During a recent The Red Cloud Alliance simulation for a client, one participant dismissed the exercise as “just a game,” claiming his real-world corporate behavior is entirely different. Coincidentally, this individual’s performance during the simulation fell significantly short of expectations.
Watching that happen brought back memories of my own early days with experiential learning. My very first attempt at a simulation was a genuine struggle, and I defensively dismissed it by telling myself that a game couldn’t possibly capture my true real-world capabilities. Yet, the moment a simulation went well, I eagerly claimed it as definitive proof of my actual strengths. It’s a classic example of how we selectively filter feedback.
Why do I mention this? Because it highlights a common pattern in business simulations: we often hunt for excuses rather than embracing the opportunity to improve. I was certainly not immune to this myself. The truth is, our choices in a high-stakes training game act as a clear mirror to our daily professional behavior—whether we care to admit it or not.
I completely understand this defense mechanism. When performance falls short, it is comforting to blame the setup, the structural constraints, or external factors. But the moment we succeed, we gladly take 100% of the credit. Real professional growth only begins when we look past the excuses.
Of course, not everyone reacts with denial; there are many other, highly self-aware responses to these challenges. But whatever the case may be, observing human behavior and leadership dynamics in these high-stakes moments has always fascinated me. It’s exactly what makes this work so incredibly rewarding.
