The Game of Success:

Return on Investment (ROI)

Contents

Introduction............................................................................................... 3
Part 1: Benefits and Costs of Learning.......................................................4
The Value that Learning Produces........................................................4
How Much Are Employers Really Investing in Learning?.......................5
Part 2: The Sources of Economic Return....................................................6
It is a Complete Mind, Body and Soul Game...........................................7
The Game is based on behavioral research..........................................10
Instrument Design and Validation.........................................................10
The Game sits on Learning Management System.................................12
The Games Learning Effectiveness......................................................14
Why is Blended Learning Superior?......................................................16
Part 3: The Return on Investment in the Game.......................................19

Introduction
The demands that executives face today are, at one level, the same as
ever: staying ahead of the competition, with superior products and
services at the best price.
At another level, however, the rapid unfolding of the knowledge era has
created new demands and challenges for leaders, including:

How can we be more agile, respond faster?

How can we attract and retain talented employees?

How do we create a culture that motivates and brings out the best
in employees?

How do we create loyalty among the stakeholders with

increasingly higher expectations?

How do we achieve all of these objectives while creating the

highest returns for the stakeholders?

Answering these questions requires learning. Now, more than ever, the
ability to prosper hinges on ones willingness to learn and change with
the times.
So like it or not, we are all in the business of learning. Learning has
become the principal differentiator between mediocre and excellent
financial performance. And it has been behind the evolution from total
quality management in the 1970s, to the learning organization, to
knowledge management in the late 1990s.
Yet knowledge is of value only when it leads to tangible performance
improvement. That is why leading organizations around the world are
launching technology infrastructures for the systematic management of
learning.
Learning has simply become too strategic to be left to happenstance. The
best leaders are managing it as aggressively as they manage their other
strategic investments.
This presentation documents the business case for investing in the Game
and its learning management infrastructure.
1. The first part provides the context, by synthesizing research on the

value that learning produces, and documenting the investment

that firms are making in learning.

2. The second part out-lines the relationship between executives

concerns and the Games functionality.

3. The final part provides a brief overview of customers forecasts of

their return on investing in the Game.

Part 1: Benefits and Costs of Learning

The Value that Learning Produces
For a variety of reasons, the education and learning profession has long
suffered from a dearth of systematic, compelling evidence linking
investments in education and learning to performance.
Recently, however, a series of studies has made great strides by
analyzing comparable data on hundreds of firms.
These studies consistently find a powerful relationship between
education and learning and a number of key factors that drive
performance. (Difficulties in measuring investments in informal learning
required that these studies focus on formal education and learning.)
Here are some of the relevant findings:
Creation of shareholder value
A study reports that a firms per-employee investment in education
and learning is an important predictor of its stock price in the
following year. Moreover, the study shows that investment is at
least as relevant to future stock prices as other, more traditional,
indicators (e.g., investments in research and development).
Revenue generation and profitability
Sales per employee in firms with an above-average investment in
education and learning is 58% higher than in firms with belowaverage investment.

Policies that shape the acquisition and development of skills are a

major predictor of productivity and profitability.

Recruiting and retention of employees

Employee satisfaction with the opportunity for learning and
development is one of the most important predictors of whether
an employee will stay with his/her current employer.

Most employees however report that the quality of their

employers education and learning programs is poor.

A firms ability to retain key employees (which is affected by

satisfaction with learning and development opportunities) is the
fundamental determinant of customer satisfaction.

It is also the single most important predictor of both sales per

employee and market capitalization.

Customer retention
There is a powerful correlation between firms customer retention
rates and per-employee investments in education and learning.

A 1% reduction in customer attrition can add as much as 5% to a

companys bottom line.

Success of reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions

Nearly 50% of mergers and acquisitions fail and although no
formal data exist anecdotal evidence suggests that the failure
rate of internal reorganizations is at least as high. Experts who
have studied this high failure rate report that inadequate attention
is given to cultural due diligence prior to the merger, and to
learning efforts that integrate employees and their competencies
across the two organizations, pre- and post- merger.
Capacity to innovate
Firms that score highest in innovation spend significantly more on
education and learning per employee than do less-innovative
firms.
These studies consistently indicate that enterprises that make
substantial investments in education, learning and employee
development perform better than those that dont.
Most employees, however, report that they are dissatisfied with the
quality of the learning and development opportunities available to them.
This indicates that most firms have much to learn about how to manage
their investments in learning.
How Much Are Employers Really Investing in Learning?
Enterprises have responded to the rapidly changing competitive
landscape by increasing their investment in learning.
In the U.S., for example, spending per employee on formal education and
training increased by more than 40% between 1996 and 1998, the most
recent year for which data are available. In 1998, the average U.S.
employers spending on the direct costs associated with education and
training stood at 2% of payroll. This level of spending is roughly
comparable to that of employers throughout the developed world.
The direct costs of formal education and training, however, are just the
tip of the iceberg. When the indirect costs (primarily wages and benefits
of employees while in training plus overhead) and opportunity costs (lost
productivity) are factored in, the total cost of formal education and
training stand closer to 10% of payroll.

Perhaps more significantly, studies show that formal education and

training constitutes only about 30% of a typical employees time spent in
learning activities. The other 70% consists of informal learning, such as
getting help from a colleague or supervisor.
Since much of this informal learning takes place through one-on-one
coaching (which means that the costs of wages and benefits double, as
does opportunity cost), the true cost of informal learning is likely to be
even greater than the total cost of formal learning.
That means that learning investments in a typical firm amount to at least
20% of payroll. Moreover, in some sectors of the economy where
employers tend to spend much more than average on education and
training, such as finance and technology, investments in learning are
likely to be higher still.
In short, employers invest tremendous sums in learning. Leading firms
are beginning to recognize that investments of this magnitude require
intensive management as well as an infrastructure for ensuring that the
investments are made as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Part 2: The Sources of Economic Return

The evidence reviewed above demonstrates that:

There is a powerful relationship between investments in learning

and performance, and

Employers investments in learning are significant.

Effective management of learning contributes to top-line growth, and

efficient management of investments in learning contributes to the
bottom line through cost savings.
The following table identifies mechanisms through which the Game
enables firms to create both economic growth and cost savings.

Mechanisms through which the Game enables firms to create

both economic growth and cost savings
It is a Complete Mind, Body
and Soul Game.

The Game is based on

behavioral research.
Instruments are validated,
reliable and research
based.

Game sits on a Learning

Management System.

Games in Learning:
Analyzing Learning
Effectiveness
Superior blended /
integrated learning
environment.

The Game involves:

17 strengths and development needs,

10 personality dimensions,

4 personal goals and values, and

7 Levels of Spiritual and Physical Power.

Instruments measure what they are intending and yield

consistent, reproducible results.

They systematically relate to the underlying behaviors,

traits, or attitudes they purport to measure.

Our materials yield useful information, and the results are

presented in a clear and understandable manner.
Learning Management System includes:

Learning Content Management

Performance Management, and

Skills Management
The Game is Knowledge Management driven:

Solves learners workplace problems

Satisfies Learners current needs

Offers new value each time

Provides Post-Training Support

Supplementary Learning Resources, for example,

Participants Guide, Corporate Guide, and Reference
Material.
Rich Multimedia, for example, slide shows with audio and
user input, video integrated with chat and discussions, and
audio briefings
Learning-by-Doing engines and Collaboration integrated into
design of the game.
Mentoring and Faculty Support: Synchronous and
asynchronous interaction with faculty

Customization, Individual Paths.

Networking, Community.

Its a Complete Mind, Body and Soul Game

The Game involves 17 strengths and development needs, 10 personality
dimensions, 4 personal goals and values, and 7 Levels of Spiritual and
Physical Power:
17 Strengths &
Development
Needs

10 Personality
Dimensions

1.

Communication

1.

Nervous Tension

2.

Delegation

2.

Character
Strength

3.

Empowerment
3.

Work Habits

4.

Sociability

5.

Emotional
Maturity

6.

Dominance

7.

Competitiveness

8.

Stamina

9.

Naivety

4.

Goal Directedness

5.

Decision Making

6.

Interpersonal
Relations

7.

Motivating Skills

8.

Adaptability

9.

Concern for
Productivity

10. Participative
Leadership Style

4 Personal Goals
and Values
1.

Internal
Processes and
Learning

2.

External World

3.

Financial and
Economic

4.

Growth and Self

Actualization

7 Levels of
Spiritual and
Physical Power
Level 1: Tribal Power
Level 2: Power of
Relationships
Level 3: Personal
Power
Level 4: Emotional
Power
Level 5: Power of Will
Level 6: Power of
Mind
Level 7: Spiritual
Power

10. Motivation

11. Team Building

12. Commitment to
Growth
13. Innovation
14. Persuasiveness
15. Initiative
16. Control
17. Assertiveness

The Game can be played by a single user in standalone situation or by

multiple users in a group. It can be played in a blended environment
combining face-to-face and e-learning in a customized proportion.
The Game can be played at multiple Levels.
You journey through the breakthrough model of multiple levels of spiritual
and physical power through which everyone must pass in the search for
higher consciousness and spiritual growth. In these seven stages are

10

synthesized the ancient wisdom of three spiritual traditions the Hindu

Chakras, the Christian Sacraments and the Kabbalahs Tree of Life.
Sustained high achievement requires not only sharp intellect, but also
physical strength, emotional intelligence, and a strong sense of purpose.
The program is designed to help people marshal the mental, physical,
emotional, and spiritual energy they need to thrive.
Area, SelfAssessment,
Feedback & Group
Exercise

Validated Theory

What do the Players

learn?

How do these help

players?

Management
Values

McGregors Theory
X and Theory Y
and Robert
Rosenthals work on
the self-fulfilling
prophecy combine to
describe and
measure managerial
philosophy.

Discover how we
expand our
effectiveness as
managers and
workers.
Learn how
McGregor's classic
"Theory X Theory Y"
demonstrates that
beliefs about people
drive our behavior and
thus become selffulfilling prophecies.

Participants realize
their personal beliefs
about people and
work.
Understand the
impact these
personal beliefs have
in the workplace.
Explore the benefits
of change

Halls extensive
group problemsolving research in
terms of Four Cs is
presented with a selfconfirming exercise.

Team
Communications
Team Leadership
Team Decision
Making
Team Process
Discover how to
transform lowperforming groups
into triumphant
winners.

Experience The
Power Of Consensus
Decision Making

Colleague Feedback:
What do you need to
do your best work?
(RCS)
Group Exercise: How
do you solve a
problem like Maria?
(HD)

Team Effectiveness
Self-Assessment &
Feedback: Team
Effectiveness
Exercise
Group Exercise: 12
Angry Men
Group Exercise:
Group Barrier
Analysis

Understand How
Groups Function
Discover The "Best"
Way To Lead For
Creativity

Explore the pitfalls

common to groups
that perform poorly.
Learn a failsafe way
to transform the
dynamics of these or
any groups.
Experience firsthand
the impact of these
dynamics and how
you contribute to
them.
Practice applying an
in-depth blueprint for
successthe "Four
C's" of creative group
problem solving.

11

Interpersonal
Relations
Self-Assessment:
Interpersonal
Relations

Interpersonal
relationships is
described and
measured in terms of
exposure and
feedback solicitation.

Colleague Feedback:
Interpersonal
Relations
Group Exercise:
Interpersonal Style
and Organizational
Climate

Employee
Involvement
Self Assessment:
Your Practices That
Support Employee
Involvement. (AMS)
Feedback:
Practices Of Others
That Support
Employee
Involvement. (SEA)
Group Exercise:
Access Management

Discover how the

way we communicate
energizes the work
climate.
Our interpersonal
communications make
the work climate more
productiveor less so.
The module reveals
how this dynamic can
work for you.
Analyze your
communication
practices and rediscover their impact.

Jay Halls star model

of Access
Management ensures
employees access to
the five critical
supports for
involvement.

Do Employees have
access to the supports
and resources they
need for involvement?
Discover how we
"turn on" employees'
willingness to work.
Discover practices
that cause your
employees to want to
get involved in
meaningful,
productive ways,
improving quality and
performance.

For Building Trust,

credibility, and
productive
interpersonal
relationships.
Improve your
communication skills
Build stronger
relationships
Create an
environment for
shared ideas

Create
Opportunities For
Participation
Provide Support
Structure For
Collaboration
Refine
Interpersonal Skills

12

The Game is based on behavioral research.

The Game validates behavioral findings with 30 years of
research and our exclusive database of responses from
over 40,000 managers.
The Game teaches the behavioral practices necessary to succeed as a
manager or leader. It is based on classic validated theories of human
behavior and includes the models of McGregor, Rosenthal, Maslow,
Herzberg, McClelland, Lewin, Blake & Mouton, Luft & Ingham, Hall, and
others.
It compares your behaviors to those of the highest-performing managers
over the last 30 years - to see precisely where you can improve. It
provides reality feedback and tools to apply performance-boosting
behaviors.
The Game presents the same behavioral philosophies and practices that
formed the basis for major research efforts involving over 16,000
managers. This project identified those behaviors that characterize highachieving managers and significantly distinguish them from their lessachieving colleagues.
The Game represents a serious effort to provide insights that enable
managers to be more effective. Many participants have referred to this
Game as the "turning point" in their careers.
By effectively combining validated self-assessments, feedbacks, group
exercises and case studies, we have designed a development experience
the participants will never forget.
The Game forges multiple classic theories into a single, potent
research-validated tool.
Unlike programmes which concern themselves with only a single
behavioral theory or model - one piece of the management jigsaw puzzle
- the Game presents an integrated synthesis of validated behavioral
models that address managerial and organizational productivity.
This unique process of synthesizing makes it possible for participants to
understand how certain practices reinforce others - managerial
philosophy, access management, communications, motivation, power
dynamics, teambuilding, and decision making. These main puzzle pieces
interlock to form a whole.

13

Instrument Design and Validation.

The Game involves 360o instruments designed to allow
participants to better understand their strengths and
development needs.
The feedbacks, group exercises and case studies have been designed by
worlds leading practitioners. The information provided by the
instruments helps facilitate your growth and progress and as a result
increases your effectiveness in the organization.
The results, along with the Interpretation and Feedback Session, provide
participants with a sound basis for setting development goals and
tracking their development over a period of time.
For example, the Interpersonal Relations Self-Assessment is based on
Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham's model of interpersonal competence.
Designed to enable managers to assess their own communication
tendencies with their subordinates, colleagues and superiors, it employs
a Thurstone paired-choice format.
The instrument consists of three sections with twenty questions in each
section. Each section yields scores on two dimensions.
1. The exposure dimension is indicative of the amount of the
respondent's work-related ideas and feelings he or she is willing to
divulge to others.
2. The feedback dimension measures the amount of others' work related
ideas and feelings he or she is willing to solicit.
Internal reliability is good, as indicated by Alpha coefficients of .78 and .
80 for Exposure and Feedback, respectively. The mean coefficient of
equivalence for the revised version (1986) is .78.
The instrument discriminates among high, average and low achieving
managers, some thirteen organizational types and five Managerial Grid
styles.
The construct and concurrent validities have been confirmed through
analyses with the MMPI, CPI, and Bass's Famous Sayings Test; the
canonical correlations being .69, .87, and .79, respectively.
On any test, raw scores are meaningless without a reference point - we
need to know something about the way other people have scored. In this
instance, norms provide such a reference point in the form of percentile
scores.

14

So that you can compare your own style of managing the interpersonal
process, percentile scores have been compiled based on the scores of a
large number of individuals who have completed this Self-Assessment.
If one of your raw scores transforms to a percentile score of 60, this
means that 40% of the people in the normative sample scored higher
than you did on that particular scale. By the same token, if your
percentile score is 40, then 60% of the normative sample scored higher.
The normative sample for each of our instruments is updated
periodically.
The Self-Assessment and its companion, the Colleague are two of the
most widely-used learning instruments available, with one or the other of
them having been completed by some 1,000,000 people.
Moreover, because the Self-Assessment addresses some very basic
aspects of interpersonal relationships, it has been utilized in a number of
research studies dealing with managerial behavior.
In summary, the Self-Assessment has been found to be a valuable tool
for exploring the complex interpersonal relationships which exist in
organizations and can be of substantial help to those who are interested
in exploring and improving communication practices within their own
organizations.
Similarly, the Colleague Feedback is designed for use as a companion
piece with the Self-Assessment. It is a companion piece to and adaptation
of the Self-Assessment, and has construct and concurrent validities
similar to those of the Self-Assessment.

15

The Game sits on Learning Management System

The LMS addresses an enterprise's need for:

personalized, on-demand learning experience,

tools to manage and close organizational and individual

knowledge, competency, and skill gaps, and

assessing and relating improvements in individual learning to

business performance

Through the LMS, you can expect quantifiable benefits with respect to
business goals and performance. Companies can evaluate their
investments in terms of overall business objectives strategies;
specifically, the impact on performance and the speed of acquisition of
skills needed for new business objectives.
Learning Content Management System (LCMS)
LCMS helps you to effectively and quickly close skill gaps by delivering
personalized and customized content. LCMS can:

Automatically deliver content to users based on in-depth profile

information - how they learn, what they need to know, how they
like to receive information.

Automatically repurpose content based on delivery method.

Replicate content with contextual variances.

Comprehensive search engines with conceptual mapping, and the

ability to tag fluid relationships.

You can tracks business results of content effectiveness.

Sift through knowledge content to locate offerings that impact

business performance.

Performance Management (PM)

Helps you to achieve business goals through improved individual
performance. You can effectively and quickly:

Set and track business goals.

Assess performance, competency, and certification requirements

against goals.

Plan learning and other activities to meet requirements.

Track and provide feedback on individual progress.

16

Measure performance before repeating the cycle.

Benefits:

Competency and certification gaps are continuously closed.

Feedback is continually given and received.

Individual and enterprise performance is continuously enhanced.

Skills Management
Helps you to measure and close skill gaps to optimize contributions of
your most important asset people. You can align skills & knowledge
with business goals and objectives.

Target the required skills levels.

Find gaps through assessments and tests.

Plan learning to close team skill gaps.

Measure progress.

Modify targets according to new business objectives and closed

skill gaps.

Repeat learning process.

Benefits:

Link training with business objectives

Skill gaps are continuously closed. Feedback is continually given

and received.

Gather, and act, on intimate knowledge of each user - how they

learn, what they need to know, how they like to receive
information.

Tracks business results of learning, including new customers,

employee retention and contribution toward successful projects.

17

The Games Learning Effectiveness

The greatest benefit that arrives from using games and simulations is
their ability to motivate learners and encourage fun during the learning
process.
The features affecting learning effectiveness include:

Willingness to learn: Defined as the motivation to start learning.

This includes intrinsic needs and desires and extrinsic motivation
through rewards and incentives. Willingness to learn is closely linked
with content. The more relevant the content appears to the user, the
more likely he or she is to feel the need and willingness to learn.

Expectations: Adult learners have rich experience bases, and it is

crucial that the product fulfils the user expectations both in terms of
quality of the content and the use of multimedia. Expectations could
be high because of trainer reputation and because of previous
experiences. Expectations will affect motivation, hence the
willingness to learn.

Content: The content in the program must be relevant for the user,
both in terms of topicality and complexity. Also, the content must be
of good quality. The user wants to learn something that he or she can
use in his daily work, and the user must value increased knowledge in
the subject area. Content must be developed by experts to ensure the
quality.

Learning design: The program must be designed in a way that

meets the learner's needs and preferences and at the same time
ensures learning outcome.

Collaboration: In the surrounding social context, collaboration can

take form as both face-to-face interaction and linkage through the
computer. Face-to-face collaboration could be formal and planned, but
could also be informal social interaction with peers. The social context
that surrounds the learner in the learning situation influences the
learning effectiveness.

Mentoring: Interaction with a mentor also falls into the social

context. Mentoring could also be a feature built into the core product.
The difference is that the mentor in the social context can answer
questions and provide help and motivation as needed.

18

Both content and learning design will affect engagement and the sum of
the three is what generates both motivation and learning. The features
influencing engagement include

Interactivity: Interactivity is described as necessary and

fundamental for engagement in learning situations.

Flexibility: Not emphasized to the same extent, but still of distinctive

influence, flexibility adds more engagement to those users who want
to have control and investigate the content following their own path.
Flexibility touches some of the same ground as interactivity, and it
seems hard to have a high quality of interaction without having good
flexibility at the same time.

Drama Effects: Drama effects cover all the factors that make the
learning content more entertaining. Features like sound, music,
storytelling, humour and role-play work to the purpose of the user
engagement as long as they are appropriate to the learning content.
Hence, drama effects are important for user engagement but serve
more as an add on than a basic engagement feature.

Usability: Usability is also important for the user engagement when

talking about how easy to play and intuitive the product is. Still, this
term is probably more often when a product is too difficult to use,
than when it is working well. Therefore, engagement in a positive way
is not influenced as much by usability as it is when contrary.

Competition: When describing competition and the effect on user

engagement, much focus is put on different game styles and how
they match the learning content. The optimism among theorists
seems to be significant on the effect for user engagement, although
not as fundamental as for instance interactivity.

Reality: Finally, reality is describing how different media elements

provide the user with the necessary nearness to the real work
situation. This will evidently give engagement to the user, but we see
no consensus of importance relative to the others mentioned.

Is the Game an effective learning product? How does the Game succeed
in offering an engaging learning experience? The table below gives
summary of analysis on learning effectiveness

Content

Game
Design

Storyline

Willingn
ess/
Expectat
ions

Social
Context

Interactivity

Highly

Pretty non-

Strong and

Instruments

High

19

relevant
content
through
feedbacks.
Customized
for Users.

linear design.
Users liked
the design.
Effective
use of team
effort through
extensive
group work

compelling
story.
Different
levels of play
and
performance
.

Different
levels of
expectati
ons
Willingnes
s to learn
varies
with the
user.

provide social
context
One-to-one
mentoring and
coaching

Community /
networking
opportunities
Emphasis on
Group work

degree of
realism
through
instruments,
meetings,
and scenario
based
feedbacks.

Flexibility

Competitio
n

Reality

Drama

Visualizatio
n

Usability

High degree

User

Learning

Wide use

User has

Clarifying

of user control.
Fair amount
of freedom of
choice.
Chances of
winning
according to
user
performance.

points
according to
performance
.
Real-time
reward
system.

content uses
the actual
situations.

of real
characters
gives high
drama.
Story
develops
according
to user
performanc
e.

own
Navigator
screen
Rich
graphics
Depiction
of complex
relationships
High
degree of
realism

Introduction
Easy to
Use
Help
Section

Comparison
with
database of
others.

20

Why is Blended Learning Superior?

What is Blended Learning?
Essentially, blended learning combines e-Learning tools (everything from
video streaming over the Web to e-mail) with traditional classroom
training to ensure maximum effectiveness. Students can prepare for,
consolidate and recall classroom experiences online, while gaining the
benefits of interaction with teachers and students via an actual or virtual
classroom. Student learning and retention rates improve, without
sacrificing the convenience, cost-effectiveness and customization of selfpaced Web-based course-work.
Another way to think of blended learning is taking the best from selfpaced, instructor-led, distance and classroom delivery to achieve flexible,
cost-effective training that can reach the widest audience geographically
and in terms of learning styles and levels. Each element becomes a part
of a comprehensive workplace performance solution.
Blended learning options include:
Live instructor-led: Traditional classroom, Virtual online classroom, Live
video via satellite or videoconferencing, Online coaching/mentoring, etc.
Self-paced learning: Instructor-led classroom via e-mail, CBT, Study
guides, manuals, texts, Online resources and databases, etc.
Tools for building ongoing learning communities: Chat, Instant
messaging, Newsgroups, etc.
A Case Study
Your organization has a nationwide sales force and new products are
introduced frequently. You are moving from a product orientation to
solution selling. The sales force needs to improve its knowledge of new
product benefits and features as well as how to position these products
together as a business solution.
Classroom Only Approach
A two-day new products course taught by regional sales managers is
delivered in conjunction with a one-day classroom course on solution
selling delivered by third-party vendors.
Advantages:

Students enjoy interaction with other salespeople, teacher;

They get an opportunity to role-play and ask specific questions.

21

Disadvantages:

Expensive;

Not appropriate for beginners or very experienced salespeople;

Those who cant attend dont receive training.

Self-Paced Online Only Approach

Self-paced new product training and off-the-shelf solutions selling course
is delivered online.
Advantages:

Cost-effective;

Can take course at own pace;

Less disruptive;

Can test-out of sections or access remedial work.

Disadvantages:

Boring;

Being at desk is distracting;

High rate of dropout;

Lack of role-play makes learning less valuable;

Inability to ask specific questions of experts.

Blended Approach

New product training modules on positioning features and

benefits, and solution selling concepts modules are delivered as
self-paced online pre-work.

Students send in quizzes and questions to instructor before class

begins via e-mail.

Sales managers deliver a one-day class that focuses on solution

selling, including role-playing based on scenarios provided in the
pre-work.

When the class is over, a solutions selling bulletin board and chatroom is established so students can ask questions and share tips.

22

Appointments can be made with mentors who can provide

coaching on specific accounts via teleconference or e-mail.

Advantages:

Students get some interaction and direct face-to-face feedback in

learning areas where it is most valuable;

The pre-work helps even out the different student levels;

program is more cost-effective and less disruptive than the

classroom only approach;

Follow-up via bulletin boards, chats and online mentoring

reinforces learning.

Disadvantages:

Requires design team that is familiar with both online and

classroom delivery;

Must have appropriate technology and classroom logistics support;

Must have mechanism to ensure that students do pre-work.

Why E-Learning Isnt the Whole Solution

Even with the addition of excellent technology, the vast majority of
corporate training is still conducted in classrooms by instructors. Why is
this?
Classroom training is social. Attending classroom training is often
considered a perk. You get out of the office. You get a break in your
routine. You get to meet your peers in person and share war stories. And,
you get direct face-to-face feedback from experts.
In addition, most e-Learning is boring, requiring greater discipline on the
part of the student. Its often hard to concentrate at your desk with
frequent interruptions and distractions. And, its hard to make sure a
student has actually completed a course. While some organizations have
online tracking systems, many depend on an honor system. The result is
lower attendance and retention rates for most online training.
What Blended Learning Offers

Social benefits of classroom training focused on learning that gains

the most from face to- face interaction.

Individualization benefits of self-paced, online learning for content

that requires minimum interaction.

23

Cost savings through minimizing time away from the job and
travel/classroom/instructor expenses.

Improved retention and reinforcement through follow-up

mechanisms on the Web.

Greater flexibility to meet the different learning styles and levels of

your audience.

24

The Return on Investment in the Game

Our clients are beginning to enjoy significant bottom-line savings from
the tactical elements outlined above.

The ROI forecasts that our clients have shared with us indicate
that they are able to create an above-market return on their
investment in the Game, merely through the savings generated by
efficiencies in the administration and delivery of education and
learning. These forecasts are conservatively in the range of 2440%.

Even more significant benefits from implementing the Saba

infrastructure are likely, however, in the top line strategic drivers
of growth. These benefits are currently more difficult to forecast
with accuracy, but the research summarized in Section II clearly
suggests that extraordinary benefits are likely. With Sabas
superior tracking and evaluation processes, it will be possible for
our clients to identify these benefits with far greater rigor than
heretofore possible.

Perhaps more importantly, however, Saba clients will be able to

use measurement and evaluation as a tool for continuously
improving the economic value of their learning outcomes. This is
essential to managing learning as a strategic investment.

The rapid unfolding of the knowledge era has made the management of
learning an economic imperative. The capacity to do so will increasingly
distinguish leaders from followers. Firms that act with urgency to develop
a superior capacity for managing learning will be far better equipped to
win the war for talent, to respond to emerging market forces with speed
and agility, and to deliver the highest return to investors. Those that
delay in launching a comprehensive learning management system will be
left behind.
The Game of Success has the potential to turbo-charge your
learning process.

Superior cost-effectiveness. The Game not only offers the most

cost-effective way to raise skills and competences, but it also helps
organizations improve time to competence, time to insight, and time
to market.

Unique application benefits. The Game offers crucial strategic

advantages and top-line revenue benefits.

25

Strong value for users. End users of the Game find the learning
experience worthwhile and enjoyable. Satisfying a diverse set of
learners is a difficult task, and high-quality content is a key
requirement.

Affordable price to drive a mass market. The affordable prices of

the Game will accelerate the development of a mass market for
Game.

Many companies have turned to this game to help their

managers perform better. This Game:

Improves performance every day at hundreds of leading

organizations.

Forges 8 classic theories into a single, potent tool for real-world

change.

Validates behavioral findings with 30 years of research and our

exclusive database of responses from over 40,000 managers.

Provides reality feedback and tools to apply performance-boosting

behaviors.

This Game has changed hundreds of people in ways big and

small.

Change only happens when it is powered by your values.

Change must be built into our life through rituals highly specific,
regularly scheduled practices that become automatic over time.

The Game has helped people find more balance in their high-pressure
lives.

People seem to have more energy. Their attitudes their emotional

state seem much better.

This game is designed to help people marshal the mental,

physical, emotional, and spiritual energy they need to
thrive.

Sustained high achievement requires not only sharp intellect, but also
physical strength, emotional intelligence, and a strong sense of
purpose.

In many hours of self-examination, most of the participants improve in

one or more of those arenas.

26

You and Your Managers achieve breakthrough performance -organizational and individual.

Discover how specific behaviors ignite the inherent "can-do" spark in

every worker and colleague.

Unleash the power of individuals and teams by having them want to

communicate better, collaborate, and act creatively.

Learn 27 ways to get individuals and teams to take the initiativeto

boost productivity, cut cycle times and error rates apply fresh ideas,
accept responsibility, and much more.

Compare your behaviors to those of the highest-performing managers

over the last 30 yearsto see precisely where you can improve.

Emerge with proven knowledge and experience of what makes

management succeed.

Understand exactly what makes your employees and teams more

productive and how to make it happen in your workplace.

Achieve a more dynamic, competent, productive organization by:

Identifying specific policies, practices, norms, and philosophies that

characterize your organization.

Pinpointing factors that support high performance in your particular

organization.

Seeing exactly what you must do to promote and maintain high

performance.

Gaining the tools and procedures to conduct action planning with your
subordinates and co-workers.

Developing action plans to systematically improve the conditions in

need of change.

Transferring learning to workplace instantly.

27