Corporate board games: development, application

"Laboratory of Business Games" implements a large number of formats that use gaming technologies. Of course, we are more focused on the so-called live action games. When the action takes place "here and now", the players interact with each other, game technicians or space. In principle, these include board games.

Board and business games

Among our consultants are several experts who are professionally involved in board games: developing and selling games, organizing and holding festivals. We often use the elements and mechanics of board games in the development of business, and sometimes board games themselves in other projects.

For companies, "Laboratory of Business Games" offers several formats for the use of "desktops":

• in projects we call ;
• for the adaptation of employees, the development of professional skills and the assessment of competencies.

In both cases, board games can act as an effective business tool. A little more about each of these formats.

Team building in the office with board games

This format is good when you have the task of rallying the team, holding a fairly short motivational or team building event. And at the same time there are budget restrictions or there is no way to conduct it. In this case, we often offer our clients a "Corporate Game Library".

Board games for a corporate party: corporate game library

What does it look like? Our game technicians bring to your office (or other event venue) some of the most popular and easy-to-learn board games. Moreover, we try to make the games multidirectional. So that everyone can find something to their liking. Our consultants are on site at all times. Their task is to explain the rules, to answer the questions that arise. Well, and support the participants in every possible way.

One game technician serves 2-3 tables, which can accommodate 9-12 participants (sometimes up to 15). Thus, we can organize a game library for a team of up to 120-150 participants.

Playroom duration: from 1 to 3 hours.

In systematic work to improve employee satisfaction, regularity is important. Low-cost formats of corporate events can become the basis of such work. And table games are just that. The freedom of the format is that this is an event that can become a regular tradition without our participation. In this case, we can provide the company with a set of games, as we have partnerships with leading board game publishers.

The second advantage is the speed of implementation. In our practice, it happened several times that no more than a day passed from the moment of the request to the moment of the game library. Of course, we tend to prepare for the event (choose games, plan logistics), but the speed of deployment of this format saved our clients' corporate events several times.

Development and production of board games

We also offer the development of board and card games for the needs of companies: for adaptation and training of employees, branded games as a gift.

Employee development

For example, the most frequently requested product is the Objection Cards, used by sales executives and in-house coaches to playfully practice objection handling skills with employees.

Another option for using card or board games is to create a Sales-guide and descriptions of the key products that the company represents.

Or it can be cards with terminology used in a company or business area. And, as in the famous game "Alias", participants in teams must guess the words on the cards. In this game, important communication skills are worked out - the ability to explain in simple terms to the client the meaning or condition of providing the product.

Part of one of our recent (2014) projects for credit managers was based on such mechanics RN Bank.

The game was played in 2 stages:

• corporate version of “What? Where? When?" to know the history of the company, the Renault brand (it was a conference - on the occasion of the launch of the new Renault Logan);
• game for knowledge of banking, insurance and credit terminology.

As a result, each of the team members was in the role of presenting the cards and guessing the terminology.

Development of competencies in board games

There are several types of board games. We do not consider now the mechanics of games, but pay attention to the strategy of behavior that determines the win. In our opinion, the most useful for the development of employees can be:

• cooperative, i.e. aimed at the joint solution of the problem, the search for resources and the "shaking" of individual interests;
• competitive, built on the ability to make better use of available resources and environmental conditions.

Accordingly, the main skills that can be developed through board games are

• communicative: negotiating, influencing, countering manipulation;
• thinking: information processing and analysis, decision making, systemic and strategic thinking.

Moreover, some of the games are not inferior in emotional intensity to live action games and allow you to develop the competencies necessary for work.

If we briefly imagine a corporate event using board games, then it will be built according to the following algorithm:

1. Opening: familiarity with game technicians, designation of goals and regulations;
2. Game library: a series of games or a tournament in teams;
3. Closure: discussion of the results, analysis of the actions of the players, translation of experience into the area of ​​conscious skills and attitudes.

Adaptation through board games

We also develop board games that we build into onboarding projects for young employees. In such games, participants can get acquainted with the corporate culture and structure of the company, regulations and typical activities of individual employees. Gaming activity due to emotions can significantly reduce stress when joining a new team with an established communication culture, as well as saturate a new employee with useful information.

Competency assessment with board games

Another popular area is corporate board games for competency assessment . Most often, such a request arises when a company already has a competency model and assessment procedures. And you need to come up with something new (“employees already know, they have been through many times ...”).

The particular complexity of such projects is due to the need to “hit” game actions into the corporate competency model.

Most recently, we have designed and produced 60 game sets for evaluating electronics store managers.

The game is built on the interaction of players with the playing field (city map and service fields) and cards. The game simulates the actions of a store manager who claims to be included in the personnel reserve (for the position of the head of the region).

A session was organized for evaluation and development managers on the game and the use of evaluation technology.

Board games branding

How many companies annually rack their brains over gift ideas for their customers and employees. It is important that this thing is beautiful and useful. Maximum - worked to increase the loyalty of its holder in relation to the company. How can you not remember about board games. After all, this is a product that evokes emotions!

That is why we offer our customers another service - the release of board games designed for you. Our game technicians will select the best game mechanics for you. And designers will be able to create characters, the appearance of cards or the playing field with a reflection of your attributes and elements of corporate culture.