Everest

Good managers constantly strive for more effective ways to convey concepts that are often learned through experience, such as leadership and teamwork. Harvard Business School Publishing approached Forio about how to capture and teach these types of group dynamics in an online simulation.

Forio and HBP began with a series of joint brainstorming workshops to discuss goals, approaches, and desired outcomes.

In particular, the team discussed the core learning objectives in detail, working both with HBP eLearning staff and with subject matter experts such as Professor Michael Roberto, Trustee Professor of Management at Bryant University. We talked about how to present challenges and foster discussion within teams during the simulation itself and also during the faculty-led debriefing sessions afterward. The goal was for the simulation to provide a model for successful leadership and team collaboration.

After developing the story outline with HBP, we created wireframes of the user interactions and data visualizations. Working iteratively, we incorporated feedback from HBP, subject matter experts, and user testing. This ensured that expectations were aligned even before the developers worked their magic.

The resulting online Everest simulation is used in business school classrooms and corporate training sessions around the world. A team game, it can be played within a few hours. It is often incorporated as part of a larger curriculum, and includes a manual for the facilitator. Originally created in 2009, the graphics were revised in 2012; over 100,000 people have played the Everest Leadership simulation since its launch. It is available from the Forio Simulation Store.

This simulation was awarded Best of Show in the MITX eLearning category in 2011.