Learning and development 學習與發展 « FEATURE
is released, which is believed to encourage memory. So, gaming is a great environment for learning. “However, the stimuli that makes games enjoyable can also often make them addictive – which we are now seeing more and more in the gaming world – so there is a note of caution here too.”
Business strategy games
商業策略遊戲 L&D的下一步發展很可能是商業策略遊戲。Press Start已開始行動，並已開發涵蓋餐飲、金融、以至法律 等各行業的定制商業策略遊戲。Siu認為，這股策略遊 戲新浪潮是一種更有效吸引員工的方式。 他解釋：「基本上，遊戲是複雜現實的簡化版本， 通過規則和邏輯濃縮成可玩的體驗。所選擇的組件、所 運用的機制、所打造的體驗，一切都反映出個別世界所 重視的元素，以及那個世界如何運作。」 舉例來說，Press Start為理大（香港理工大學） 的時裝商業課程設計了一款專為時裝買手而設的紙牌 遊戲。 他說：「遊戲的核心是模擬現實時裝買手行業，通 過與多位行業專家和從業者的訪問，我們能夠了解行 業的整體運作模式，包括庫存管理、預算控制、趨勢預 測、VIP策展、作品等，全部濃縮成簡單易玩的規則是 最大的挑戰。」 「我們首先在其本科課程招募活動中試行，結果大 受歡迎，因為能夠學得快，玩起來很有趣，最重要的是 簡單而又反映現實。」 招募活動的例子很有意思。Siu指出，招聘員工時 也可有效地部署這個遊戲模板。 Press Start亦成功與快餐業巨頭麥當勞的大型招 聘活動McTalent合作，為求職者定制以「創業遊戲和 角色扮演冒險」為基礎的遊戲，取得出色的成績。
情商是新智商 L&D的另一發展趨勢是重視軟技能。情緒智商（EQ） 正成為一項寶貴資產，對於解決與同事和客戶紛爭等方 面是一種搶手特質和必學技能。
The next step in the evolution of L&D could well be business strategy games. Press Start is one company already getting in on the act and develops custom-built business strategy games across a variety of sectors – from food and beverages to finance and law. Siu believes this new wave of strategic game playing is a much more effective way to engage employees. “At their core, games are a simplified version of a complex reality, condensed into a playable experience via rules and logic. The components chosen, the mechanics used, the experience curated – these all reflect what elements are seen as important to a specific world, and how that world is perceived to work,” he explains. By way of example, Press Start designed a card game focusing on fashion buying for PolyU (the Hong Kong Polytechnic University) to use in its fashion business programme. “At its core, it was a simulation of the actual fashion buying industry, and from many interviews with industry experts and practitioners we were able to get a sense of how it works on the whole – inventory management, budget control, trend forecasting, VIP curation, the works – but condensing it all into simple, playable rules was the main challenge,” he says. “We first tested it in a recruitment drive for its undergraduate programme, and it worked like a charm because it was quick to learn, fun to play, and most importantly, simple, yet reflective of reality.” The reference to recruitment is interesting. Siu points out that this games template can also be effectively deployed when hiring employees. Press Start also had a successful engagement with fast-food giant McDonald’s large-scale McTalent recruitment drive, by customising a game based around an “entrepreneurship game and a role-playing adventure” for candidates, with outstanding results.
EQ is the new IQ Another way that L&D is evolving is the trend towards soft skills. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is becoming a sought-after attribute and learning skills in areas such as conflict resolution with colleagues and customers alike, is a valuable asset. Although, according to CIPD’s White, the need to build soft skills through L&D depends on specific scenarios. Q3 2019 « Human Resources Hong Kong « 25