THE VALUE PEOPLE bring to a business has never been more important than it is today. As the environment gets more competitive, organisations are promising their customers unique products and impeccable service standards, while trying to keep costs down. They can meet neither objective without people who have the right skills and attitudes.
It is not surprising that almost every company is focusing on upgrading the skills of its employees and keeping staff turnover low. Staff development and training have become the order of the day, and many companies are offering employees incentives such as in-house coaching, tuition reimbursements and freedom to attend conferences. They hope this will help them win the dedication and loyalty of their employees.
But there is only so much that training can accomplish, given its academic nature. Most training programmes offer little opportunity for hands-on participation.
However, those who are willing to dig a little deeper can find pragmatic alternatives such as the Hong Kong Management Association's (HKMA) annual game for executives.
The competition offers business executives a simulation of reality and prepares them for the complicated world of business. All it takes to get involved is a little imagination and some sound business sense.
Now in its 35th year, the competition challenges teams of executives with everyday commercial scenarios and problems.
Teams of four participants are first asked to establish a mock company in a specific industry. The game then presents them with new challenges and dilemmas each week over a 2? month period. The teams have to come up with a strategy or a solution to each problem and e-mail it by the deadlines set in the game schedule.