Emily Wilson
No matter what line of work you are in, no matter which business you take part in, you are in a continual arms race. Getting the best gear, the best systems in place is vital if you want to succeed. Educating your employees properly, getting them the right equipment, implementing new methods and techniques into your work, all of this matters when it comes to standing out. And one of these methods that simply isn’t used enough is the use of simulations.
Namely, simulations allow you and your employees to face realistic situations, situations that might spring up in their daily business life. They represent real problems that they will face at one point or another when doing their jobs. If you are interested more in this training tool, then check out the article below, and see what you can get.
Test out new strategies
Simulations are above all fantastic opportunities for your people to test out new strategies and ideas. A scenario that is realistic and akin to role play can allow your people to see what would happen if they, for example, went with some experiment new sales style. How would that look like? Can it be improved, modified? Or should you scarp it immediately?
Lower training costs and time
What most people don’t consider is just how cost-effective training simulations can be. First of all, your people will get all of this useful info much sooner and will retain it better, and for longer, when using the simulation system. This means that they will be spending much less time on training, and will be able to get back to work in no time. Instead of being part of the seminar, they can get back to making you money sooner.
Furthermore, while actual seminar tickets and entrance fees might not that high, remember how much plane and bus tickets cost, as well as hotel accommodations and other costs of sending an employee to improve his or her skills. Online simulations can help you circumvent this issue.
Clear feedback
Simulations give you real-time, effective feedback your people can act on immediately. Once they are part of a simulation exercise, they will be working with an instructor who can guide them, advise them, and help them zero in on where they can improve the most. Constructive criticism is happening in the here and now when it comes to simulations, and they will allow you to capitalize on what makes you, and your employees, so good at your jobs, all the while teaching you all how to remove your weakness.
Furthermore, there is something very visceral about these simulations. IN fact, that is the point of them – to feel real, to be real.
Better knowledge retention
So, activities like recruitment consultant role play, or perhaps facing a crisis, all of this can significantly help your business. But what makes them extra useful is also what makes people retain this knowledge better – they feel real.
Feeling as real as the actual thing they are preparing for makes it much more memorable, which in turn makes for far better knowledge retention. An interactive and, simply put, fun (i.e. challenging) simulation exercise will stay in people’s brains far longer than a simple lecture or book would.
Just think – what were the best teachers you ever had like? They were fun, humorous, charming, and they challenged you.
Boosts confidence
If there is one thing any employee needs, it’s more confidence. They need to have the confidence, the will, and the understanding that they can, in fact, make mistakes, and that they if they do make a mistake, can fix them. Knowing what to do when the company is in trouble, knowing how to act in crisis situations is vital for your success and for the growth of your employees.
Now, simulations can be used for mistakes, for a crisis, but also for regular day to day interactions. Instead of just reading about things from a book, and wasting time and resources having them shadow your more experienced around, why not give them actual practice? Simulations allow your people to improve their skills, letting them know they can handle anything and everything the job throws at them.
Finally, this allows them to actually take risks, to try things out. The willingness to take risks, to stick your neck out and to actually try things out is an important part of the development of your employees. By learning how to handle making errors, as well as handling the repercussions that come from these errors, they will have more confidence to rock the boat a bit in the future.
Learn from your mistakes (safely)
The best way you can learn is through your mistakes. However, mistakes often have their own cost, especially at the workplace. You can be losing money, clients, time… However, with proper training simulations, you and your employees can make mistakes safely, see what they did wrong, and how they can make it right. Furthermore, they also get a clear view of the repercussions of their mistakes, and where these have to lead them. Once an employee makes an error, he will know, in the future, exactly what to do to fix it. They also get some extra motivation to be more careful, once they see the results their actions can bring.
Conclusion
And there you have it folks – the benefits of effective simulation training. First, it’s a fantastic way to learn. Being somewhat unorthodox, people remember simulation training, they enjoy it, and will most likely retain much more information than they would otherwise. It’s also a great provider of feedback and is much more fun than regular training. It boosts employee confidence, allowing them to be ready for any occasion or crises that might occur, as well as being rather affordable.
