As you’ve likely witnessed among colleagues in your office, people have different learning styles. David Kolb, an educational theorist, studied this phenomenon in detail. He categorized learners in his Learning Styles Inventory, which in everyday terms states that some of us learn from experiences and feelings, some by observing and reflecting, others by conceptualizing and thinking, and others by experimenting and doing. When it comes to adult education, “simulation-centric” learning appeals to all these different learning preferences while making adult education engaging and lessons stick.

Rob BrodoSimulation-centric learning is an educational model that bridges traditional education with the real world. The idea is to challenge participants to manage a staged business, project or team — simulations — and learn from discovery through their successes and failures. Simulations in training settings combine elements such as content, discussion, reflection, demonstration and feedback with information that’s relevant and applicable to people’s jobs and industry. Personal relevance and application make simulations especially valuable as participants are more likely to take what they discover in the simulated world back to their jobs for immediate measurable business results. Without a clear connection to the impact on business and a linkage to business success, other training methods often fall short.

Like a pilot going through a flight simulator to hone important skills and practice addressing issues in a risk-free environment, business leadership simulations can be used to develop skills of assessing, developing and retaining talent in support of established organizational development models.

We have developed a simulation-based program — an award-winning training and development firm specializing in business acumen, business leadership and strategic business selling based in West Conshohocken, PA — for this year’s PMA Foundation High Performance Management Conference: Optimizing the Impact of Mid-Level Leaders, Sept. 9-11 in Chicago. Sessions on industry issues and leadership will be followed by interactive practice simulations where participants will be given the opportunity to apply what they have learned.

Attendees will be placed in roles where they encounter situations similar to those they might face on the job when dealing with food safety, technology or crisis management and communications, for example. They could also find themselves in simulations where they’re required to analyze data on global macro trends and its relationship to the produce industry and utilize their real-world knowledge to make the best decisions for their simulated role. As a result, attendees will be able to experience the outcomes of their decisions in terms of what happens next, the emotional impact on others in their simulated world and the financial or business impact of the choices they made. In simulated-learning situations like this, learners have the opportunity to take risks and experiment in a safe environment, all at a pace that suits them — something adults appreciate regardless of learning preferences.

“Simulation-centric learning exposes people to real-world business challenges in an environment that encourages them to look at things in new ways and try innovative approaches to dealing with everyday scenarios,” said Margi Prueitt, PMA Foundation executive director and PMA senior vice president. “This is exactly what PMA Foundation’s industry-specific programs are about, and exactly what produce and floral industry members from across the supply chain tell us they need in a workforce in order to grow business, stay competitive and ensure continued leadership for the future.”

Robert Brodo is the executive vice president of Advantexe Learning Solutions.