The Simulation
Introduction
The Tipping Point change management simulation sits at the heart of the Tipping Point workshop. It contains a complex algorithm based on the Tipping Point model which allows participants to explore the implications of leading change in different. In doing so, participants are able to test out ideas and theories, thereby learning through experience.
The benefit of learning through experience is that it supports powerful discussions and deeper thinking, leading to tangible long lasting learning. As well as being an engaging experience, playing with the Tipping Point change simulation challenges common myths and traps associated with traditional change management training solutions.
When interacting with the simulation participants input the amount of resources they would like to allocate to each of the seven levers of change described within the Tipping Point model. Lever settings are invited for three time periods. This challenges participants to think about what is needed at the beginning, middle and end of change programmes.
Feedback is provided both in terms of number of advocates generated within a set timeframe, and also the costs associated of the actions associated. This means that participants get to learn not only what works, but how to drive change efficiently.
Making the simulator real
Expertise from the real-life experience of change leaders helped to create the Tipping Point simulator, and the model continues to be tested and refined through constant exposure to the insights and feedback of experienced change leaders and experts in relevant fields.
The Tipping Point has what social scientists call “face validity.” Anyone familiar with change management will recognise the results as reflected in their own experience.
The simulator is not a predictive tool. Whilst it would be nice to have a computer simulation that offers a precise blueprint for implementing any change, all organisations and changes are different in some way. However the Tipping Point simulator draws together a series of key common principles, making it more valuable than a single recipe or guide.
Rather than prescribing an inflexible recommended solution the Tipping Point simulation is a tool for developing the capacity of those who lead and influence the planning and implementation of changes, helping them to do so more and more effectively, more cost-effectively, and more time-effectively. This is the route to genuine and lasting success in the creation of change-capable organisations.
Enabled me to see practical applications of new concepts.
Worshop Participant
Simulation validity
The Tipping Point simulation is grounded in both a solid theoretical foundation and real-life deployment across a spectrum of organisational settings. This explains its unique strength, validity, and applicability to a wide range of change initiatives.
The Tipping Point simulation’s structure and dynamics are comparable across organisations and changes, and the actions that leaders can take, represented by the levers of change, have parallels across a very wide range of organisations and change initiatives.
Examples include streamlining customer service in banking, introducing electronic heath records, rolling-out a six sigma quality improvement programme, improving throughput in manufacturing, integrating new software systems into business and public service settings, implementing an improved career management process, and service and process review in multiple settings.
The dynamics demonstrated by the simulation and the accompanying exercises are very effective.
Worshop Participant
Why the simulation is relevant
The Tipping Point simulation offers a way for workshop participants to experiment with the dynamics of change and the change levers in a safe, low-risk environment. It fosters dialogue among team members and helps them learn from one another and create a shared mental model of what is needed to implement a change.
A shared mental model combines knowledge of each team member to create a richer, fuller understanding. There is an old saying, “All of us together are smarter than any one of us alone.” A shared mental model draws on the knowledge and experience of all team members, helping teams create a more effective implementation plan that addresses interactions that might otherwise have fallen through the cracks.
By using the Tipping Point simulation, the Tipping Point Workshop excels in its capacity to foster experimentation and dialogue that creates shared understanding among team members, creating a stronger, smarter team.
The analysis was powerful.
Worshop Participant
