Copyright newsletter
I’ve always believed that the best learning happens when you’re truly engaged — when you’re learning by doing. That belief is at the heart of what we do at Business Simulations, our family business that my father, Ken Thompson, founded in 2004. Ken recognised that leadership development could — and should — be more interactive and therefore, more impactful. He saw a real need for learning experiences that would truly stick — ones that would get people thinking, collaborating, and learning through action rather than passively absorbing information. Twenty years later, every member of our immediate family has played a role in the company’s journey. We have gained a global customer base that includes some of the largest multi-national companies. My own involvement began in my early twenties, when I developed the technology that allowed us to make our simulations web-based. That enabled us to scale what we do to reach clients around the world. These days, my younger brother Jamie heads up our technology team, while I focus on running the business — managing everything from strategy and client relationships, to the day-to-day realities of running a focused, professional business. What sets Business Simulations apart is that we give companies all over the world the opportunity to ‘learn by doing’. We use technology to enhance training, but we design experiences that hinge upon human interaction, conversation and negotiation. We understand that being “taught at” rarely makes learning stick, so our programmes are built around active participation and teamwork. In our workshops, participants take on the role of a leadership team in a fictional business — which might be anything from a small independent coffee shop to a global pharmaceutical company — and the participants make real-time decisions in response to a series of challenges and opportunities. It’s engaging, it’s intense, and it mirrors the complexity and pace of real-world leadership. I enjoy the fact that every day is different as a founder. Because we’re a small team, my role is incredibly varied, which is one of the things I appreciate most. Some days are filled with creative tasks like product design or meeting clients, and others are about the operational essentials — checking over the accounts or reviewing contracts. I enjoy the challenges of using both creativity and practicality in my day-to-day tasks. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to deliver our programmes all over the world. Just this month, we supported an event in Jordan, and next month my team will travel to Texas to deliver a simulation for a large conference of more than 200 leaders. Being asked back to deliver for returning clients is something I take great pride in — it tells me we’re making an impact. Of course, running a business has its highs and lows. Missing out on opportunities or when a hire doesn’t work out as planned can be tough, and with a family business, it’s not something you can easily switch off from at the end of the day. But that personal investment is also what makes it so rewarding. If I had to pick one thing I’m most proud of, it would be the quality of our technology. My father, brother, and I built our software almost entirely from scratch, and I genuinely believe it’s among the best in our field. We’ve always taken the approach of doing things right rather than rushing them, and our clients really appreciate that attention to detail. Looking back, though, if I could change something I’d probably delegate more. I’ve sometimes tried to take on too much myself, and while that comes from wanting to be hands-on, I’ve learned that time is a precious resource — and there are people out there who can do certain things better than you can. Recently, we completed a major rebrand. It went well beyond a new logo; it was an opportunity to take a step back and articulate what makes us truly different. Every member of the team was involved, and that sense of shared ownership has been brilliant. Now, we’re turning our attention to the future. Like many businesses, we’re both excited and a little cautious about the rise of AI, but we’ve taken the time to research the opportunities and risks of AI extensively, and embraced it mainly as an opportunity. We’re currently working with the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre on a project that could completely change how we deliver our simulations, and it’s an exciting prospect. Although most of our work has traditionally been outside Northern Ireland, that’s beginning to change. Belfast has a rising, vibrant business community, and we’ve started running workshops locally to raise our profile. I’d love to see us doing more work closer to home in the years ahead. There are so many great people in the local business community who are willing to share advice and experience, and I’ve always found that generosity inspiring. My best piece of advice for anyone starting out would be to make the most of that — and to give back when you can. If anyone reading this wants to reach out for a chat, I’d really welcome that. You can connect with me through our website, find me on LinkedIn, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter, the Discovery Learning Journey.
