5 Tips to Applying Human Resource Tools to the Business

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Are you thinking of increasing the adoption of your Human Resource tools? This trend seems to be on the upswing at the moment. We have seen a lot of tool development and application within large enterprises. We have a few tips from an outsiders perspective:

5 Tips to Human Resource Tool Adoption

1. Keep the tools simple to use- This probably goes without saying, but it's a good reminder. Remember, managers have a very busy job. Unless the tools are easy to naturally use, they won't be used. Keep the tools you choose to use simple and easy to utilize.

2. Pair down the number of tools- Tools are great frameworks for people to work from. But in reality, there is certainly such a thing as too many. In reality, managers will probably utilize three at the most. Pick your top three and focus on implementing these first.

3. Train managers!- Of course, this goes without saying. But to dig a little deeper, you should think about giving managers the opportunity to use the tools before they are expected to use them in the workplace. This will help naturalize the usage of the tools.

4. Practice and followup- Give managers the opportunity to practice the tools and get used to using them. If they don't have the opportunity to try before they buy, they simply won't buy.

5. Make them relevant and real- Demonstrating how these tools impact their business is critical. If they can experience the positive results of using the tools, utilization will become natural.

Even though this doesn't directly impact business simulations, it does correlate. We create a lot of simulations that focus on utilizing Human Resource tools. We thought it would be helpful to share what we've seen work and not work.

Hope this helps!

New Website Launched

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Today, an update to the existing web site was launched. It's a completely different platform so you may notice some things either out of place, missing, or different from before. We'll be putting things back in place as we build on this new platform. In the meantime, let us know what you think and what you'd like to see added.

Have a great weekend!

New Solution Offering: Tailored Business Simulations

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Have you ever wanted the power of a custom business simulation, but didn't want the complexity or time of building one from scratch? Have you thought to yourself, "I really want to use my leadership model, but don't want the expense and time of a custom solution?" Great! Here's a potential solution for you. Have you looked at a Tailored Business simulation instead of a Custom Business Simulation? If not, it might be worth a look.

Should I go Tailored Business Simulation or Custom Business Simulation?
Let's start by looking at a simple graphic that outlines some of the difference:


Even though this is a generalization, it might help give you a general idea. You should look at a tailored business simulation if any of the following occur:
- Limited Budget
- No Need For Licensing
- Quick Turnaround
- Still Use Your Leadership Tools

If this is something that is interesting, you should drop us an note and we can help guide you through the what, what not's, and how's. Happy to answer any questions.

Hope this helps! Let us know what you think.

Tailored, Custom, or Standard Business Simulation?

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Have you ever asked yourself, "What is the difference between a tailored, custom, and canned business simulation?" We've certainly been asked this question and it's a very good question indeed. Let's try to take this apart and clearly explain the differences.

Custom, Tailored, and Canned Business Simulations Explained

Custom Business Simulation- This is a simulation or gamification product that is completely custom to your business strategy, leadership, training and development, and industry needs. A custom solution is like going to Microsoft and saying, "I'd like you to build me a software solution of my own." Additionally, you'd then have to go to a consulting company and say, "I'd like you to develop a services packaged completely designed for me from the ground up that goes with our software." This is a custom business simulation. These are gigantic projects. a custom business simulation is like having designer shoes made from scratch just for you. These solution fit beautifully, work wonderfully, and align with all your needs, strategy, and goals. These are fantastic solutions. On the downside, they can get pricy quickly and usually require quite a bit of project management. These are not small projects. These are the "Cadillac' of the business simulation world.

Tailored Business Simulation- These tools can be exceptionally valuable if done correctly. A tailored business simulation takes a core set of completed work and tailors it to your needs. These are not as perfect as a custom business simulation, but often come quite close. In many cases, people can't necessarily tell the difference between a tailored and a custom business simulation. Tailored solutions are great starting points if you have complex development needs, but are just starting out using business simulations. Tailored solutions let you implement a lower cost solution, learn from it, and then apply the learning to a fully custom solution in the future (if needed).

Off the Shelf or Canned Business Simulations- These are solutions that are not at all, or just slightly modifiable. These solutions are good for general topics that don't apply to your business, strategy, or specific development goals. Some examples are: Business acumen simulations, HIPAA compliance, workplace needs, etc. These are topics that are pretty much the same for all organizations and don't require customization. Off the shelf solutions are great for this. These solutions don't always work so well for needs that are organization specific such as: Leadership Development, Strategy Development or specific organizational development initiatives. It's similar to trying to put a square peg in a round hole. You'll spend a lot of energy trying to make it fit and then try to explain to participants why it's relevant.

As always, these are generalization, but should get you in the ballpark. Hope this helps and have a great weekend!

Thank You To Wonderful Providers!

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I thought it would be nice to recognize the invisible partners we work with to keep us building world-class business simulations. Without these wonderful providers, we would be dead in the water. So often, all of us and all companies work with others that keep us going. But these providers are rarely recognized. We have two that we'd like to highlight and thank:

Fantastic Providers of Business Class Internet Communication- eMail, Calendaring, Syncing, Contact Management, etc: GetSync'd
I don't have a single bad thing to say about GetSyn'd. We've used them for years and we have never had a single moment of downtime. They create real time email, calendar, and contact management joy! All our devices, computers, and web based solutions are all 100% in sync at all times. Best of all, if we have a question, we pickup the phone and someone answers. No phone trees, we talk to a person who can take care of anything right then and there. We had a choice to go with Microsoft 365 and after very thorough analysis, GetSync'd simply blew Microsoft out of the water. It was simply incomparable. Our Fortune 500 customers rely on us to be on top of things, and thanks to GetSync'd we are always on. Thank you GetSyn'd!

Internet Hosting Providers- Web site hosting and site management: Chillidoghosting
Its always seemed to us like web site hosting providers are rarely thanked. We'd like to stop and say 'Thank you' to Chillidog. They're services are all inclusive, yet very easy to work with. They have the latest technology available that is effective without stuff that is just gimmicky. They're interface is easy to navigate and use. Best of all, when we decide to demonstrate our ignorance with a hosting related question, we simply chat with them and they are always available with a smile. Try to do this with a large host provider! No way! Not only do they fix the problem, they'll recommend outside resources to do what we're doing, but do it better. They are terrific. Thank you Chillidog Web Hosting.

Both of these companies are small, but can handle the largest of setups. It's a real pleasure working with small providers because there is no red tape, the service is often world-class, and the attention is high.

Thank you for keeping us working on what's most important: Customer Business Simulations.

Business Simulations for All Companies

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So, do you think that using a business simulation is only for fortune 500 companies? Not necessarily so. Modern application development tools have taken drastic leaps forward over the past 10 years. This has made application development far more effective and less time consuming. As a result, a business simulation for training and development or human resources is far more accessible than even five years ago.

If you've ever thought that gaining access to modern a custom strategy simulation (or strategy gamification) was impossible, it would be time well spent to take another look around and ask questions.

Quick post this week. More to come soon.

Business Simulation or Business Gamification

Hello World- Yup, once again, its been awhile since a post. Again, very busy, but there will be more soon.

You've probably heard the fancy term: Business Gamification. It's all the rage, very catchy, and marketing managers just LOVE it. But what is it exactly? First of all, don't be overwhelmed. It's simply a very fancy term for turning something into a game.

Let's look at an example: Online forums. Ya know, those places you go to ask questions and get answers. You've probably noticed that certain people get points or prizes, or 'badges'. That's it! That's a game. What they've done is turned the use of a forum into a game via points and/or rewards. The goal is to get people to come back more and increase engagement. We're back in a technology boom so it's all about eye balls once again. Thus, if a company can keep people on their web site, the idea is this means they are an 'engaged' customer. This is gamification.

But, how does this relate to simulations or serious games? Great question. As has been repeated many times here, for simplicity purposes, don't get too caught up on the fancy terms. In many cases (not all) a business simulation is a form of game theory. Gamification is based on game theory. Serious Games are based on game theory. They aren't necessarily 100% all the same, but they share 98% of the same DNA.

A Business Simulation is going to be used to simulate a business or a function of a business. Serious games or gamification may not (but certainly could). This is why you shouldn't get too caught up on the terminology. If you are looking to simulate something in your business, call it a business simulation. If you're looking to engage people around a specific topic, maybe call it gamification. It's up to you, but don't get too caught up in it. You probably have much better things to worry about.

Hope this helps!