Play it Ahead: analyze & boost your leadership capacity through our unique games
13 December 2021
Gerrit Sarens
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- Do you know the actual leadership capacity of your first-time leaders?
- Are your first-time leaders aware of the leadership mistakes they (unconsciously) make?
- Do you know what kind of support your first-time leaders need to grow as a leader?
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Ambits partners with Play It, the Belgian number 1 in game-based learning, to bring a unique solution
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Game-based learning has several advantages:
- It’s fun; easy to play;
- It measures real-life behavior;
- It creates instant awareness;
- It boosts engagement;
- It brings a measurable output;
- It’s highly effective.
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Leadership challenges for first-time leaders: a triple solution
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First-time leaders are highly motivated to take up a first leadership role.
However, they are not always aware of the challenges this brings and how to act. As a decision-maker or HR professional, you do not always know who needs what kind of support to grow as a leader.
Our leadership games have a triple purpose:
- Make first-time leaders aware of the typical leadership challenges they can encounter;
- Give them hands-on advice (tips & tricks) on how to tackle these challenges;
- Provide you as a decision-maker or HR professional an in-depth and objective analysis of the leadership development needs of your first-time leaders.
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How does it work?
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- You buy a minimum of 10 users to whom we give access to the four games.
- In the games, they take the role of the new team leader who has recently started for the first time in a leadership role.
- Each game takes +/- 10 minutes to play (on PC or mobile device).
- They are confronted with several situations in which we measure how they react.
- Their reactions are captured and analyzed by a leadership expert.
- We deliver a comprehensive report with an overview of the ‘mistakes’ they make and for which leadership aspects they need further support.
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The four games
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What are the typical leadership challenges in each game?
Game 1: Your leadership kick-off
- How to build a connection with your new team?
- How to create the right expectations?
- How to communicate consistently?
- How to put in place effective situational leadership?
- How to empower people?
Game 2: It’s all about the people
- How to manage the human legacy in your team?
- How to manage negative emotions?
- How to apply active listening?
- How to take the first steps in stakeholder management?
- How to deal with difficult messages?
Game 3: Feedback is the breakfast for champions
- How to balance between managing up and managing down?
- How to receive negative feedback?
- How to motivate your team?
- How ‘to lead by example?’
Game 4: The first sleepless night
- How to deal with tensions in your team?
- How to give negative feedback?
- How to manage perceptions?
- How to create psychological safety?
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Interested in a demo?
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Leave your details here and we will contact you.
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Struggles of a manager
Managers are
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- lack self-confidence
- don’t know how to go from being a colleague to being a boss
- need to loosen up on the command & control leadership style
- must let go of the (technical) expert status
- cannot give or accept constructive feedback
- feel pressure to perform as manager
- have difficulty building relationships
- want to be liked by everyone or want to be the ‘bad boss’
- play the hero
- …
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- stay too involved in operations
- have trouble prioritizing
- cannot delegate
- fear conflict situations
- disconnect from the team
- deal with flawed strategic thinking
- do not relate to higher management
- lack clear communication skills
- remain not self-aware
- avoid difficult conversations
- miss political antennas
- ...
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- need mental preparation as successor
- need to be able to lead big changes ahead
- need to learn to be emotionally resilient and in control
- need to learn to make big decisions fast without all the information
- must become persuasive presenters
- need to learn how to cultivate their own personal brand
- need to learn how to lead by example
- manage by trust, not by fear
- need to overly develop empathy
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