Usually, the further removed they are, the greater decision-making clout they have – mostly due to the persistence of hierarchy. Consequently, it it all too easy to end up with a learning programme which reflects what the top brass think the staff should learn – based on little more than assumptions, rather than what the staff really need, based on lived experience. Co-creation, done well, is the first line of defence against this phenomenon.

Games are a great way to break down those Fourth Walls and to change the whole aspect of what training is about.

On training, I am reminded of the “If they can do it, they do not have to be trained how to do it” mentality. So often, people in the workplace simply CHOOSE not to do something or they care little about the quality of their work because they have no ownership. Getting them to care often involves peer pressure as well as support from management, something that extrinsic reward systems simply cannot accomplish. But with play, we change those barriers and make the likelihood of change and commitment higher.

Good thoughts, Andy. Thanks for sharing. (And take a look at the Teaching the Caterpillar to Fly” thinking in my article. We are definitely on the same page with all this!)