Schneider Electric Switches on Finance Games to Engage Managers

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Engaging Senior Leaders: Beyond Traditional Learning

The July issue of Chief Learning Officer (CLO) magazine features an in-depth piece, "Beyond the Sage on the Stage," about engaging managers and senior executives through active and immersive learning.

The authors, James H. Gilmore and Cheryl D. Stokes, write:

“As employees progress to more senior positions in an organization, they typically encounter a variety of professional development programs to help them succeed.... [but] by the time executives become senior leaders, they often have grown weary of traditional classroom-based instruction, which can become an obstacle to continued learning precisely when it is most important. [This] create[s] a challenge for learning leaders—how to avoid a scenario where increased seniority equals a decreased priority on learning.”

Schneider Electric’s Business Acumen Challenge

In the same issue of CLO, I wrote about our work with global energy management specialist Schneider Electric..

They approached us after discovering gaps in employee proficiencies—which they traced back to their finance training program. Too many employees, it seemed, found the sessions “boring” and the content “too complex.”

Schneider Electric needed a solution that would:

✅ Engage high-potential leaders
✅ Effectively teach finance to non-financial managers

Their solution? The Income/Outcome Business Simulation—a multi-board game developed by Andromeda Simulations Internatinal. In this simulation, each team manages its own game board company and competes against other companies to:

• Win customers
• Improve operations
• Generate positive financial results

By adding tactile and kinetic learning methodologies (to the standard audio/visual), the simulation helps participants grasp the foundations of finance and fundamental business dynamics.

The Impact of Income/Outcome

Our point of contact was Tim Treger, then Senior Manager of Learning and Development at Schneider Electric.

After 200–300 employees had played the game, he assessed it this way:

“We use it to teach finance to non-financial managers. It takes a very dry topic and makes it more real to life by helping people understand the true implications of the financial decisions they make. It’s one of the highest-rated programs we have. Employees say they really enjoy it.”

We were thrilled to hear this—and if you’ve ever been in financial training programs that felt dry or overly complex, Tim’s comment might resonate with you too.

The Power of Experiential Learning

It’s crucial to steer clear of training that isolates participants. We are social animals—we flourish with team-based learning!

The same applies to passive or automated dynamics. People need truly experiential learning to absorb and apply financial lessons effectively.

The Takeaway?

Identifying the right finance game and delivering it in an engaging, welcoming workshop isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for building managers’ financial acumen.

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