Firms Maximize Training Budget with Real-World Scenarios

Jun 1, 2004 12:00 PM

More architecture, engineering, and planning firms are using case studies and simulations to train their employees

More architecture, engineering, and planning firms are using case studies and simulations to train their employees, according to ZweigWhite, a Natick, Mass.-based management consulting and publishing firm. Mick Morrissey, senior vice president for ZweigWhite, says A/E/P firms need to stop reinventing the wheel when it comes to designing their training and development programs. “Case studies and simulations provide firms with the greatest bang for their training budget,” Morrissey says. “They can be built around past successful or nightmare projects, technical challenges, or leadership topics, such as ethics or merger and acquisition activity.” Before immersing participants in a case study or simulation, the leaders of the firms' training programs need to offer classroom sessions and extract ground rules from the case study and use them to govern the execution of the simulation. By incorporating a case study into a firm's training program, the educators can provide hands-on experience for the participants and create material that can be reused for future sessions, according to ZweigWhite.