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Meaningful Play 2014 at Michigan State University

Session Information

TitleMy Favorite Games and Why They Work!
Presenter(s)Andy Simon is a partner in Simon Associates Management Consultants (SAMC). He is an Innovation Games® facilitator and trainer. Over the past three years, SAMC has run more than 50 gaming sessions to stimulate creativity, innovation and prioritization. Andy has used Innovation Games to establish brand strategy across multiple industries, from healthcare to consumer products. He also uses games to help clients develop new products and offerings and set priorities.

Andy is a serial entrepreneur. He built his last company in the K-12 educational assessment space into America's 6th largest summative assessment company. In 2011, this company, Questar Assessment Inc., was named one of the top 50 education companies by Education Next Magazine. Prior to that, he was an intrapreneur building the consumer division of L'Oreal and helping launch electronic banking for Citicorp.
TimeFriday, October 17, 1:00p-2:00p
LocationBallroom
FormatSpeaker
DescriptionIn Andy's presentation, he will cover the following:
  • Why we use games in business decision making. This section of the presentation will discuss fuzzy goals, lack of predictability and the need to have ready-to-go alternatives as change happens at faster and faster rates.
  • What's up with the brain and how to trick it. The brain is hard wired. It sees what it wants to see based upon past experiences. The key to successful innovation and creativity is to get the brain to see things in new ways.
  • The four-part process for innovation. This includes divergence, emergence, convergence and the setting of goals.
  • My favorite games. While Andy is an Innovation Games facilitator, a unique part of his expertise is the way he uses three games from Innovation Games and one that is not in the IG game deck.
  • Some client examples. Andy will provide some examples from his experience of running games over the past two years. (Note: The names of the organizations will have been changed to protect client confidentiality.)
  • A practical exercise. If time allows, Andy will provide a practical exercise for active learning.
Attendees will learn three things:
  1. How the use of games in the Innovation Process is critically important for the front and back end of effective change
  2. Why the engagement in games works even among total strangers
  3. The process offers as much insight as the output for the creation of new innovations

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