Leadership training from a distance

On April 2, 2022, we invited our international partners to join an online session. The idea was to share thoughts on how to practically go about virtual leadership training. We were happy to have an opportunity to check in with our partners and come together for a chat about how to run simulations across distance.

The session combined a presentation by our CEO Ask Agger with break-out sessions for the 50+ participants to share best practices. A recording of Ask’s initial presentation can be seen above.

What we know works

The point of departure for Ask’s introduction was a highlight of what we already know works well in leadership training. Inspired by recent research, Ask summarised six points:

• Facilitation matters
  Good facilitation makes a significant difference.
• Don’t start with a long lecture
  Inspiration, theories etc. should be provided in small doses during the session.
• Trust enables learning
  Fostering an informal and trustful atmosphere enables candid and honest discussions.
• Competition works (sometimes too well)
  The aspiration to do well is a strong motivator for participants but it should be used in moderation.
• The joy of play is universal
  Everybody enjoys the feeling of ‘flow’ during play, and everybody knows how to play if they dare to try.
• Follow up and make takeaways actionable
  Help people transfer new insights into small but impactful actions and behavioural changes.

Three ways of deployment

The big question is; how can we embrace the flexibility and potential of virtual training while still preserving the ‘magic’ of game-based engagement that delivers real impact?

The rest of Ask’s presentation explored three different ways of using leadership simulations:

• Face-to-Face
  Normal face-to-face training where all participants and facilitators are in the same room. Includes all of the advantages and limitations that comes with the ‘friction’ of physical interaction.
• Co-location
  A mixed format where the facilitator is separated from the participants who sit together in small co-located teams. This set-up is especially relevant in situations with travel restrictions or as an effort to limit carbon-emissions from unnecessary travel activity.
• Virtual team
  A 100% virtual set-up where everybody sits by themselves. The facilitator will lead a single team virtually and has a key role as the host who handles all instructions and game mechanics. This option provides a lot of flexibility and is especially useful in situations where it is difficult to bring colleagues together for face-to-face interaction.

If you want a pdf-version of the material or interested in learning more about our approach and portfolio of leadership simulations, let us know!