| It's a Monday morning and 60 employees of Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Toronto are hunched over maps of a make-believe galaxy, plotting a strategy to save the Earth. Surrounded by Star Trek-style music and video images, the executives, secretaries and janitors alike dash madly about, searching for ways to ward off the "generic raiders" thwarting their return to save the planet from a deadly disease. At on unexpected moment, Darth Vader bursts in and blasts away with a laser gun. As the employees vanquish each obstacle, they are rewarded with Mars bars. And when their mission is complete, a celebratory cloud of smoke fills the air. Minutes later, feet planted firmly back on earth, they file into a debriefing session to discuss what 90 minutes in "space" has taught them about teamwork, communications and improving the products of their employer, one of Canada's largest drug manufacturers. Guffaw if you will, but Ortho-McNeil's employees are hardly alone. As Canadian companies struggle for new ways to survive in the cutthroat global market, some of the country's biggest and best known names are turning to non-traditional techniques to energize employees and stay competitive. From space-simulation games to walking on fire to mimicking the roars of transport trucks, companies from the Royal Bank to Molson Breweries are turning to what's called experiential training for an edge. The theory: actively participating employees are more likely to enjoy the experience, pay closer attention to and retain considerably more of what they are taught than those who sit through the drone of a classroom-style lecturer. The proof: the U.S.-based Training and Development Journal reported that employees who take an active role in training retain 70% of what they learn vs. 45% for those who just watch and listen. Richard Schmid, an associate professor of educational technology at Concordia University in Montreal, believes that number may be even lower: perhaps 10% to 15%. Traditional training, he says, "can be a waste of time because people forget what they are traught and often what they are learning is irrelevant to what they do on the job." But let them have some fun and "it's unbelievably effective," says Ortho-McNeil vice-president Robert Miller. "We invested millions in the old way but this methos shows a dramatic turnaround. People who never talked before are getting together for lunch and working together on problem-solving and inter-department communication. There is a commitment to get things done and you need that if you're to be a world-class organization." More companies are becoming believers. A recent Conference Board of Canada study found that fully half of 226 responding firms use experiential training on their managers. Though the payback is hard to quantify, they cleary believe it's working. One respondent reported that 85% of classroom training at his firm has been cancelled. Business Simulation Inc. (BSI) of Ottawa, the designer of the Ortho-McNeil game, has carved a niche out of games which train staff by using space, detective or wild west themes that are custom-designed to meet the specific needs of companies. The seminars, of course, don't come cheap. BSI's games cost up to $100,000. Are they worth the money? The experts say the best courses are those that are custom-designed to meet a company's specific needs. Like BSI's games. Designing them takes months of research, including interviews with employees and executives and tours of company facilities. All that earns points with Harold Stolovitch, chairman of the instructional systems and technology program at the University of Montreal. "Courses that address all of your needs kill many birds with one stone,"he says. When shopping for trainers, Stolovitch suggests seeking out companies with good track records, professional staff, solid follow-up support and proof that their training is effective. Though that's hard to quantify, one measure might be the enthusiastic endorsement of other companies that have been through courses. Stolovitch also cautions companies not to see these courses as panaceas. "Training will improve knowledge and skills and could influence the attitude of employees, but to improve the overall results, you must look at products and service, management structure and feedback. It's just one part of a basket." But one that can help companies seeking a variety of remedies for what ails them. | 
