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INTRODUCTION TO THE DIG NETWORK
Discovery Innovation Growth Leading Edge Talent Development
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CONTENT
Ambition of the DiG Leadership Game
Meaning of the global DiG network
How can you use the DiG Leadership Game?
Experiential learning opportunities of DiG
DiG Delivery model
Value of DiG
Getting started
Annexes:
1. DiG learning process
2. Seminar schedule for business executives
3. Course schedule for business students
4. Schedule for online participation
5. FAQs
6. Testimonials
Ambition of the DiG Leadership Game
DiG is a leadership game, allowing teams to develop key competencies, attitudes and behavior to power
customer-based growth in their business. It has been designed as a versatile learning tool to effectively develop
key business talents such as: customer centricity, innovation, marketing, business acumen, growth, value
creation, entrepreneurship, collaboration, team performance, and leadership.
DiG has been designed with the objective to offer a cost effective leading edge experiential learning technology
available to all :
Cost Effective
DiG Business Learning charges an affordable fee for the use of the technology. Executive participants
pay 90€ per session and graduate students only 15€. For countries with a low GDP we offer lower fees
upon request. Our delivery model is based on a network of instructors and professors allowing to adapt
the DiG learning experience to different circumstances and objectives of the client. DiG can also be
used fully on-line with participants on different locations.
Leading Edge
The DIG Learning Experience has benefited from INSEAD research and business applications associated
with Professor JC Larreché’s book “The Momentum Effect”. Jean-Claude Larreché is the Alfred H.
Heineken Professor of Marketing at INSEAD, and founder of several marketing related simulations,
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including Markstrat, the renowned strategic marketing simulation, used by more than 500 academic
institutions, including 80% of the top 100 international business schools, and 25 of the top 30 in the
USA. Before being made available to a wider audience, the DiG simulation has been tested and improved
in more than 30 learning situations involving more than 1500 participants in more than 500 teams and
from more than 50 countries. These participants included executives from a wide variety of sectors
Available to all
DiG is delivered by a global network of instructors and professors who are certified by DiG Business
Learning, making it possible to use the leadership game everywhere and also to organize global sessions
with participation in different locations in different regions. The DiG software itself is developed in 6
languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Korean. It is web-based and can be accessed
with any internet browser, from any PC or tablet. The DiG experience can thus be delivered in a
traditional workshop setting or through the web with multiple e-learning modules with various teams
in different locations
Meaning of the global DIG network
Dig Business Learning has recently been founded by Jean Claude Larreché and Yvette Roozenbeek. It has the
ambition to build a large global network making DiG easily accessible everywhere. Yvette Roozenbeek is
Managing Director of DiG Business Learning and will be leading the initiatives of the network. All certified
instructors will join the network and network membership implies :
Communications within the network are held in English, although the DiG leadership game will be
available in multiple languages for effective local delivery of the learning experience.
All members are personally certified through one of our DiG workshop sessions or DiG on-line sessions.
No minimum level of usage are required when becoming a member of our network, members will only
have to commit to the rules of conduct of the network.
Autonomous and proprietary client development and business generation by each member. DiG
Business Learning can support development efforts if needed.
Possible participation in delivery of client initiatives led by DiG Business learning for global client
missions or other network members.
All members have access to the private section of the DiG Business Learning web site, including a library
with all necessary material to organize and promote the DiG Leadership game as well as other readings.
Invitation to the annual meeting of network members
How can you use the DiG leadership game?
In just a few hours, the DiG (Discovery Innovation and Growth) leadership game will bring valuable learning and
excitement to your seminars. It will give participants the opportunity to understand the whole business
perspective, from customer insights to value creation, and allow you to highlight the learning points in one of
the key business talents addressed by the game. At its heart is the DiG leadership game, specifically designed to
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allow teams to perform in a new world where, outside of their comfort zone and in a fun and risk-free
environment, they can develop the leadership skills required for a business environment characterized by
increased customer power.
In the DiG leadership game, teams of 2 to 4 participants manage a firm from 2021 to 2025, which designs and
commercializes an innovative product, the Magic Pen. Their objective is to maximize earnings growth over a 5
year period by discovering customer insights, testing them, introducing innovations, improving the customer
experience, and implementing market deployment activities. All teams independently face the same situation
and they compete indirectly to obtain the best results. We consider teams of 3 to 4 participants are optimum
for learning effectiveness, but different team sizes can be selected for various reasons.
The DiG Learning Experience at the minimum includes: an introductory session; a 2 to 3 hours assignment with
team participation in the competitive DiG leadership game; and a debrief on the teams’ results and the lessons
they learned.
The DiG Learning Experience can be delivered in a class-room setting, or via e-learning. The DiG leadership game
itself is web-based, and can be used with any PC/tablet without local installation. It is currently available in 6
languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Korean.
The DiG leadership game is a fun, fast pace, hands-on, and exhilarating experience, which is suited for the long-
term retention of key learning objectives. Past participants have demonstrated an eagerness to learn more
about the topics covered, and to utilize on the job the skills learned during this learning experience.
A rich business learning environment
The DiG leadership game has been designed to provide a time-effective learning experience. It has also been
carefully designed to provide a rich business environment for a wide variety of learning opportunities. From the
discovery of customer insights to the creation of profitable growth, the DiG leadership game gives a complete
overview of the business value creation process, including:
- Understanding the particularities of a new unknown business situation
- Process of development of a customer offer : customer insights, testing, design
- Customer discovery initiatives
- The cost of non-innovation
- Creating options through innovation
- Selection of customer value components
- Selection of customer value propositions
- Creation of power offers
- Selection of growth boosters
- Effective pricing decisions
- The various meanings of customer value
- WTP (willingness to pay)
- Achieving customer engagement
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- Deployment of resources for effective market development
- Creation of quality growth
- Creation of business value
- Monitoring of key performance drivers
- Adapting to the requirements and opportunities of an uncertain environment
It is the richness of this simulated environment that allows facilitators of various expertise to use the DiG
leadership game to add an experiential learning extension to their practice… and a deeper experience to their
clients.
Experiential learning opportunities with the DiG leadership game
The DIG leadership game provides a stimulating learning environment for executive seminars, workshops or
special events. The DiG experience in these contexts requires from 4 hours to 2 days (see Annex 1 for suggested
schedules). It can be used to address one or a combination of the following topics:
Customer centricity : bridging the gap from a vague understanding of customer orientation to a pragmatic appreciation of real customer focus, the requirements for customer insights, and the overall process to transform customer focus into business value
Innovation : developing a broad innovation culture, emphasizing the importance of customer insights in an open-innovation environment and the link with value creation
Marketing : providing a value creation perspective on the modern role of marketing, from the identification of customer insights to the development of power offers and the execution of effective market strategies
Business acumen : illustrating and practicing the whole business process from customer insights to innovation, market deployment, and value creation, including the requirements for quality in both innovation and execution
Growth: building a shared realization that each individual has unlimited opportunities to participate in the creation of quality growth, from the identification of customer insights to the aligned execution of a business strategy
Value creation : understanding the various meanings of value and reconciling the creation of value for individual customers and for the firm
Entrepreneurship: encouraging attitudes and behaviors for exploration, taking initiatives, managing risk pragmatically, and building the ability to bounce back from failures
Collaboration : capitalizing on the full potential of others to create maximum value, based on a deep understanding of internal customer needs, motives and capabilities
Team performance : revealing and applying the drivers of effective team performance in a realistic and intense business environment
Leadership: exposing selected facets of leadership (including self-awareness, active listening, collaboration…) and developing the ambidextrous skills of innovation and execution required in the value creation process
In special events and annual management meetings, the DiG leadership game can be used as an energizing
team building exercise around the selected central theme.
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DiG Delivery model
The DiG experience is facilitated by a global network of Business Professors and Certified DiG Instructors. The
objective of this network is make the DiG leadership game accessible for any school and any business, in any
language anywhere in the world. The DiG Business Learning team will facilitate this global network and the
collaboration between members to deliver a high quality experience for firms and governments, from small to
large, national to international organisations and whatever the sector of their activity.
The DiG leadership game is web-based and can be accessed with any internet browser, from any PC or tablet,
under most operating systems, including Microsoft or Apple. The DiG experience can thus be delivered in a face-
to-face format, or through the web with multiple e-learning modules (see Annex 3 for suggested e-learning
schedules). In the e-learning configuration, the various teams can be in different locations.
DiG certified instructors are provided with the necessary guidelines and materials to deliver the DiG experience
and have access to technical and pedagogical support via the DiG Business Learning central team in Paris, as
needed. All DiG instructors have to participate in a “DiG Certification Workshop” in which they are trained by
Professor JC Larreche and Yvette Roozenbeek or other DiG Masters in all aspects of the DiG experience: relevant
conceptual background, presentation of learning context, operation of simulation, experiential dynamics,
debrief of results, conclusions as well as the commercial approach. These “DiG Certification Workshops” are
offered in a 1 ½ day format in the Paris area, or on-line in 3 modules, each lasting two hours over a period of 3-
4 weeks.
To ensure effective online group dynamics, we recommend online participants to team up with 1 or 2
professionals in their close geographical area interested in also becoming DiG certified instructors. This allows
online participants to play the DiG simulation in a team between the first and the second module, and to have
beneficial exchanges as they develop their DiG practice. Given the versatility of DiG, participants can partner
with professionals in other fields than their own (including customer centricity, innovation, marketing, business
acumen, entrepreneurship, coaching, collaboration, team performance, leadership…). If the professional
partners the participant would like to team up with are not in his/her geographical area, he/she still has the
possibility to work with them through Webex or other platforms, although this may be less convenient.
This certification process can be waived for instructors who have sufficient experience with the subject matter
and with simulations.
Value of DiG
When making a commercial proposal to your clients, including the DiG leadership game, two price components
should be considered:
- Your own facilitation/delivery fee as a certified instructor to organize and deliver the learning event.
- The DiG licence fee enabling you to use the DiG technology in your seminars.
The price charged to your client will vary widely depending on a number of criteria, including: the country, the
language, the level of participants, and the scope of the learning event. The proposal you prepare for your client
may include: preparation, DiG delivery (introduction, team coaching, debrief), complementary sessions,
workshops and follow up activities. Overall, it is expected that certified instructors will be able to charge a
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premium on their usual daily rates when using DiG, a leading edge learning tool. Obviously, events delivered for
larger audiences, higher level executives, or in prestigious places, can be significantly more expensive.
Certified instructors will stay independent and invoice their consulting fees separately to their client under their
own conditions. DiG Business Learning will not require any information on these fees, neither claim a share of
these fees.
License fees are paid for each participant to the simulation (not per group)
The DiG licensing fees are transparent & simple based on two distinctive profiles :
90 Euros for executives
a reduced fee of 15 euros for undergraduate students in degree-granting courses organized by
recognized colleges, universities or not for profit organizations:
We discuss specific schemes to favor a wide use of DiG, examples: countries with a GDP/capita below 8K Euros,
unemployment programs.
Getting started as an DiG instructor
To get started and become a Certified Instructor you should first get in contact with the DiG Business Learning
office to consult upcoming certification workshops either held physically or online to register for one of these
proposed sessions and get selected.
When your participation is confirmed you will have to follow 3 steps :
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1) BEFORE THE WORKSHOP
DIG DISCOVERY : Prepare for the workshop by running the leadership game once yourself
with the test login that will be provided, submitting questions to the DiG Business Learning
Office and reading the preparation material.
2) WORKSHOP IN PARIS OR ONLINE
Participate successfully to the workshop session(s). The program for both the workshop in
Paris and online are the same and include:
- Introduction to DiG
- a conceptual session on the fundamental concepts underlying the DiG experience at the
firm, unit and individual levels
- DiG leadership game in teams of 2-4 participants with an extensive debrief on the results
and the DiG experience
- Presentation of the DiG software for instructors
- Group discussions on how to use DiG in your practice
- Presentation of the DiG community and its tools
During the certification session we will provide you with all necessary material helping you
to run the game and prepare to become a certified instructor.
3) AFTER THE WORKSHOP
FINAL DIG CHALLENGE : after the workshop we will ask you to run the DIG simulation again
on your own and obtain a result of atleast 1,2 billion € in earnings. The objective is to get at
ease with the software. We will provide you an access to analyse the results of the team
simulations of the workshop to get a good understanding of the dynamics of the simulation.
After this final step of the DIG certification you will become a member of the DIG community and we will
provide you with your permanent login to access the instructor software as well as the DIG private
community site on which all necessary information on the global instructor network, DIG teaching and
commercial material as well as all workshop material can be found. Through our closed DIG Business Learning
linkedin group community members (only certified instructors will be accepted in this group).
After the certification workshop participants can to start developing their DiG practice with their clients and
prospects.
During the startup phase of the DiG Community we will not charge the official DIG certification fee of 1 500€,
but we do ask participants to participate to the expenses of the workshops held in Paris. All other expenses
like transportation to the workshop, hotel accommodation, meals for the Paris workshops have to be
financed by the participants themselves
You can always contact us through [email protected]
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Annex 1: DiG learning process
The ‘core’ DiG learning process is composed of 4 parts. The notes below briefly describe each of these 4 stages.
Introduction (typically 30 minutes to one hour):
- Positioning of the session: The instructor first positions the DiG experience in the context of the topics emphasized in the course, for instance: customer centricity, innovation, modern marketing, business acumen, leadership, team performance, or growth. If the DiG exercise is part of a longer course, its link with previous and subsequent sessions should be indicated.
- Highlights of DiG: Review the key features of DiG as described in the User Guide.
- Demo of software: Short presentation of the key features of the DiG leadership game.
- Guidelines for the assignment: Time allocation and team presentations.
Team assignment (typically 2 hours):
- Teams should spend at least 15 to 20 minutes exploring the DiG world and agreeing on allocation of tasks, process, schedule, and initial strategy.
- Most teams spend a lot of time in the first year (eg. 35 minutes on average). They should check their timing and keep enough time for the remaining years and to review their learning experience.
- Year 1: As most teams spend proportionally more time in the first year, they are typically delighted about their results (earnings usually grow from 20 to 90%). Actually, the simulation parameters have been set so that results for year 1 are excellent. The purpose is to create a positive learning climate from the beginning. While the average first year results are excellent, the results still widely differ between teams, according to the actions they have undertaken.
- Year 2: This is the real first test year. Some teams will do pretty well but others will find that they have to do some serious rethinking! In any case, they have by that time adopted a positive attitude and know that it is possible to do well!
- Year 3: This is a year when most teams get the feeling that they have an “understanding” of what it takes to win…. This is of course a matter of perception and all relative, but so real!
- Years 4-5: Usually most teams have by then adopted a structure, a strategy and a style that they carry forward efficiently to test their learning.
Preparation of team presentations (typically 30 minutes, optional): The purpose of this part is to keep a specific time for team reflection and discussion of the learning experience. The recommended approach is to ask the teams to separate their presentation in 2 parts, each limited to one slide:
- Strategy and Results: Main lines of the 5-year strategy and results on selected KPIs, in addition to the main objective of value creation.
- Learning Points: Key learning points that can be transferred from the DiG experience to the business situation of the team members.
Debrief (typically one hour) in 3 parts:
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- Team Presentations on Results: Depending on the number of teams and the time available, the instructor may ask presentations from all teams or only from selected ones that best illustrate the intended learning point.
- Team Presentations on Key Learning Points: The same approach can be used for this stage as well. Another option is also to call on volunteers as some teams may be eager to display the quality of their learning.
- Discussion and instructor’s presentation on Key Learning Points: The DiG leadership game offers a wide range of learning opportunities and different points may be emphasized depending on the course and the positioning of the exercise within the course. The learning points can typically be organized into sections. For instance, in a seminar on creating a “Quality Growth Culture”, the key messages have been organized into 4 parts: Customer Discovery (the importance of insights, the need for an insights “funnel”), Value Creation (the drivers of value creation and the importance of customer engagement), Customer Value (the various levels of customer value: offer design, WTP, value for money), Ambidextrous Skills (the need to unleash discovery on conception but to focus and align on execution). Obviously, other key learning points should be emphasized in different contexts, for instance: drivers of personal value creation; key biases in group decision making; boosters and barriers to team performance; growth and the mission of business; upstream vs downstream value creating activities; and various drivers of business performance.
In addition to the above “core” DiG learning process, the following additional experiences may be useful if time is available:
Two rounds of the DiG leadership game:
It may sometimes be valuable to give teams the opportunity to go through a second round of the simulation. This allows them to test the lessons learned in the first round, to refine their learning, and to have the satisfaction to tangibly demonstrate their learning through a higher performance. Note that new logins and passwords are required for the second round. If needed, the time allocated to the second round may be reduced down to 60 minutes.
“Back to Business” session:
It is also enriching to follow the DiG experience with a session on « what does it mean for business »? This has been done for audiences in a variety of industries (B2B, consumer goods, telecoms, pharma, entertainment, media…) and it is always a great success. The two-stage process of first learning in a fictitious and motivating environment and then bringing right away the learning back to actual business insights and actions is effective and widely appreciated by participants.
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ANNEX 2: DiG seminar schedule for business executives
In a management development program for executives, the minimum time required for the DiG experience is 3 to 5 hours, typically a whole afternoon. In a short program or in a special event, this can be a stand-alone session. In a longer program, it can be preceded by one or several sessions on one of the key business talents topics to be emphasized and followed by application workshops (eg. How would you apply the concepts learned in your own business situation?). The four parts of the learning process described in Annex 1 can be adapted as follows according to the time available
3 hours when time is short (eg. major events with large number of participants). Under this option, there is more emphasis on a specific learning point and on team dynamics. The introduction can be reduced to 30 minutes, the teams are not required to make a formal presentation and the debrief can be shortened to 30 minutes.
4 hours is the typical option, divided as follows: 1 hour maximum for the introduction, 2 hours for the team work with the leadership game, and 1 hour for the debrief.
5 hours to give more importance for the variety of learning points. Under this option, there should be a deadline for the end of the simulation exercise, followed by a short break, and a distinct time (eg 30 minutes) for the teams to prepare their presentations. Beyond this core delivery of the DiG experience, it is possible to build a powerful program by adding more
conceptual sessions on one or several related topics, by providing a second opportunity to run the DiG leadership
game, and by reflecting on the implications of the experience to a specific business situation. For instance, the
schedule for a two-day program build around the DiG experience can be as follows:
DAY 1 Morning - The Foundations of XXX: This is an introductory session on the selected topic(s) for the program, where “XXX” can for instance be customer centricity, innovation, marketing, entrepreneurship, business acumen, growth, value creation, collaboration, team performance, and leadership
DAY 1 Afternoon - The DiG Experience (Round 1): This is the “core” DiG experience described at the beginning of this annex. More time can be given to the introduction and the team assignment and less to the debrief as this is not the end of the program.
DAY 2 Morning - The DiG Experience (Round 2): The same teams have a second chance to go through the same experience. They should start debriefing what they have learned from their first experience and from those of the other teams (one hour) before doing the DiG assignment again (two hours). The team presentations and debrief should be of a higher depth than in the first experience, including a discussion of the impact of the learning on performance.
DAY 2 Afternoon: This is the “Back to Business” session that takes the opportunity investigate immediately the business applications of the DiG learning experience. While this session should obviously be designed in function of the current business challenges, a possible structure is as follows: open discussion of the possible applications and agreement on a team assignment (30-60 minutes); team assignment on business applications and action items (60-90 minutes); team presentations and discussion of business applications and action items (60-90 minutes)
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ANNEX 3: Course schedule for business students
In some schools and universities, it is possible to organize sessions under a blocked 3 to 5 hour format and the schedule suggested for business executives in Annex 2 can also be used. Most often, however, students classes are of a shorter duration (60 to 90 minutes) and students are expected to prepare assignments between classes. Under this assignment format, the DiG team work is performed out of class. The most common approach is for the Professor to present the assignment at the end of a session, and to allocate a full session for its debrief when it is completed. The time devoted to the exercise during class for the introduction and for the debrief is however flexible, depending on the course, the positioning of the exercise, the students profile and the preferences of the instructor:
Introduction: Fifteen minutes at the end of a class is sufficient to give students the objectives of the DiG exercise, guidelines on the assignment, the URL, login, password and refer to the DiG User Guide. Students can discover the DiG software themselves using the integrated explanations. The instructor can also devote a greater part of a class, or a whole class, to the introduction session by including more conceptual descriptions and a demo of the DiG software, as in the blocked format version.
Team assignment: Teams can organize themselves independently and decide the time they want to allocate to the exercise. Two hours is, however, a good guideline. In addition, the instructor can ask the teams to prepare a class presentation or a written report.
Debrief: Thirty minutes at the beginning of a class is sufficient to discuss the variance in the strategies and the results, and to identify key learning points. To extract more value out of this exercise, it is however preferable to devote a whole class to this debrief, including team presentations, discussion and conceptualization.
While business students are less concerned than executives by an immediate business application of the
DiG experience, it may be a valuable learning experience to ask them to come up with business examples
(from articles, textbooks, or web searches) that demonstrate the relevance of the learning points emerging
from DiG.
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ANNEX 4: Schedule for online DiG simulations
In an online course, the “blocked format” for the executive courses in Annex 2 will be spread over several modules.. The sessions can be delivered by an instructor through Webex, NetMeeting or similar platforms, and the teams can access the web-based DiG leadership game from any location in the world with internet coverage. While it is not possible in an online session to reach the intensity of the face-to-face exchanges in the DiG debrief or “back to business” sessions, the following observations will help to make the online experience truly impactful:
Team composition: While the whole DiG experience can be web-based, it is most effective if the members of a given team are in the same location so that they can have face-to-face meetings. This provides the best combination of the flexibility/performance from e-learning and of the motivation/energy from face-to-face interactions. For instance 20 teams, each composed from 2 to 5 members, can thus participate in a DiG experience from 20 different locations.
DiG Introduction: This session can be split into 2 parts on different days, each of maximum 20 to 30 minutes. The first one is about the presentation of the DiG experience. It should include an interactive part and a quiz on the understanding of the DiG User Guide. At this stage, participants can be given a login to just access the leadership game without making decisions, just to get a feel for the software and identify questions. The purpose of the second session is to respond to possible questions, make a demo of the software (including decisions and run), and present the assignment. The end of this second session marks the beginning of the team assignment.
Team assignment: Given the differences in time zones in a global learning event, it is preferable to give local teams the flexibility to meet when they chose to perform the DiG assignment before a certain deadline. One week between the DiG introduction and this deadline is an adequate time. The time they allocate to the DiG experience in this context is flexible and can be for a period of 2 to 3 hours.
Debrief: After the deadline for the assignment, teams can work on their presentation. They should send to the instructor the 2 slides described in Annex 1 before a due date. This also gives time to the instructor to review the results of each team before the debrief session. This debrief session can be split into 2 parts on different days, each of maximum 20 to 30 minutes. The first one should concentrate on learning points from the teams. The second one is about a presentation by the instructor of the main learning points from his/her perspective and of the rankings of all teams. Keeping the announcement of the team rankings to the end allows to keep full attention in such an online learning event.
Based on these observations, the following schedule is an appropriate design for a DiG online experience:
- D- Day: Introduction to the DiG experience (20-30 minutes) - Day D+5: Introduction to the DiG leadership game and assignment (20-30 minutes) - Day D+12: Deadline for completing the DiG assignment - Day D+15: Deadline for submitting two-slide presentation - Day D+16: Debrief session on team learning points (20-30 minutes) - Day D+17: Debrief session on instructor’s learning points and results (20-30 minutes)
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ANNEX 5 : FAQs
What are DIG's key learning objectives?
The overall learning mission of the DiG Learning Experience is sustained value creation, through designing,
harnessing, executing, and fine-tuning consistent quality growth of a business. Within this broad overall
objective, the DiG Learning Experience can focus on more specific objectives such as customer centricity,
innovation, marketing, entrepreneurship, business acumen, growth, value creation, entrepreneurship,
collaboration, team performance, leadership and assessment.
To what management level would DIG be most relevant?
DIG is equally relevant to business students and to executives from all levels in companies of various sizes and
sectors. It has actually been tested among more than 500 teams in these different learning conditions. While
the engine of the learning experience, the DiG leadership game, is the same in all DiG experiences, certified
instructors provide the design, adaptations, delivery approach, and style most appropriate for different
audiences and learning objectives.
Can you deliver DIG in our language?
The DIG Learning Experience can be delivered in various languages for both the classroom and online
versions. The DIG Leadership game is currently offered in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and
Korean. It can also be offered in other requested languages pending 2 month advanced notification. A global
network of certified instructors is being organized that can deliver the DiG experience in these languages. In
addition, “DiG Certification Workshops” are organized to train professional instructors in the delivery of the DiG
experience. In order to provide a consistent quality and the development of a global network, all DiG certified
instructors are requested to be fluent in English in addition to their native language or the language they use for
delivering the DIG experience.
How does the DIG leadership game work?
Here is the brief given to a DiG team: An entrepreneur, Mr Shovel, has invented and developed a new novel
product, the Magic Pen, designed, manufactured and distributed by his company Innovink. This company has
enjoyed early rapid growth, and Mr Shovel would like you to take over its leadership while he distances himself
from its operations. You are incentivized on maximizing the earnings growth of the business over a 5 year
period.
The activities the DiG teams have to perform in a given year include:
- Discovery of customer insights
- Testing of these insights for technical feasibility and business potential
- Design of new features to enhance the MagicPen
- Design of new boosters to enhance the growth of the MagicPen
- Setting the price of the Magic Pen
- Mass communications
- Interactive communications
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- Sales force and distribution
When decisions for a given year have been finalized, a DiG team can launch the simulation for the year. The
whole DiG situation is then moved by one year and all parameters are updated according to the decisions made
by the team. Some of the key information available to the team include :
- Earnings and earnings growth
- Number of customers and their status (dissatisfied, passive, satisfied, engaged)
- Number of non-customers and their status (aware and non-aware)
- Customer value (WTP - willingness to pay)
- Market data (coverage, mass communications, interactive communications…)
- Financial data (unit cost, unit contribution)
- Insights pipeline (discovered, tested, designed)
- Impact analysis (impact of key decisions on earnings growth)
The DiG teams do not compete directly against each other. But they all face the same starting situations and are
subject to the same conditions and parameters. Their results after 5 simulated years are thus completely
attributable to their decisions and can be compared to establish a performance ranking. In this way, the teams
indirectly compete against each other and this provides an effective and enjoyable learning environment.
How difficult is it for a team to use the DiG leadership game?
The DiG leadership game is extremely easy to use, even for a computer novice. No specific computer skill is
required, only to use an internet browser such as Internet Explorer, Chrome or Firefox. Teams can use a tablet,
a portable, or a desktop computer, running under Windows on under an Apple system. DiG users can thus use
the computer environment with which there are familiar.
The DiG User Guide is a simple 8-page document including a description of the team’s mission and illustrations
of the main DiG screens. The DiG software contains an assistance feature explaining the possible actions for
each position of the cursor.
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ANNEX 6 : Client testimonials
EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO INNOVATE IN A NEW WAY
“Participating in the DiG leadership game was a fun and valuable learning experience. The game presents a
realistic business scenario in which to apply your knowledge of the innovation process in order to achieve
sustainable business growth. It can quickly highlight your bias to spend more time & resources in one area and
how this often comes at the cost to the overall goal. With each round the team starts to understand these
implications and learns to adapt their current strategy to deliver even more growth. It is a really great tool to
get your team thinking differently about how they approach innovation as a whole”
Emma Howe, Head of Marketing
BAYER – CHINA
DEVELOPING NEW LEADERSHIP TALENTS
“Working in well-defined and challenging business environments, and getting results and feedback about the
decisions taken in different areas, provide a unique opportunity to develop key leadership skills to manage
today's uncertain business world. The DiG leadership game is a fantastic tool that enables that powerful learning
in a short period of time.”
Antonio Rey Ruiz, Global Strategic Initiatives Director
CSC – Computer Science Corporation - DENMARK
DEVELOPING CUSTOMER DISCOVERY BEHAVIOUR
“The DIG leadership game is a very balanced and practical way to clearly understand the importance and
necessity of discovering and experimental learning which leads us to understand our customers. In that sense
innovation and exploring with a very open mind appears to be key. This discovery of our customers and their
needs is value creating and will make us be 1 step ahead of our competitors. It is a simulation where you have
all aspects of real business/life; negotiation with your peers, learning curves, time pressure and result driven.”
Bart Denolf, International Director
PEPE JEANS London – SPAIN
DEVELOPING TEAM PERFORMANCE AND CLIENT DISCOVERY TO INNOVATE
“The DiG leadership game was great to develop leadership and marketing skills focusing on costumer discovery
to find new value creation opportunities. It’s an exciting teamwork exercise that leads to adopt effective
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innovation and business management behaviors in the daily work of marketing executives. Effective learning
that turns into business results from day 1!”
Francesco Scaccheri, Senior Manager
ACCENTURE S.p.a - Strategy Consulting - ITALY
THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAM PERFORMANCE
“Many organizations spend so much resource on developing great processes and new ways of working, but
underestimate effort required to gain adoption required to deliver the promised value. I found the DiG
leadership game extremely useful as it brilliantly emphasises (a) the difficulties in gaining adoption within an
organization, (b) the need to plan, act and adjust as you go along and (3) how a “project” team works together
can affect the path forward and result.”
Andrew Barrett, Global Business Manager
Moog Inc. – IRELAND / Large Motor Solutions
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY OF TRAINING
“The DIG leadership game is a very innovative approach in management training. In the medical field, we are
also actively introducing Simulated training for professional skills training of our medical and healthcare
professionals, and our experience so far is that this is very useful in terms of quality and efficiency of training. I
had the chance to get in touch with the innovative approach during my stay in INSEAD, and it is really an eye-
opening experience to me. The DIG simulation module is user friendly, easy to master, and creates a virtual
environment in the business world where team members are faced with different scenarios and can interact
with one another to find out workable and effective solutions. It is also an enjoyable journey going through the
simulation training process. Personally, I found it a most valuable experience that should not be missed!”
Hobby Cheung, Hospital Chief Executive
Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Kowloon Hospital, and Hong Kong Eye Hospital, HONG KONG
A MARKETING TIME MACHINE
“An excellent and robust simulation tool to help decision-makers experience the power of discovering insights,
investing in innovation and sustaining growth. I had the pleasure to run this engine with other team members
from diversified experiences, and it was highly insightful to take back the learning within a short period of time;
its a marketing time-machine!”
Firas W. Haidar, Vice President,
Qaiymah Product Distribution Company - SAUDI ARABIA
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DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND LONG TERM GROWTH
“I am very lucky in my day to day job to have a broader view of the organization and see the impact of the
decisions at several levels, either aiming for topline growth, market share or resource allocation. In this context,
DiG proved to be a very powerful tool in walking each and every ONE of us in all the business decisions while
sending a clear message on the balanced approach you need in delivering long term growth. It was a great
demonstration what value creation stands for and how strategy is shaping future decisions, or WHAT changes
(boosters) add incremental benefits. It proved to be a captivating team exercise with dispersed Discovery
(insights) and aligned Execution (strategy).”
Lucian Mataoanu, Channel and Base Management Director,
UPC Romania- ROMANIA