AMA and Enspire Learning Develop New Simulation-Based Business Acumen Seminar

Enspire Learning and American Management Association (AMA) announced today that they will integrate Enspire’s award-winning simulations into a new seminar being offered by AMA. AMA’s Business Acumen Challenge: A Simulation Experience for Leaders combines the latest simulation technology with proven management practices to help leaders understand the complexities and interdependencies of running an organization.

During this highly-interactive seminar, participants are divided up into teams and assigned functional roles within a fictitious organization with a fixed set of resources. Each team is then given tasks to accomplish and participants must react quickly and effectively to the situations and scenarios generated by the computer.

Throughout the simulation activity, participants experience, in real time, how specific departmental strategies and tactics contribute to the success or failure of an enterprise. It also illustrates how individual behaviors and decisions affect other departments throughout the organization.

“Enspire’s simulations create a uniquely powerful learning experience that hones business acumen and leadership skills,” commented Enspire CEO, Bjorn Billhardt. “Combining our simulation development expertise with AMA’s expertise in seminar design and delivery will provide a powerful way to teach business acumen and give organizations a new way to accelerate talent development.”

The key anchors and learning objectives of AMA’s Business Acumen Challenge are business strategy, cross functional communication, team effectiveness, and resource management. Participants will benefit from the learn-by-doing simulation experience and from the debriefing sessions led by AMA facilitators who will challenge participants to analyze their experiences and draw parallels to the real world.

AMA chose Enspire Learning to leverage the potential of technology-enabled simulations and create an effective seminar that combines experiential learning and the impact of AMA’s experience delivering seminars.

“Enspire’s simulations are unique in the simulation marketplace,” said Pat Leonard, AMA’s Executive Vice President for U.S. Management Education. “Teams must not only develop but also execute their strategy in a high-pressure environment. Each individual has a particular role and specific tasks that must be completed, so all participants are actively involved in their company’s overall success. This active involvement is a powerful way to achieve the desired learning objectives.”

AMA’s Business Acumen Challenge will be first offered in the fall of 2007 at AMA’s Executive Conference Centers in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco and will be offered in other locations nationwide in 2008. For more information about this or other AMA seminars, visit http://www.amanet.org/seminars.

About AMA
American Management Association (www.amanet.org) is a world leader in professional development and performance-based learning solutions. AMA provides individuals and organizations worldwide with the knowledge, skills and tools to achieve performance excellence, adapt to changing realities and prosper in a complex and competitive world. Each year, thousands of customers learn new skills and behaviors, gain more confidence, advance their careers, and contribute to the success of their organizations. AMA offers a range of unique seminars, workshops, conferences, customized corporate programs, online learning, newsletters, journals, and AMA books.

About Enspire Learning
Enspire Learning (www.enspire.com) was founded in 2001 with the mission to create effective online learning. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Enspire Learning develops e-learning courses, simulations, and blended learning programs that motivate learners with interactive multimedia and engaging scenarios.