The militaries of several countries use computer games and simulations to both educate and train armed forces and officers in tasks and thought processes connected to their missions and specializations.

This technique is moving (little by little) into the business world as well, and one of the places where it's making the largest inroads is in the dominion of executive training.

From the perspective of training new managers in your own business, computer games and board games can be used to huge effect, though, there are some dangers. First, make sure that you're aware of what objective you're aiming for - education or training? Educational games center on one nested set of decisions and tend to remain quite theoretical.

A high-quality didactic game - focused on project management training for instance - should permit the players to explore the decision space reflected by that kind of game.

A training simulation is intended to measure how well a student is getting familiar and re-enacting doctrines and training techniques.

While a first person shooting game, like Doom or Counter Strike is no replacement for rifle training for a soldier, it's an outstanding tool to assess if soldiers have learned about movement, communications, and coordinated actions in an aggressive situation, as the same things that will keep you alive in the field will keep you alive in the game - moving from cover to concealment, mobilized over watch, and similar concepts.

Education isn't just regurgitation of doctrine and training, it's acquainting of the decision creation processes.

For leaders (and officers in the military) there needs to be an emphasis on teaching as well as guidance.

A good officer should be familiar with the decision creation process of the layer of management that reports to him, and for two levels higher than him.

The same applies to a executive in most companies.

Furthermore, an executive (or manager) ought to be able to evaluate challenges to his course of actions, be aware of assets available to him, and with initiative, be capable to deploy those assets without compromising the plans of those higher than him.

When taking instructions from computer games, center on the decision creation loops, and focus on concepts.

While trying to turn computer games into planned education for your employees, remember that games are intended to be enjoyable.

Games that aren't entertaining tend to get negative criticism from the players, and the teaching imparted by them don't stick.

Center on how the center concepts of the game will assist your fresh executives work in your business, but let them take pleasure in what they're doing - people find out more, and absorb the lessons better, when they're having fun.

So, the first time you're trapped playing a computer game in the workplace, maybe you can justify it as professional development.

Full article Using Computer - and Other Games - to Learn Project Management Skills