdifficultforlearnersandmaynotbeattractiveenough

toholdtheirattentiononline,ifpeerexperiencesand/orknowledge

canhelpotherslearnorcommit,oriflearnerswillneedtousethe

skillswithinon-the-jobteams,theclassroomisthemoreeffective

deliveryapproach.

ACautionaryWordaboutBusinessGamesandSimulationsasLearningToolsSincegamesandsimulationsarebeingusedmorefrequentlyin

corporateeducation,itisimportanttounderstandwhattheyareand

howtousethemwell.

Abusiness simulationreplicatesasliceofrealityfromthe

workenvironment.Itcompressestimeandallowslearnersto

experimentwithandexperiencethatrealityinasafeenvironment.A

simulationpromotesintense

learnerengagementandcan

beusedtoeducateinawide

varietyofsubjectareas.

Businesssimulations

shouldbetruetoawork

environmentsothattransfer

ofknowledgelearnedto

thejobisaseasyaspossible.Forexample,asimulationthatplaces

learnersinafictitiouscompanydealingwithawork-appropriate

projectasawaytolearnprojectmanagementskillswillbemore

successfulthanonethatplaceslearnersonadesertedislandandhas

thembuildaboat.Simulationsshouldalsobedesignedinwaysthat

usethefullspectrumofthesenses—incorporatingwritten,verbal

andvisualtools—sothatlearnerswithdifferentlearningstylescan

engagewiththestorylineandparticipatewithintheteam.

Abusiness game isacompetitiveactivityinwhichplayers,

withinastructuredsetofrulesorguidelines,contendwithobstacles,

makedecisionsandworktowardagoal.Challengesabound,

andplayersinteractwithoneanotherindividuallyoraspartofa

team—to“win.”

Gamesshouldbedesignedwithaclearfocusonbuilding

learners’knowledgeand/orskills.Thatmeansthatit’snotenough

fortheexperiencetobe“fun.”Unlikegamesmarketedtoconsumers

thatusuallydon’thavealearningobjective,businessgamesmust

incorporateguidedchoicesthatleadtowell-definedlearninggoals.

Forexample,aboardgameonbusinessfinanceandstrategyinwhich

learnersrunacompanytoseetheimpactofbusinessdecisionson

incomestatementsandbalancesheetswillhavetoofferdecision

“choices.”Inthisway,“outcomes”ofthevariouschoicescanbe

clearlyalignedwithlearningobjectives.

Adecision-making“free-for-all”could

befun,butwouldn’tnecessarilyleadto

importantinsightsandknowledge.

Businessgamesshouldalsobedesigned

sothatnopersonorteamfails.Tokeep

thecompetitionengaging,adesign

cancertainlyincorporate“degrees”of

winning.However,participantswhofeelsuccessfulwillbemore

willingtointernalizethelearninganduseitonthejob.

DiscoveryMaps®:OneTypeofDiscoveryLearningApplicationAdiscoverylearningapplicationthatisgainingwiderandwider

acceptance,especiallyinlargercorporations,istheuseof“maps”to

“Our employees need to be engaged by training methods that stimulate their senses and keep them involved in focusing on the issues. We’ve tried the

traditional book and lecture methods but found that games and simulations really turned the lights on

inside people’s heads.”– International Thompson

6 7

communicatewithandeducateemployeesaroundorganizational

issues.Colorfullyillustratedtable-sizedgraphics—Paradigm

LearningreferstotheseasDiscoveryMaps®—aredesignedtocapture

messagesandinformationrelevanttothecompany’sstrategic

issues.Thesemapsformthevisualfoundationofone-tothree-hour

experiencesduringwhichsmallteamsoflearners,guidedbyactivity

cardsandotherexercisematerials,exploreanddiscussconcepts,

informationandideas.

Insomecases,gameelements,casestudies,simulationsand

critical-thinkingguidesareincorporatedintothelearningexperience

toprovideinterest,varietyandon-the-jobapplicationtools.

Discoverylearningmapscanbeespeciallypowerfulwhen

companiesneedemployeestounderstandorganizational

changes—whattheyare,whytheyareimportantandwhatis

neededforachangetobesuccessful.

Becausemapsessionsarevisualand

engaging,andbecausetheyguidesmall

teamsofemployeestoworktogether

astheylearn,participants“discover”

informationintheformofbothcontent

andcontext.Thismakesemployeesmuchmorelikelytograspthe

issues,becomecommittedtothechanges,andunderstandtheirown

rolesandresponsibilities.

ConclusionRapidlychangingtechnologies,marketplaceglobalization,aggressive

competition,escalatingcostsandanever-growingwarfortalent

meanthatacompanymustprovideongoing—andeffective—

learningopportunitiesforitsemployees.

Tobesuccessful,theselearningopportunitiesmustimpart

themostimportantknowledgeanddevelopthemostcriticalskills.

Theymustmotivatelearnerstowanttolearn.Theymusteducate

employeesasrapidlyaspossible.Andtheymusttransferthelearning

totheworkplace.

Discoverylearning’splaceinthe

corporateeducationalarenaisclear.It

isapowerfultrainingmethodologyfor

today’s—andtomorrow’s—workplace.

■

“Regence’s Discovery Map was designed to be experienced by all employees and stresses

two key points: what our company is doing and what we want our employees to do to

contribute to the overall success. Three years ago, [Regence’s] transformation [consisted of ] words on paper. Now we can ‘see’ what we’re

doing, and that’s motivating!”– Regence Group

Expedia,theworld’sleadingonlinetravelprovider,reliesheavilyonprojectteamstotacklecomplexsales,operationalandcustomerserviceissuesthatrequireincreasingspeedandefficiency. Expediaexecutivesrealizedthattheseprojectteamswouldworkmoreefficientlyifteammembersandteamleaderssharedabaselineknowledgeaboutprojectsuccessandiftheyunderstoodthefinancialandstrategicissuesthatwerecriticaltoachievingthecompany'sgoals.Expedianeededlearningexperiencesthatwouldmeetanexpresslystatedlearninggoal:makesureemployeescanjoinaprojectteamandcontributeimmediately. TherewasoneotherfactorinplayforExpediainchoosinglearningprograms.Thecompany'scultureisfastpacedandemployeeslovebeingchallenged. Withthatinmind,Expedialookedfortrainingthatwouldbebothfunandcomprehensive.Accordingtoonetrainingexecutive,“ItwouldbeunconscionabletositExpediaemployeesinaroomandhavesomebodylecturetothemaboutthebasicsofprojectmanagementforaday.Theywouldjustwitheranddieinthatenvironment.” Expediaturnedtodiscoverylearningtotacklebothimprovingprojectmanagementskillsandimprovingbusinessacumen.Countdown®:AStrategyGameforProjectTeams,isadiscoverylearningsimulationthatfocusesonbuildingsuccessfulprojectteamsandkick-startingnewprojects.Learnersarequicklyimmersedintoafictitiouscompanyandmanageaprojectfromstarttofinish.Theyarebombardedwithincomingemails,voicemails,projectchanges,budgetproblemsandmoreandlearntousesuchPMBOK®toolsasaGanttChart,ProjectScopeDocument,WorkBreakdownStructure,andResponsibilityMatrix.Theyalsolearnconceptsandbehaviorsrequiredforprojectteameffectiveness.

Toaddresstheissueofdevelopingbusinessacumen,Expediachoseanotherbusinessgame—Zodiak®:TheGameofBusinessFinanceandStrategy. Byallowingsmallteamsoflearnerstorunafictitiouscompanyforthreebusinessyears,Zodiak®helpedExpediamanagersunderstandhoworganizationsearnandspendmoney.Goingbeyondbasicfinancialliteracy,thegamestrengthenedtheirunderstandingofwhatitreallytakesforacompanytomakeaprofitandgeneratecash. Howhavethelearningexperiencesworked?Thepost-courseevaluationssayitall.“ItwasthemostfunandinterestingclassI’veevertaken,”oneparticipantwrites.“Makesmewanttolearnmore,”writesanother.“Funandsoeasytostayengaged,”anotherparticipantwrites.“Ifoundmyselfwishingthatcollegefinanceandaccountinghadbeendeliveredwithasimilarapproach.”

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HowExpediaAcceleratedItsManagers’LearningProjectmanagementandbusinessacumentrainingemploysdiscoverylearningapproach

8 9

HyundaiMotorAmerica,basedinFountainValley,California,isasubsidiaryofHyundaiMotorCo.ofSouthKoreawhichemploys68,000peopleandhasannualsalesexceeding$57billion. Overtheyears,Hyundaihadfounditsleadersinthetwousualways:bybringingtheminfromothercompaniesorbypromotingthemfromwithinthecompany.Hyundai’sresearch,however,turnedupaninterestingstatistic:ofthoseexecutivesbroughtinfromoutside,only22percentremainedafterfiveyears,while75percentofthosepromotedfromwithinremainedafterthesametimeperiod.Itbecameobviousthathomegrownleadershipwasworthcultivating. Hyundaiexecutivesdecidedtocreateacomprehensiveleadershipdevelopmentprogram—anintensive“MBA-style”course—thatwouldfocusoneducatingandgrowingaccountableandskillfulleaders. AkeypartoftheoverallleadershipprogramisadiscoverylearningexperiencecalledImpact5:TheBusinessofLeadershipGame®,whichhelpsparticipantslearntheresponsibilitiesofleadership,understandhowtheirdecisionsaredirectlylinkedtoshort-andlong-termbusinessresultsandultimatelyembracetheirleadershiproles.

DuringImpact5,Hyundaimanagersareengagedinacompetitivebusinesssimulation.Teamsofparticipantsmanageadepartmentwithinafictitiouscompanyandseetheimpactoftheirdecisionsonthecompany'sfinancialsuccess.Theyfacethechallengeofgettingresults,strugglewithpersonnelissues,dealwithinterdepartmentalrelationships,andbalancetacticalandstrategicdecisions.Theygetblindsided.Theyregroup.Theyanalyze.Theytakeaction.Andtheylearnaboutbeingpartofalargerleadershipteamwhoseindividualandcollectiveactionsaffectemployees,customersandthebusinessasawhole. ThisfastpacedandhighlyinteractivelearningexperiencemakestheknowledgeandskillslearnedthroughouttheentireHyundaileadershipprogramcomevividlytolife.“Itjusttieseverythingtogether,”saysTomDell,Hyundai’smanageroftrainingandorganizationaldevelopment.“Wereadbooks,wegivepresentations,wetalkaboutwhatleadershipisandhowitworks,butImpact5isthewayweapplyeverythingwe’vetalkedabout.”

■

HyundaiLeadershipGetsUptoSpeedDiscoverylearningsupportsleadershiptraining

Fourfundamentalsensurethatsignificantlearningtakesplaceduringdiscoverylearningactivities:

• Peoplelearnmoreintenselybyseeinganddoing—notbybeingtaught.

• Peopleusetheirsenses—sight,sound,touch—inwaysthatenhancelearning.

• ThinkingisencouragedandmistakesareOK.Bothleadtodiscovery.

• Connectionsaremadetotherealworldofwork—solearningsticks.

MakingPlayProductive

Abouttheauthor:CatherineJ.RezakCatherineJ.Rezakischairmanandco-founderofParadigm

Learning,atrainingandcommunicationsorganizationspecializing

inthedesignofbusinessgames,simulationsandDiscoveryMaps®.

ParadigmLearninghascreatedhighlyacclaimedbusinessgames

andsimulationsintheareasoftalentleadership,businessacumen,

projectmanagement,teambuildingandleadership.Cathyfocuses

onavarietyofprojects,mostnotablyintheareasofnewproduct

development,marketingandclientrelations.Sheisafrequent

speakeratcorporatelearningevents,including

AmericanSocietyofTrainingandDevelopment

(ASTD)annualconferences.Shehasappearedon

CNNFinancialNewsandhashadarticles

publishedinsuchjournalsasStrategic Communication Management,

theJournal of Organizational ExcellenceandProject Management Network.

From2003-2006,sheservedaspresidentofISA–TheAssociation

ofLearningProviders.

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