“Our purpose is to influence the way we teach, train and learn in order to better prepare humanity for tomorrow’s workplace”
Tim Dew – Founder, Immersive Edge
What’s the Purpose? What’s the Point?
When you’re walking into a room, ready to facilitate a training session, as we did in that picture above (Paris, 2023 Asset Management Company business simulations competition, case study in full here), or just about to log in to deliver an online session, you never really know exactly what to expect.
You’ve gone through a detailed needs analysis with the client’s key stakeholders, you’ve done your preparation, you may know or not know the names and job titles of the participants, they may or may not know each other! Once that online meeting starts, or once you walk into that room there is always an element of fear however experienced, talented or confident you may be in what you’re about to deliver.
Will the tech behave?
Will there be detractors?
Will they ‘get it’?
Will the client be pleased with the outcome?
Fear of course is a really important and intrinsic part of the learning process. I wrote about this in a previous blog post, here!
My first experiences of facilitating our business simulations came about with only a small amount of training, and that’s fine! We espouse the benefits of learning by doing, it’s in our DNA as a company, and runs through the heart of everything we do through experiential learning methodology.
What I came to realize quite quickly, which served me well, is that having a grounded understanding of your overarching purpose as an organization, summarized above by our Founder Tim Dew and in further detail here, aligned with the purpose of your client’s reasons and intended outcomes for investing in your facilitated sessions, gives you a clear idea of what the ‘point’ is to it, and sets you on a solid path to successful facilitation, whereby the stars of the show are never you, but those who are in the room with you, learning rapidly and overcoming challenges together with your guidance.
After all, in the Immersive Edge world of facilitating, many sessions of which are delivered through our global delivery partners network, the range of sectors is vast, as is the range of specific outcomes a client partners with us to achieve, whether it be through online schools competitions for business studies students, senior leadership teams within large corporates, face to face sessions equipping military personnel with transferable business knowledge coming out of the military world into ‘civvy world’, or working with small business owners to understand how sustainable decision-making balanced against financial decision-making can be approached.
What Does a Business Simulation Facilitator Offer?
Business simulations are powerful tools for training and development in a wide range of public and private sector environments, offering participants a hands-on experience in decision-making, strategic planning, and problem-solving within a simulated business environment.
The facilitator role is pivotal in ensuring the effectiveness and engagement of the training which aligns directly to the agreed needs of any client before entering the physical or virtual room with the participants.
Understanding Your Role
As a facilitator, your primary role is to guide participants through the simulation while creating a conducive learning environment. Your responsibilities include:
Preparation: Thoroughly understand the client’s requirements, objectives, and learning outcomes.
Setting Expectations: Communicate clear expectations to participants regarding learning outcomes, simulation duration, and evaluation criteria. Address any questions or concerns to ensure everyone is comfortable and ready to get involved with confidence.
Managing the Session: During the simulation, maintain a balance between facilitating discussions and allowing participants to make decisions autonomously. Monitor progress and provide guidance when necessary.
Techniques for Effective Facilitation
Successful facilitation involves employing various techniques to enhance learning and engagement:
Icebreakers and Introductions: Begin with icebreakers to create a relaxed atmosphere and encourage interaction among participants. Introduce the simulation’s scenario and goals to set the stage for learning.
Active Listening and Feedback: Actively listen to participant discussions and decisions. Provide timely feedback to reinforce learning points, correct misconceptions, and encourage critical thinking.
Encouraging Collaboration: Foster teamwork and collaboration among participants. Encourage them to leverage each other’s strengths, share insights, and collectively solve challenges presented by the simulation.
Debriefing Sessions: Facilitate a full debriefing session to reflect on participants’ experiences, outcomes, and lessons learned. Lead discussions on the application of simulation insights to real-world scenarios.
Enhancing Learning Outcomes
To maximize the learning outcomes of business simulation deliveries, consider these strategies:
Tailored Scenarios: Customize simulation scenarios to align with participants’ industry, role, or specific learning objectives. This personalization enhances relevance and applicability.
Real-Time Adjustments: Adapt the simulation based on participant progress and learning needs. Introduce additional challenges or adjust parameters to maintain engagement and challenge participants.
Post-Simulation Analysis: Conduct comprehensive post-simulation analysis sessions to evaluate individual and group performance. Identify strengths, areas for improvement, and actionable insights for professional development.
The Facilitator ‘Style Scale’
Something I hadn’t taken into consideration too much during my early days of facilitation was the importance of what I consider to be a ‘style scale’ for a facilitator, which is an important consideration when agreeing with a client how they would like a session to be facilitated.
Everyone of course has their own natural style when it comes to being a teacher, trainer, facilitator, colleague, presenter, coach, manager, leader, in whatever walk of life you may choose to consider.
Everyone also has their own ability to flex into different parts of the ‘scale’ whether it be a naturally introverted presenter becoming slightly more animated, a less assertive person becoming slightly more assertive as they develop that ability to do so, or a coach who may (in football/soccer/sport terminology) be required to change formation of the team out of a relative comfort zone in order to address a specific opponent or situation.
What is the ‘Scale’ for a Facilitator?
In the business simulations world I’ve witnessed a range of different facilitators achieving excellent results by adapting across 5 different levels of the scale. There’s no right or wrong here, and facilitators will and may flex across the scale in line with specific groups of people they’re working with, sometimes in live time rather than pre-planned as an approach. These are my 5 labels with a few summary words that spring to mind…
1) The Disruptor
This facilitator persona generates a disruptive, high-pressure learning environment which is fast-paced, often loud, ensuring that participants operate under a feeling of relatively high-pressure, which of course the business world can be, right? By replicating real-world business pressures and throwing in the odd curve ball, it keeps participants on their toes and encourages agile decision-making often to great effect.
2) The Swashbuckler
The ‘swashbuckling’ facilitator is a boisterous, animated gesticulator in the room, someone who revels in the experience of delivering simulations and seeing how participants move through the gears, especially when teams decide to take decisions that are high risk with potentially high reward associated with them. They are really motivated by seeing learning outcomes met, and significant achievements for individuals and teams who are playing.
3) The Motivator
The motivating facilitator persona defines one who is both hugely enthusiastic and passionate about what they do with their simulation teams, and very much ‘on the team’ albeit not directly. They generate great enthusiasm and drive within all team members, celebrating small wins and big successes in equal measure with a genuine will for the team to perform well and get as much out of the learning experience as possible.
4) The Supporter
On a slightly calmer end of the scale is ‘the supporter.’ This facilitator style is very authoritative, knowledgeable and is very aware of ways in which they can support individuals and teams to be successful. The supporter wants to ensure the participants are as set up for success as they possibly can be, then watch that all play out with a quiet will for them to embrace the experience and articulate the learnings at the end really effectively.
5) The Enabler
A quieter, more composed and emotionally controlled facilitator remains peaceful and collected at all times. This is of huge benefit to the participants, who are guided through the simulation day by someone who really knows their stuff, is able to let the simulation do the talking in terms of the rich learning experience, and brings an air of calm to the room with valuable insights and observations at key points in the day.
What Does it Mean?
There’s no right or wrong with any of the above, these are of course my musings and observations as still a relatively inexperienced facilitator. It’s all about what the client wants to get out of it, in terms of measuring success of any learning and development event, as to how the skilled facilitator may flex across these 5 persona boundaries.
Where do I Position Myself on the Scale?
My most natural style as a default, is “The Motivator”, with a grey shaded crossover border into the personas either side. I love to see teams succeed and can struggle not to give too much help when of course the real value of the learning experience is for participants to overcome challenges and generate ideas themselves without my input. As a result, I find it hardest to flex up to being a ‘disruptor’, and slightly challenging also to retain the composed qualities of an ‘enabler’ persona throughout the day.
Where do you feel you sit on this scale? Firmly in one persona? A heady mix of all 5? A true pro who can switch and flex across all, seamlessly? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the scale and your facilitator experiences and observations.
Of course, if you’d like us to deliver business simulations for you (in any of the above ways) online or in person, start the conversation today! [email protected]
You can read more about the very varied approaches we take to simulation delivery with our global clients at Immersive Edge by reading our case studies here.
Elton Daddow has been working in the field of Higher Education for over 20 years, 13 of which were spent in Higher and Further Education partnership roles at FTSE100 Pearson in the UK through their digital transformation journey from print publisher to becoming the leading digital content and assessment provider in the education sector.
He is passionate about embedding technology-enhanced learning solutions and initiatives into CPD and teaching and learning strategy to support broad strategic goals for public and private sector clients.
Elton now works in a global role as Commercial & Training Director at Immersive Edge, delivering experiential learning business simulations with clearly defined learning outcomes that surface and tackle common business challenges in a safe space, using advanced game technology, experiential learning, and behavioral dynamics to increase retention, support core skills development and create lasting connections.
