What will it be like to collaborate, learn, and perform in the next decade?

Here is a preview:

·         A Fortune 500 turbine manufacturer has brought together an international team to develop new strategies for global supply chain management.  The team’s deliberations are facilitated by two world-class consultants.  Several strategies are tested using complex, real-world models.  All but one strategy are shown to be seriously flawed.  The following year, a major competitor suffers serious losses by adopting one of the flawed strategies.

·         A global professional services firm knows that successful world-wide implementations require deep cross-cultural skills and sensitivity.  It regularly conducts learning events with its multi-national staff, and often involves its client staff as well.  It enjoys a reputation as a leader in successful global implementations.

·         A leading firm in the business of executive learning is extending its programs to reach growing markets in India and China.  These programs successfully blend Western and Eastern faculty in the classroom.  This organization has extended its North American dominance to a position of global dominance.

The common element across all three scenarios:  no participant will have met face-to-face.  And yet, these organizations will all bring people together, they will leverage world-class talent, and they will provide a safe place to experiment and learn.

What makes this possible is the rapidly developing field of 3-D virtual reality, coupled with advanced models for simulating real-world business dynamics.  Who are some early players?  In addition to the well-known Second Life by Linden Labs, Forterra Systems is advancing the science of creating highly accurate terrains (and subterrains).  And WTRI is blending the science of cognitive development with highly intelligence business simulation engines.  IBM is one of the early adopters of this technology, both on behalf of clients and on behalf of its own global work force learning objectives.

Managing talent, tapping the world-wide “wisdom market”, and solving tomorrow’s most important and complex business problems – all in a virtual day’s work.