Sidebar: Games for a Change

Sometimes the best way to brainstorm a change effort is to declare a time-out from the business world and let yourself wander through unfamiliar terrain. Fortunately, there are scores of computer-simulation games that take you to new worlds in which you can consider new strategies. Here are the big three.

SimCity 3000: The latest version of the granddaddy of all computer games challenges you to build a smooth-running metropolis, complete with zoning rules, garbage-collection services, highways, parks, and a solid tax base. The ultimate goal, as with all change efforts, is to get everything to work together.

Coordinates: $50. Electronic Arts Inc., www.simcity.com

Civilization: Call to Power: Civilization allows you to manipulate a whole new world. This game presents plenty of brainteasers for those who are thinking about ruling the world of e-commerce or trying to build a brand. But make one critical mistake, and you'll end up like the Romans.

Coordinates: $49.95. Activision Inc., www.activision.com

Railroad Tycoon II: With the click of a mouse, you can start laying tracks. But this game's real challenge is dealing with the economics of running a railroad. By cultivating relationships with steel mills and auto plants, you can make profits that can be used to expand your railways, until eventually they become the arteries for an entire economy.

Coordinates: $29.95. Gathering of Developers Inc., www.godgames.com

Sidebar: Real Gear for Simulations

Proxima UltraLight LX1 Projector

For change agents who need to fire up a large audience with a cutting-edge simulation, an LCD projector is the biggest gun in the arsenal. The UltraLight beams out a sharp, 1,024-by-768-pixel image that can be roughly 20 feet wide (measured diagonally) and viewed from a distance of 33 feet.

Coordinates: $7,199. Proxima Corp., www.proxima.com

Gateway Solo 9300CX Notebook

A tiny notebook won't cut it when you crank up a power-hungry simulation on the road. Only a full-blown laptop with a large screen will do. The Solo weighs 7.6 pounds, but it comes loaded with a 500-MHz Pentium III processor and an 18-GB hard drive.

Coordinates: $3,999. Gateway, www.gateway.com

IBM T55D LCD Monitor

LCD displays for desktop PCs are hot -- but not for change agents who need to run simulations for small groups. The fully digital T55D is an exception; however, you do have to install a special digital video card.

Coordinates: $1,199. IBM, 800-426-7255, www.ibm.com

3Com HomeConnect PC Digital Camera

If you want to customize a simulation by shooting video footage, the easiest way is to use a video camera that connects to your PC. 3Com's HomeConnect digital camera is a great choice. Best of all, because the 3Com camera connects to the computer via the USB port, installation is a hassle-free experience.

Coordinates: $149. 3Com Corp., www.3com.com

Sennheiser Surrounder

There's nothing like surround sound for letting you experience a simulation. The Surrounder uses four speakers to re-create that effect. You'll have to spring for the Sennheiser DSP Pro decoder ($270) if your PC isn't equipped with four-channel output.

Coordinates: $300. Sennheiser USA www.sennheiserusa.com

Sidebar: Reality Check

So you're a change agent, But you're not quite ready to test your new idea in the real world. Here are four questions, culled from interviews with veteran simulation designers and users, that can help you decide whether a simulation can assist your change team.

What are your objectives?

Simulations come in many varieties, so you can use them in myriad ways to custom-build your change effort. If you want to brainstorm ideas or get a reality check from other project leaders, find a vendor that offers expert facilitators who will work with your company. If you want a portable self-help tool for the up-and-comers on your change team, look for an interactive CD-ROM that people can run on their laptops.

Have you defined the framework for your change effort's scenario?

Computer-based simulations have zero tolerance for guesswork. When you reduce the variables in your scenario, the simulation stands a better chance of delivering a forecast that you can trust.

Do you need a mediator?

Sometimes a simulation can serve as an objective mediator when you're faced with a team in conflict. It creates a parallel universe, within which ideas can be tested without the pressures of politics and infighting.

How involved do you want to be?

Simulations, especially those that are customized for your business, require lots of information and lots of truth. When you input half-truths and half the story, you won't get a complete picture from the output.