Unraveling Strategy with a Roll of the Dice: A Customer's Surprising Lesson on Using The Chicken Dice Game

Every once in a while, you stumble upon an idea that's so out-of-the-box, it circles right back in and lands smack in the center of brilliant. This happened to me recently, during a casual chat with one of our clients. I discovered a novel, fun, and surprisingly effective method they use for strategy planning workshops - The Chicken Dice Game.?

At first, you might think I'm pulling your leg. After all, a dice game and business strategy? Sounds like comparing apples to, well, chickens. But bear with me, and I promise it'll make sense - and might even change how you run your planning sessions.?

Firstly, let's familiarize ourselves with the game. The Chicken Dice Game is a simple, yet riveting dice game with a comical name. The goal is to score 10,000 points before anyone else, and how you get there involves some nail-biting decisions. Do you play it safe, accumulating points slowly but steadily, or do you dare to risk it all for a potential big score?

Now, doesn't that sound like the business decisions we make on a daily basis? Do we go for the slow-and-steady growth or gamble on a high-risk, high-reward move? This is where the magic of The Chicken Dice Game comes into play - it's fun, yet it embodies the essence of strategic decision-making we encounter in business.?

So, how does this game fit into a strategy planning workshop? Well, it's simpler than you might think. Instead of diving straight into the deep end of strategy talk, why not start the session with a friendly round of The Chicken Dice Game??

The dice rolling, the cheers and groans, the shared laughter - all these elements help to break the ice and foster a relaxed, open environment. And let's face it, a strategy workshop can often be a pressure-cooker situation. So, anything that lightens the mood and gets people talking is a massive plus.

After the fun and games, it's time to switch gears. You lead your team into a discussion where you draw parallels between the game and your business strategy. It's an interactive way to get the team to think about the decisions they made in the game, the risks they took, and how these can reflect on the strategic decisions they have to make in your business. This way, the game acts as a low-stress sandbox for your team to experiment with strategic decisions without real-world consequences.

But let's not stop at fun and games. There's an educational element here too. The Chicken Dice Game provides an interactive platform for your team to practice crucial business skills - decision making, risk evaluation, and collaborative problem solving, to name a few. And the best part? They're learning these skills in an environment that's relaxed, engaging, and conducive to learning.

Now, I know what you're thinking - "This all sounds good, but is there any research to back this up?" Well, you bet there is!?

Harvard Business Review, in their article "Learning Strategy through Play," confirms that games can indeed be effective tools for teaching strategic thinking. The same sentiment is echoed in Stanford Business's "Why Playing Games at Work is Not a Waste of Time," where they discuss the benefits of incorporating games in the workplace. This includes building team rapport and enhancing skill development. Psychology Today, in their piece, "The Surprising Benefits of Role-Playing Games," further highlights how games can play a significant role in the development of crucial skills like problem-solving and decision-making.

In a nutshell, this unexpected lesson from a customer has been nothing short of enlightening. I've always believed in the power of games to foster a fun and engaging environment. But using The Chicken Dice Game as a stepping stone for strategy planning workshops - now, that's an innovative approach.

So, the next time you find yourself scratching your head, wondering how to make your strategy workshops more engaging, think strategic games. Maybe you have your favorite - or want to give The Chicken Dice game a try. Either way, you might find yourself pleasantly surprised, just like I was. And who knows, you might just roll a strategic six!

Sources:

1. Harvard Business Review, "Learning Strategy through Play "https://hbr.org/2015/09/games-can-make-you-a-better-strategist

2. Stanford Business, "Why Playing Games at Work is Not a Waste of Time" https://shc.stanford.edu/stanford-humanities-center/events/using-games-change-behavior-work

3. Psychology Today, "The Surprising Benefits of Role-Playing Games" Psychology Today. (2018, July 26)