Business Acumen Training for Managers, Sales Professionals and Employees
Zodiak®: The Game of Business Finance and Strategy
A Powerful One-Day Learning Experience
Zodiak is a one-day, high energy classroom learning experience that is fun, fast and effective. The use of unique discovery learning techniques, including game boards, simulations, stories, audio clips and small team exercises, keeps interest high and learners engaged. The program can be used to build the financial literacy and business acumen of executives, managers, team leaders, employees, sales professionals, human resource professionals and more. Conducted by an experienced Paradigm Learning facilitator or a company’s own trained and certified facilitators, Zodiak is divided into two parts:
First, the Zodiak simulation
As new owners of the struggling Zodiak company, learners sign for a bank loan, attract investors, purchase equipment and materials, and deliver products and services. As they do, terms like revenue, cash flow, return on equity, working capital, cost of goods sold, and assets come vividly to life.
In just four hours, as they handle chance events, move game pieces, answer to investors and make tough business decisions, something remarkable happens. Learners embrace new insights. Not just about how the numbers work, but about the consequences of business decisions and actions on financial success. That’s true business acumen.
By the conclusion of the simulation, you’ll be amazed that they can:
- Construct and interpret Income Statements and Balance sheets
- Explain the relationship and critical differences between Cash and Profit
- Understand key financial measures and ratios, including Return on Assets, Gross Profit Margin, EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) and Return on Sales
- Articulate how strategies involving inventory, accounts receivable, investments, staffing, cash flow, pricing and more impact financial success
Next, “Connections” to their own organization
The Zodiak simulation is powerful, but what follows – a two-to-three-hour session known as Connections – makes the learning come to life. Learners use knowledge and insights from the simulation to look closely at their own companies. They explore strategies, processes, financial concepts, terminology, profit drivers, cash flow, the competition and more. It’s here that learners also connect to their own behaviors – the day-to-day decisions and actions that impact the bottom line.
By the end of the Connections session, your learners will be able to:
- Explain your company’s key financial terms, ratios and financial drivers
- Describe how the company’s strategies and goals are impacting the bottom line
- Understand where their departments – and their jobs – fit into the financial and strategic picture of success
- Follow through on plans for on-the-job application of their new knowledge and insights
Custom-Tailored for a Perfect Zodiak Fit
Paradigm Learning helps clients take full advantage of the Connections experience. For many, Connections exercises are customized so that the fun and learning extends even further into the learners’ own world, guiding participants to apply that they’ve learned to real job situations.
Learn more about your Six Zodiak Program Options
- Zodiak: All Industries – This business acumen program works in any industry and can be used to develop your leaders and managers or key employees.
- Zodiak: Service Organizations - This business acumen program works in a variety of service organizations and can be used to develop your leaders and managers or key employees.
- Zodiak: Sales Professionals - This business acumen program will work in any industry and can be used to develop sales representatives, sales managers and marketing and/or sales support personnel.
- Zodiak: EVA® Organizations – This business acumen program will work in any organization using the EVA® measure and can be used to develop managers or employees at all levels.
- Zodiak: Government - This business acumen program was designed for managers and employees in agencies using a working-capital or revolving fund. It is customizable for federal, state or local applications and can be used with managers, leaders and employees.
- Zodiak: HR Professionals - This business acumen program can be used in any industry to develop the business acumen of managers, specialists, team leaders or employees within any HR function.
