Leadership training is important in business for many reasons. First, it helps managers and leaders learn how to effectively motivate and lead teams. Good leaders are able to create a positive work environment, which can improve employee morale and productivity. Additionally, leadership training can help managers develop the skills needed to resolve conflict and make tough decisions.
Investing in leadership training can also pay off in terms of improved financial performance. A study by Training Industry found that businesses that provided leadership development programs saw an average ROI of $4.15 for every $1 invested.
Organizations that invest in leadership training in today’s competitive business landscape will be better positioned to succeed. Strong leaders are essential for any company looking to achieve its goals and build a bright future.
Virtual reality for the win
MissionOne is a company that delivers VR-based leadership & teamwork training. We had the opportunity to help them place their first steps in the world of virtual reality. MissionOne emerged recently from a renowned consulting company, 4Results. Our team was chosen to develop the VR training application they now offer.
The application we worked on is, in principle, a multiplayer simulation. It transfers users into the cockpit of a submarine or helicopter. The crew of the naval vessel can consist of up to five players, and an additional two participants can man the rotorcraft. Each user takes up a specific role ranging from engineer, to commander. Players have to maintain control of their area of responsibility and collaborate closely to achieve the assigned tasks.
Benefits of immersive technologies
But why would someone choose virtual leadership training over traditional methods? First, let’s look at some statistics MissionOne quotes on their website. Did you know that 85% of trainees prefer using virtual reality? That’s probably one of the reasons they engage in the training more.
Another cause for the impressive engagement level is, no doubt, the absence of outside distractions. When you put on a VR headset, you get fully immersed, so you see and hear only the training environment. Virtual reality also enables the gamification of training experiences. As a result of all of this, VR is 400% faster than learning in the classroom.
What’s also important, virtual reality training can provide leaders with a safe environment to practice dealing with difficult situations and making decisions under pressure. It can also realistically show the effects of poor decision-making, which leaves a more lasting impact on the participants.
Additionally, VR can simulate real-world work environments multiple times, giving leaders a chance to try out different approaches and strategies before implementing them in the actual workplace.
How MissionOne takes advantage of virtual leadership training
We met up with Jakub Wyrobek from MissionOne to talk more about the virtual leadership training we developed together, its business benefits and what end-users think of it.
Hello Jakub! Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about MissionOne from your perspective.
Hi! I am one of the founders of MissionOne. In our company, I take care of the development of new XR solutions that improve training processes. My main focus is keeping businesses up to date with the latest technologies and designing XR products that deliver desired results. Currently, I’m working on introducing our virtual leadership training to new markets and helping customers adopt this great tool smoothly.
Why do you think leadership & communication is important from a business perspective?
Having experience in consulting at 4Results, my colleagues and I have observed measurable improvement in teamwork efficiency after implementing our communication and leadership models and skills. One of our most common approaches is to teach accountability in teams to create a leader-to-leader communication style.
It encourages taking responsibility for employees in their areas of expertise. Openness and trust created by a healthy workplace improve efficiency and allow employees to fully use their intellectual capacity. It also keeps them happy and engaged at the same time.
How did you come up with the idea to use virtual reality in communication & leadership training for employees?
A few years ago, we were looking for something to guarantee a competitive advantage over traditional training methods. We needed a tool that equips coaches and trainees with more efficient ways to learn and implement knowledge.
With the help of 4Experience, we found out about the potential of virtual reality. This novel solution allowed us to engage clients and show them new possibilities for learning. The immersive learning appealed to companies that looked for something fresh and inventive. It opened new areas for business for us.
How does this virtual leadership training work? Please describe it for readers who are just hearing of it.
Virtual leadership training is conducted using a VR environment. It takes a team of three to seven users to a safe, controlled setting that we, as trainers adjust to the training needs. It presents participants with challenges that have to be resolved using taught communication models.
Objectives in the mission are designed to employ different communication skills, decision-making, risk management and collaboration between trainees. It enables users to train new concepts taught by coaches during the theoretical part of the workshop. It is all about practice. Using VR gives the opportunity to adopt new behaviors, test whether they work and teach them thanks to higher engagement in the training process.
Who is the application mainly aimed at? Who would you recommend it to?
The application is created for people that want to develop themselves and are open to new technologies. We recommend it especially for teams that are challenged with decision-making on a daily basis. It’s also a great asset for top management and freshly assembled teams, managers and organizations that want to flatten their structures and improve the workflow.
How have your clients/partners reacted to the MissionOne app? What were their thoughts?
We are fortunate to say that the clients’ reactions are very positive. Groups trained using our virtual leadership training simulation we were handed over by our partner 4Results are describing the application as something new that is becoming their favorite way of corporate training.
Increased engagement, better knowledge retention, high focus during exercises and motivation to improve are some of the main advantages referred to by users. To get a better idea of how trainees feel about the training, it is best to hear from the participants themselves.
What do you personally like the most about the application?
For me, it’s the excitement of the people who take part in the training simulation. This is a real-life application of something that could be called a video game. The immersion that it provides is a perfect reflection of what we wanted to achieve. Our goal was to create something that would grasp users’ attention and make them want to learn. Learn to improve their mission score and, at the same time, apply what they learned in business.
Do you think choosing VR was a good direction? What benefits do you see compared to traditional methods?
I am more than happy that we decided to use VR to create our training tool. The results this technology evokes are crucial for what we needed to achieve. And what we needed was to develop skills using new innovative approaches, engage remote teams and create virtual training experiences with cutting-edge technology.
A virtual environment helps translate theoretical models into practice. It makes the user immersed in the virtual mission capturing their undivided attention. It encourages the participants to make progress together in order to meet the objectives. Finally, it evokes emotions which makes the experience engaging and memorable.
If time reversed, would you use a VR training application as your main product again and why?
Definitely. We will try to implement VR in future products again as they bring real benefits to our partners. And fantastic results. At the end of the day, we are here to create training that is more engaging and effective than traditional methods, and VR helps us achieve that. We look forward to equipping businesses with the best tools for leadership training workshops, and for now, we are sticking with using virtual reality.
Let’s work on the next virtual training application together!
As you can see, VR solutions like virtual leadership training are not only theoretically good – they bring tangible results, and many happy users are the best proof. Creating virtual reality training is an investment, but it sure is worth it. You can expect a quick and strong ROI. And with an experienced development team like ourselves, your software project is bound to become a success.
Contact us if you’re thinking about using VR training in your company or would like to learn more about the opportunities it opens before your business. We’ll get back to you within a few hours and schedule a free 60-minute consultation.
