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[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/359,840, filed Feb. 25, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully stated herein.
[0002] This invention relates generally to organizational development and specifically to organizational education through game playing.
[0003] There may be multiple challenges to promoting education and development within an organization. For example: individuals within an organization may need to understand trends possibly affecting the future of their industry; managers may need to consider ways to get outside of their functional areas and access essential knowledge and skills from their colleagues in other functional areas;—i.e., learn how to collaborate; members of the organization may need to engage in cross-functional thinking in order to solve unique and challenging problems faced by a particular organization; and management personnel may need to push traditional thinking into the realms of more flexible and adaptable leadership, as well as personal responsibility and accountability for their actions.
[0004] Educator's previous attempts to educate entire organizations fail to recognize that these challenges may be only relevant within an organizational context and do not apply to the education of a single individual. Treating each member of the organization as a single individual to be taught may not yield the desired goals of organization wide understanding and development. Additionally, an organization may be a complex hierarchical system; therefore, dynamic educational methods may be required to stimulate and educate the members of the organization in order for the organization to actually learn and develop as a whole. Simply exposing the entire organization to information may not result in organizational learning.
[0005] Therefore, a need exists for an educational method suitable for promoting organizational development through a dynamic “play” process, members of an organization experience tackling business forces within a team, and encounter their own strengths and limitations. This multi-level, group experience pushes organizational learning and development forward. The present invention provides such a dynamic process.
[0006] In one aspect of the invention, a method for teaching and developing the culture, values, and skills of an organization is provided. An organization is divided into associated teams through a succession of divisions. The teams play an educational game emphasizing collaboration, innovation, industry knowledge, and leadership skills. As each team completes the educational game, members of the finished team assist associated teams in completing the game. The winners of the educational game are determined by considering both the speed by which associated teams complete the educational game and the number of points earned by the associated teams while playing the educational game.
[0007] In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for playing an educational game by an organization. The organization is separated into associated teams with each team including a set of members. The members of the associated teams play an educational game emphasizing collaboration and leadership skills. As each team completes the educational game, the team's members are released to assist members of other teams in completing the educational game.
[0008] In another aspect of the invention, the organization is separated into associated teams by separating the organization into aggregate teams, then separating the aggregate teams into associated teams, and finally separating the associated teams into associated mini-teams.
[0009] In another aspect of the invention, playing the educational game further includes answering by team members categorized questions according to a set of rules specific to a question category. The set of rules associated with a question category may include restricting a team member to answering a question alone, restricting a team member to answering a question in collaboration with other team members, or allowing a team member to answer a question in collaboration with other team members. For certain question categories, the collaborating team members are rewarded if a question is answered correctly. In other question categories the team member requesting collaboration rewards other team members for collaboration whether the question is answered correctly or not.
[0010] In another aspect of the invention, game play statistics are recorded for teams as well as team members as the team members complete the educational game. Team members are rewarded with play money while playing the educational game. The amount of play money accumulated by individual team members and teams is recorded. Additionally, the elapsed time taken to complete the educational game by the team members and teams is recorded. These two measures of team member and team performance are used to determine which teams and teams members receive actual cash rewards.
[0011] In another aspect of the invention, a method of developing the internal dynamics and interpersonal values of the organization is provided. In advance of an event of playing the game, an organization identifies how and where its members and functional units are not collaborating across knowledge and skills. The selection of the teams and team members is done purposefully, and in advance of playing the game, so that the teams playing the game include a cross-section of organizational levels, job functions, knowledge and skills. In functioning as a team, and following the rules of the game, the teams develop their skills which furthers the development of the organization's culture.
[0012] In another aspect of the invention, a method of developing the organizational knowledge of an external industry and its future possibilities and direction is provided. In the development of the game questions prior to playing of the game, members of an organization's executive management team determines what direction they believe the industry is heading and to what extent the organization is aligned in that direction. These determinations may be independently verified by a consultant. Questions for the game are then designed incorporating the determinations of the members of the executive management, and kept updated with each successive use of the game, thus educating players of the game on the leading edge and future possibilities of trends and directions in their industry. In the process of grappling with the questions developed for the game, the players of the game are educated to new and broader perspectives which enhances organizational learning.
[0013] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
[0014]
[0015]
[0016]
[0017]
[0018]
[0019]
[0020]
[0021]
[0022] The consultant may assist (
[0023] In one organizational development process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in the development of the game questions prior to playing of the game, members of an organization's executive management team determines what direction they believe an industry is heading and to what extent the organization is aligned in that direction. These determinations may be independently verified by a consultant. Questions for the game are then designed incorporating the determinations of the members of the executive management, and kept updated with each successive use of the game, thus educating players of the game on the leading edge and future possibilities of trends and directions in their industry. In the process of grappling with the questions developed for the game, the players of the game are educated to new and broader perspectives which enhances organizational learning.
[0024] To play the game, the organization divides (
[0025] In one organizational development process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the process is used to promote inter-organizational development. In this embodiment, organizations sharing a common operating environment play the game together with team members drawn from the organizations. For example, organizations belonging to a common trade group within a common industry may use the organizational development process to promote cooperation.
[0026] In one embodiment of an educational game in accordance with the present invention, the educational game supports and furthers organizational change at the individual and team levels by promoting innovation, collaboration and teamwork, leadership, and personal responsibility by being educational at several levels simultaneously. The educational game: teaches information and facts from questions and answers on cards; stimulates participants to generate forward-looking ideas resulting in innovations within the participant's industry; encourages participants to develop skills in collaboration by sharing participants' own knowledge and being open to other participants' knowledge, ideas and influence; and encourages participants to be flexible as leaders by allowing a leadership role to move from one participant to another participant as the need changes.
[0027] In one embodiment of an educational game in accordance with the present invention, the educational game includes five sets of rules and related question and answer card categories: “The Buck Stops with Me” emphasizes personal responsibility as a leader; “Truth or Consequences” promotes a foundation of industry expertise, knowledge and skills required for success—both currently and in the future; “Wild Card” illustrates that participants should be open to a wide range of information at play in business; “Market Forces” tests participants' knowledge of complex factors in the economy, politics, the industry, etc. that affect the company and the participant; “Team Innovate or Die!” (herein termed “Innovate!”) poses complex but brief scenarios that require “thinking outside the box” as a team to solve together. In one embodiment of an educational game in accordance with the present invention, each of the question categories includes specific rules including different levels of gains and penalties which are weighted to further reinforce knowledge and skills. The rules' physical placement on the board in stands is designed to quickly get participants' to play with each other.
[0028] In one embodiment of an educational game in accordance with the present invention, the use of rewards reinforces the educational and team-oriented concepts of the educational game, while emphasizing how an organization can continue to succeed and grow. The rewards include both play money and actual cash during the playing of the game, and the potential for higher cash awards for the “winners”.
[0029] In one embodiment of an educational game in accordance with the present invention, the use of various minerals and gems as playing pieces compels an emotional response in the participants and lends a futuristic flavor to the educational game.
[0030] In one embodiment of an educational game in accordance with the present invention, customized scenarios and informational support packets are given to the participants during the Innovate! portion of the educational game. The customized scenarios and support packets are associated with challenges the participant may face as a member of a particular organization.
[0031] The above-described process of separating an organization into teams, having the teams learn certain skills, and then reintegrating the members of the teams as advisors back into the organization simulates one way in which organizations learn. As an organization faces challenges, members of the organization are divided into teams. The creation of the teams may be both formal, such as the division of a corporation into different reporting units, and informal, such as the self-organization of networks of co-workers who share a common goal within an organization. The teams created within the organization then solve problems faced by the organization. As a team cooperates to successfully solve problems, individuals within the successful team develop skills that may not be well known within the larger organization. The entire organization can then benefit by having the individual members of the successful team teach their acquired skills to the organization.
[0032] In one organizational development process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an organization identifies how and where its members and functional units are not collaborating across knowledge and skills. The selection of the teams and team members is done purposefully, and in advance of playing the game, so that the teams playing the game include a cross-section of organizational levels, job functions, knowledge, and skills. In functioning as a team, and following the rules of the game, the teams develop their skills which furthers the development of the organization's culture.
[0033]
[0034] In the above-described exemplary separation, each level of separation contains only two teams. For example, the organization is divided into two aggregate teams. In other embodiments of games in accordance with the present invention, the number members at each level of the separation are arbitrary. In one separation in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the number of aggregate teams and teams is arbitrary so long as each team includes at least two mini-teams and each mini-team includes at least two mini-team members.
[0035] Another aspect of the separation process is that the organization is separated into a set of teams with each team being associated with different teams at different levels. For example, mini-teams
[0036] In one embodiment of a separation of the organization into smaller teams, the separations are determined by the formal and informal structure of the organization. The separations are determined by selecting members of teams from different divisions within an organization, thus creating cross-functional teams, so that the team members' shared pool of knowledge is utilized, collaboration is reinforced, and organizational barriers are reduced. Mini-teams are selected by the team members based on their cross-functional expertise as mini-team members share knowledge and skills in order to succeed. Aggregate team members are ultimately on the same team, competing against other aggregate teams for cash prizes. As a team finishes the game, the team members join other teams in support of the success of their common aggregate team.
[0037] In a separation process in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a banker is chosen at the team level for managing the play money used in the educational game. The banker serves as a statistician for each of the mini-teams included in the team.
[0038]
[0039]
[0040] At the end of a move, the mini-team member may be either in a finish field
[0041] If it is determined that the mini-team member has completed the educational game by advancing (
[0042] In one embodiment of an educational game in accordance with the present invention, mini-team members receive rewards in the form of play money while playing the educational game. The amount of play money awarded to the mini-team member by the time the mini-team member completes the educational game is recorded. Additionally the time the mini-team member took to complete the educational game is also recorded. Using the individual mini-team member statistics, statistics for associated teams within the separated organization may be determined. For example, the amount of play money that a mini-team earned can be calculated by aggregating the amount of play money that each mini-team member earned. Additionally, the amount of play money earned by a team can be determined by aggregating the amount of play money earned by the mini-teams associated in a team. Finally the amount of play money earned by an aggregate team can be determined by aggregating the amount of play money earned by the teams associated to the aggregate team. In a like manner, educational game completion times of a team can be determined from the finish times of individual mini-team members. For example, the completion time of a mini-team is the time at which the last mini-team member completes the educational game. Additionally, the completion time of a team is the completion time of the last mini-team associated to the team to complete the educational game. Finally, the completion time of an aggregate team is the completion time of the last team associated with the aggregate team to complete the educational game.
[0043]
[0044]
[0045] Another category of question is a “Truth or Consequences” question
[0046] Another category of question is a “Wild Card” question
[0047] Another category of question is a “Market Forces” question
[0048] Another category of question is an “Innovate!” question
[0049] In an embodiment of an innovation category question in accordance with the present invention, the team members play for monetary rewards. If the team answers the innovation question correctly, each team member receives a monetary reward from the bank.
[0050]
[0051] The structure of the winner determination process reinforces the concept that the members of an organization can prosper through cooperation. For example, in an embodiment of a game where mini-teams compete one-on-one while playing the board game, at least one mini-team will win the board game. Then, each mini-team has a chance to win again at the team level. Finally, each team will have a chance to win again at the aggregate team level. By compounding the concept of winning at each level, more than half of the members of the organization will exit the game as a member of a winning team.
[0052] Although this invention has been described in certain specific embodiments, many additional modifications and variations would be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the invention is presented in the context of educating a for-profit organization such as a business. It may be apparent to those skilled in the art of educational games that the invention may be modified to create an educational game for any size organization, whether for-profit or not-for-profit. It is therefore to be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. Thus, the present embodiments of the invention should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention to be determined by any claims supported by this application and the claims' equivalents rather than the foregoing description.