Training Games Experiential Learning

ACTION LEARNING SPECIALIST

Training Games started in 1995 with the initial

objective of developing games and simulations to

make training not only a more effective experience

but also more entertaining. We still have the capacity

to develop new products and to custom-design

courses.

In little more than one year, we went from creating

games that were complementary to training and

centred on content (1st generation) to nuclear games

centred on interrelationships from where training

conclusions are extracted (2nd generation). After two

years, our level of technological development

allowed us to produce 3rd generation games. These

games are open and fundamentally based on

simulators, and their evolution depends on the

decisions made by the participants. No pattern or

rules are followed, not even a decision protocol.

There is only the action framework and an objective.

Synergy is our supreme exponent, where all learning

occurs around the analysis of the evolution and

maturity of a group.

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Synergy is our supreme exponent, where all learning

occurs around the analysis of the evolution and

maturity of a group.

Since the beginning we have specialised in those

areas where games and simulation offer better

results than other training methods.

Soft Skills: Communication, teamwork, shared leadership, creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit are without a doubt competencies that are listed in many dictionaries. However, their development is not about a problem of comprehension, or even about being in agreement. They depend on believing it, and there is nothing better than experiencing it.

Systems Thinking: Systems, interrelationships, interdependencies, complexity, uncertainty, are a whole set of concepts linked to the global vision. The models explained through simulations are the ideal way to understand and internalize that perspective of whole.

A company with 15 years of experience applying gaming and

simulation as experiential learning methodology to the development of

systemic competencies.

Training Games

The formation of a new team of persons coming from different business areas, and even from other organisations, to take on a far-reaching project resulted in the need to develop a training program that would create a propitious environment for interpersonal knowledge and promote teamwork. But above all, it was necessary to clearly show the challenges and problems that we faced, which is the most novel aspect with respect to a training action. The experience with the Equilibrium Cone was simultaneously gratifying and successful, given that it combined fun aspects (games and simulators) and operational aspects (specific work projects) that satisfied  the  objectives  of  both  cohesion  and  efficiency,  respectively.”

Ricardo Alonso Fernández Director of Corporate Banking Global Banking & Markets Banco Santander Group

SIMULATION & GAMING

Training Games 2

Participants retain as much as 75% of the information obtained, because

they «listen, see, ask and act»

Simulation and games, used as learning devices, facilitate the gathering of knowledge in a variety of scientific disciplines, making complex realities easier to understand and combining inter-related focuses. They help understand dynamic contexts and are thus ideal for the acquisition of systematic skills.

Experimentation through games and simulation enables knowledge to be integrated and automated and is particularly useful when applied to improving abilities and even in transforming attitudes, something difficult to attain using other methods.

The game plays upon the more excitable nature

of the participant and uses it as a training tool.

The game influences attitudes, improves

relationships, encourages cohesion and team

spirit and generates link networks among the

participants, creating affective bonds between

them. The experiential learning cycle of Kurt Z. Lewin

Field Theory in Social Sciences. New York: Harper & Row, 1951

The result is a process of learning, motivation and integration, far more efficient than with traditional training

methods. For the same reason, play can also be useful, on occasions, in overcoming the self-induced block out

produced by the fear that certain training situations bring out in us.

Custom courses

Unilever: Selling Out

LU: Merchandising

Lafarge: Clienting

Angelini: Coaching

Endesa: Sales techniques

Custom simulations

Danone: Milk Management

Inditex: Shop Management

Frigo: Selling Out

Generalitat: Entrepreneurship

La Caixa: Carterbanc

Training Games 3

OUR ESPECIALIZATION

Training   Games’   development   model   is   structured  

around two dimensions: Efficiency and Cohesion. All

research and the standardisation process are directed

at delving into our areas of specialisation and at

developing the related competencies.

The closer we are to the axis of cohesion, the greater

the emphasis placed on relational aspects, and

therefore the selected methodology is also somewhat

more play-oriented.

Conversely, when we approach the efficiency axis,

training actions become more applicable. The

methodology continues to be play-oriented, but on

this occasion the topics in question pertain to the

company itself and are normally based on real or

immediately applicable topics.

I met Ricardo Zamora a few years ago. He presented a teamwork project to us that we were going to love. The truth is that, due to being novel and atypical, I have to confess, when the presentation was over my initial idea was to forget about it. However, we tossed the idea around and decided to send an elite group to take the training. It was a huge success, a total innovation within our training system, and the most wonderful thing is that the team had a good time and acknowledged having learned about subjects as important as communication, teamwork, work systems, etc. Over the last three years, our entire team of managers and middle managers has gone through this training, with excellent results when applying the acquired knowledge in their usual jobs.

Antonio Mateo Navarro Director of industrial relations and training Lafarge

Training Games 4

OUR OFFER Collaboration

Cooplexity, Synergy and Synersim: attended seminars oriented to development of a team-working model in the whole organization.

Equilibrium Cone: an analysis workshop on the impediments and weak points of an organisation and an Action Plan

Leadership

Lead Wheel: an attended seminar oriented at developing a distributed leadership model.

EMOCOMM: an attended seminar based on theatre techniques, oriented at developing the participant’s  communication  capacity,  emotional  

connection and empathy.

Active Leadership y Emotionally Active: atended seminars with the objective of learning the leadership basis and evaluating its importance on the relationship within collaborators.

Entrepreneurship

CEO: distance or attended training that uses a simulator to develop our entrepreneurial capacities.

Creativiteam: an attended seminar for learning creative techniques that are applicable to problem solving and team management.

Visual Mapping: an attended seminar for learning the visual maps technique.

Systems Thinking

FNER: an attended seminar for developing global vision and the system approach.

AMED and Majomia: distance or attended training that uses simulations to comprehend the mechanisms of trust, commitment, collaboration and balance and their importance in win-win strategies.

Sales Tools

5 Negotiation Steps: an attended negotiation seminar that follows five specific phases of analysis for preparing a negotiation, whether it is collaborative or competitive.

Salesmanship: an attended seminar for learning sales management.

Best Practice: a consultation action to identify and specify the best commercial practices of a company.

Selling Out: selling out techniques simulations for mass consumption markets.

Clienting: attended seminar focus on client service.

Outdoor Training

Geo Challenge and The 4 Elements: combined, indoor-outdoor activities for developing interrelationships and communication skills.

TV Game: TV show simulator for big groups motivation.

MORE THAN 500

COMPANIES HAVE TRIED

ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS

Participating in SYNERGY was an intellectual challenge for me due to the different way of facing a known subject. The idea of breaking with schemes and not being anchored in traditional ones is perfectly clear. Learning to dominate my natural leadership in order to adapt it to good teamwork was another good practice.

Overall, an intense and very recommendable experience for people who want to learn different methodologies.

Jordi Ballesté Chief Executive Officer Angelini Group

Ricardo Zamora is Bachelor of Science in Business and a Masters in Business Management from ESADE, one of the

top 10 European and International Business Schools (see at www.esade.edu).

He is Associate in the Advanced Management Program at ESADE Executive Education as well as other School of

Business and at some Latin American Universities. He taught directly to global companies from USA to China.

He founded his own firm called Training Games in 1995, a training consultancy specialized in Simulation & Gaming,

meaning gaming methodologies applied to learning. The creator of simulators such as Salesmanship, Carterbanc

and Synergy, as well as games such as Teaching Cards, Fork, The 5 phases of the sale and Linker.

Zamora has specialized in the development of systemic competences and applies his programs in large corporations

with complex interrelationships. He is the creator of Synergy, an attended seminar that, for two days, submerges

the   participants   in   a   situation   of   growing   complexity,   uncertainty   and   change.   Using   the   “behavior   simulator”  

developed by Zamora, Synergy covers a dual analysis of complementary aspects –personal and business- when

promoting a culture of distributed leadership and teamwork at organizations. Based on the management

behaviours showed in Synergy that systematically appears when facing uncertain and complex environments, he

has developed Cooplexity (cooperation under complexity), a very robust and academically consistent model. He has

published a book of the same name with the results of a 5 years research on the issue.

Large and multinational companies such as Dannon, Heineken, Unilever, HP, Arbora & Ausonia (Procter), Lafarge or

Santander  Banking  Group  are  some  of  Zamora’s  customers.

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RICARDO ZAMORA

15 years of experience on teamwork and

collaboration

University Partners

ESADE: Management School of Business of Barcelona (Spain)

UTD: University of Texas Dallas

UAB: Universtat Autónoma de Barcelona

Mass Consumption

Cobega (Coca Cola Group), Dannon , LU (Dannon Group), Font Vella (Dannon Group), Heineken, Puleva Food, Mahou-San Miguel, Grupo Siro, Bimbo (Sara Lee Bakery Group), Unilever, Frigo (Unilever Group), Nestlé, Arbora & Ausonia (Procter & Gamble Group)

Technology

Telefónica, Hewlett Packard, Thales Information Systems, Adbraintage, Astra, T-System

Pharmaceutics

AstraZeneca, BDF - Beiersdorf, Boehringer Ingelheim, Farma-Lepori (Angelini Group), CibaVision (A No-vartis Company), Novartis, Roche Diagnostics, Pfizer, Chefaro , Lilly, Medichem

Sector bancario

Santander Group, Banco de Sabadell, Deutsche Bank, BBVA, Caixa de Catalunya, La Caixa

Construction, Real State

Ferrovial-Agroman, Acieroid, Lafarge-Asland, Inmobiliaria Colonial

Health

Sanitas, Sanitas Residential, Mutua del Carme, Asepeyo

Chemicals

Kao Corporation, BASF, AKZO Chemicals

Utilities

REE (Red Eléctrica de España), ENDESA, UNIÓN FENOSA,AGBAR Group

Textile, Fashion

INDITEX, Dimodes, Nike, Venilia (grupo Solvay)

Logístics

DHL

SPAIN Parque Empresarial La Finca

Pº Club Deportivo, 1 - Edif. 15A, 1ª pl.

28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón Madrid (España)

T. (+34) 911 887 554

UK Suite 11897, 2nd Floor

145-157 St John Street

London EC1V 4PY

T. (+44) 203 026 5376

CUSTOMERS