Managing change playfully Business games as the key to successful change management
Effective change management is a critical success factor. Business simulation games prepare employees optimally for change.
Managing change playfully
Business games as the key to successful change management
Technological advances, global networking, changing customer needs, crises and associated uncertainties. We live in a constantly changing world. To remain competitive, companies must be able to adapt quickly and flexibly to new circumstances.
For change to be successful in the company, it is important that employees understand the change, accept it and actively engage in it. If they see the necessity and benefits of change, they are motivated to actively contribute to it. This creates the basis for a positive change culture. Change can cause uncertainty and anxiety among employees. If they understand the background, goals and process of the changes, this reduces fears and strengthens confidence in the company. They can adapt their skills and behaviors accordingly, thereby supporting smoother implementation of the changes.
For this to succeed, it is important that companies support their employees during change processes and prepare them for this through suitable measures. Effective change management is becoming a critical success factor. One suitable method for preparing employees for change and actively involving them is a business game.
In business games, participants can experience change by managing their own fictitious company and actively implementing change. They feel the pressure to change, but also the difficulties that arise during operational implementation. By taking responsibility for the management of their company, participants develop a profound understanding of the overall business processes and train important methodological and social skills.
Business games as suitable tool for your change management:
Active, realistic learning
In business games, participants experience changes in a practical way in a simulated environment. The pressure and the challenges of change processes are reflected one-to-one. Participants actively manage their own company with various functional areas. In doing so, they face the task of changing their own virtual company and develop their own strategies to do so. In this way, they are directly involved in the change process. The learning effect is particularly significant through learning by doing. The participants experience the impact of changes have on different areas of a company and thus also on their work. They develop a sense of how they help shape and influence the change process.
Risk-free space
A business game offers a risk-free space to try out different strategies and approaches to solutions. Participants train to weigh risks, recognize opportunities and take appropriate action. They can try things out, make mistakes and learn from them without this having any impact on reality. This enables them to build confidence and develop security in dealing with change.
Teamwork
In business games, participants manage their company together as a team and compete directly with other teams. This promotes cooperation and exchange between team members. They develop solutions together, discuss ideas and learn with and from each other. This strengthens team spirit, teamwork, cohesion and motivation, leading to a high level of satisfaction among your employees. They are more likely to manage change together as a team. In addition, participants train other social skills that are important for change processes, such as communication and conflict resolution skills, are trained.
Decision-making and problem-solving skills
In business games, participants face challenges that are typical for a change processes: There are supply bottlenecks, costs rise, customer needs change, products disappear, new markets are developing under high pressure.
As in reality, participants have to adapt to new circumstances and challenges to remain successful. They analyze problems, develop strategies, make decisions and experience the effects. This promotes their decision-making and problem-solving skills that are also beneficial for change processes.
Overall company perspective
In business games, participants look at different aspects of a company and learn to understand interactions. They make decisions in different areas of the company such as marketing, production, personell and finance. They experience the complexity of adapting all business units to the changed corporate situation. This promotes holistic thinking and helps participants to recognize the impact of changes on the company as a whole.
Emotionality and motivation
Through active participation in the simulation, participants become emotionally involved in the change process. The dynamics of the competition creates emotionality and enthusiasm. They can experience the effects of change on their work environment in the simulation. This leads to a deeper understanding and greater motivation to actively shape change.
Transfer
After completing the simulation, participants can reflect together and draw conclusions for their own work context from the game. This transfer enables them to share their experiences, deepen insights and transfer the learned content to their company and the change process.
As part of the change management process, business games can be a valuable tool for shaping change in the company in a playful and effective way. Through business games, you promote an understanding of change and prepare your employees for it in a safe environment. As a result, they develop important competencies for dealing with change processes. They understand why change is necessary and what is required to implement it successfully. They are therefore more willing to support and actively shape the change process.
However, it is important to note that a business game should always be seen as part of a comprehensive change management strategy that helps to actively involve and engage employees. Of course, change management always includes other measures such as careful planning, clear and transparent communication, stakeholder involvement and further training.
Change management at MARGA with Deutsche Telekom as an example: Actively shaping change
The expansion of Germany with a nationwide fiber optic network is one of the key elements of the elements of digitization and thus for the competitiveness of entire sectors of the economy. Deutsche Telekom is at the forefront of this is at the forefront of this expansion. The strategic and operational challenge for Deutsche Telekom is the simultaneous the simultaneous operation of copper and fiber-optic fiber-optic network. New, more efficient fiber optic cable is currently making increasing inroads into German households and companies, and the old familiar copper is gradually being reduced and replaced. For this to succeed, it is important that employees fully understand this change process and its effects and view it from an overall business perspective. To achieve just that, Deutsche Telekom has developed a two-day business game program with MARGA
Around 50 employees took part in the program. Divided into small teams, they managed various areas and functions of their own simulated company. The task was to identify customer needs and dynamic market developments and to target their own resources accordingly.
The teams had the task of managing a product at the end of its life cycle (copper cable). At the same time, a new, fast-growing product (fiber optics) required high investments. Not only do these have to be financed, but they also incur high capital costs. The teams were able to experience at first hand what this means in the overall business context in the business game. This not only highlighted the complexity of change processes, but also helped the participants to develop a profound understanding of the processes in the company.
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