| Tired of planning management and training seminars featuring motivational speakers who only motivate you to snooze and service quality gurus that have run out of quality prose? Then your company or client's company may be ready for their own customized program, where real-life situations are simulated and role-played by personnel. Don Jones, president of Business Simulation International, set out two years ago to custom-design learning seminars that create actual business scenarios based on a particular organization's needs. Employees are parachuted into a challenging, hands-on program where people aren't just listening and taking notes, but learning by problem-solving and interacting with others in a setting created by Jones. Through extensive research on a particular company and by conducting interviews with employees and customers, Business Simulation creates an atmosphere where the best possible learning environment can be created, "Our goal is to change the way people think about meetings, workshops and training in general," says Jones of his Ottawa-based company. Organizations such as the YMCA, the Alberta Hospital Association, Molson Breweries and Canada Post have shown an interest in Jones' work, with Ontario YMCA's completing a two-day simulation at Geneva Park Conference Centre last spring. "The goal was to develop a service-oriented culture," within the YMCA organization, explains Jones. The group of 130 YMCA employees "completed" in a two-day simulation, where theory was put into practice. The simulation was aimed at developing more customer interaction and satisfaction at various YMCA facilities. Fourteen teams competed, concentrating on the operations side of business. "Fundamentally, the goal was to become more aware of how a customer feels when they walk in the door," explains Steve Butz, manger facilities and services for St.Catharines YMCA, "and for us to learn how to do whatever we can to make it a better experience. The simulation helps to put yourself on the other side of the desk and take a critical look at how good a job you are doing. It put us to the test." Each participant was equipped with an "At Your Service" brochure, outlining the purpose of the exercise and guidelines detailing who the various players in the simulation would be, including YMCA management, consultants and members of the Y's Board of Directors. Each team closely monitored the competition while accessing "top secret" information that helped the groups formulated business strategies and action plans. Urgent faxes arrived, causing participants to immediately respond to changing circumstances and customer evealuation forms were constantly being assessed and acted upon. As well, employees had to deal with customer needs and concerns while keeping an eye on general economic an political situations that could affect the business climate and conditions. Butz feels simulation met the organization's objectives and participants "walked away feeling that they could put to use the very next day." He says Jones, talked extensively to YMCA members, frontline staff and senior management and this research paired with the professionalism of the product, meant the simulation displayed credibility with participants. The success of the first simulation, coupled with considerable investment made by the Ontario YMCA's to create the program, means that Butz and his colleagues hope to conduct the program again, next time with frontline staff as opposed to management. With an umbrella organization such as the YMCA, Jones says he would repeat the simulation with minor adjustments where required, but what clients are buying is an original, individually-formulated program that is not duplicated from one organization to another. "You can buy generic games and they are a lot cheaper," notes Jones, "but sometimes you need a greater degree of involvement and commitment." After six months of research, Jones has now submitted a proposal to Canada Post which involves a five-day simulation for senior management. The theme is developed around the concept of a spy network, whereby a participant becomes a "positive change agent" and learns about the simulation by listening to "Mission Impossible" cassettes that tell of various agents, their positions and assignments. Jones says this program, like others he has developed, is "challenging and relatively stressful", again simulating the actual work environment, where participants have to make key decisions. Molson's has just contracted Jones to run three simulations in the coming months for an international management team as the brewery prepares fro the challenges fo international free trade. No matter who Jones' potential customers are, he begins with the corporate philosophy and builds his simulations from there. "I believe that in the future, simulations will be so sophisticated that people will literally walk right into a situation that is so real, they can't differentiate between the simulation and the actual working environment. The little things start to make you believe in a situation. These things make you react, to realize it's part of one's survival. That's the goal." | 
