SIMSOC THROUGH THE DECADES

The big turning points in the development of the original SIMSOC were when it went international (see below) and when it broadened its participants and purposes for leadership training programs. That included you, right? The group in Greenville, NC works with the Chamber of Commerce with training programs for city employees. The consultants who run SIMSOC for these leadership programs have spread to other places and people.

International applications took place in Japan, Israel and France. Some vignettes:

SIMSOC had enthusiastic adherents in several universities in Japan. They received a large government grant to bring Bill and me to Japan. Bill was treated like royalty and he was showered with gifts and adulation. 

Anecdote: He was giving a speech at a university. The turnout was large. Bill stood in front of the crowd next to a translator. He told a funny story and the translator translated it quickly, with immediate laughs from the audience. Afterwards, Bill asked the translator how she translated the story so quickly. She said, "Oh, I told them the professor is telling a funny story and they should laugh."

Bill ran SIMSOC several times in Israel. One amazing time was with administrators doing different jobs on Kibbutzim.  It began early on Friday afternoon and by mid-afternoon, the participants got all the indicators up in the most successful run of the simulation. 

Anecdote: During the debriefing, Bill asked the participants how they did it. One fellow said: "It's the beginning of Shabbat and we had to get back to our home kibbutz by sundown. Besides, we all know each other and could figure out what to do to make this society work." 

Bill was invited to a conference held in a small town south of Paris for middle managers in several ministries in the central government. They completed the run of SIMSOC and a few stayed on, as we did. 

A country wedding assembled at the conference center and they invited us all. So we stayed and ate and danced with them.