Post-Conference Beer Game Workshop

 

Wednesday, November 15, 2:00–5:00 p.m.

PC04 Mastering the Beer Game: Effective Facilitation Techniques
Rod MacDonald, University at Albany; Roberta L. Spencer, International System Dynamics Society; Jim Hines, Ventana Systems, Inc.

Free of charge to registered conference participants; Pre-registration required.
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The Beer Game originated as a system dynamics computer simulation refined for use in MIT’s Executive Training Program. A fast-paced, often hilarious exercise that exposes the underlying structures in complex systems, the game has endured as one of the best ways to introduce systems thinking into an organization. In this hands-on half-day workshop, you will learn how to facilitate and debrief the Beer Game. Discover common problems with running the game, techniques for customizing it for your clients, and guidelines for using it as an icebreaker for further discussion of important issues, including communication, decision making, trust, and fear.

Facilitators

Rod MacDonald is the director of the Initiative for System Dynamics in the Public Sector at the University at Albany. He has used system dynamics computer simulation modeling and systems thinking to analyze and address issues in the banking industry, criminal justice system, and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, as well as in the delivery of public services and disability benefits, traffic safety, supply chain management, and DWI recidivism.

Roberta L. Spencer is the executive director of the International System Dynamics Society. She has helped facilitate the Beer Game in a variety of settings, including large and small corporations, undergraduate and graduate classrooms, and government agencies.

Jim Hines is a system dynamics consultant with Ventana Systems and creator of the System Dynamics Distance program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he currently teaches. Jim’s research has focused on organizational evolution, “modeling at conversation speed,” and automated model analysis. A past president of the System Dynamics Society, Jim has consulted all over the world and holds a Ph.D. in system dynamics from MIT, and an MBA from the University of Chicago.