StarPower Virtual Live (Online) Version: Use & Abuse of Power, Leadership, Diversity

Virtual Live (Online) Version of StarPower!

We've taken the well-established original version of StarPower, which has seen successful years of use, and made a dynamic online version. This adaptation enables participants to delve into power dynamics, experiencing viewpoints from the top, middle, and bottom of a simulated organization or society.

This version is very flexible, it has been used as an online course, a hybrid of face to face and online course and in the classroom as a face to face version.

What is the Virtual Live (Online) version of StarPower?

This is a dynamic Virtual (online) Facilitator Led Training program modeled after our existing face to face simulation game StarPower.

The original face to face version of StarPower has been used successfully for years to have participants experience the dynamics of power, whether it be from the top, middle or bottom of a synthetic organization or a society.

It's commonly used for two different paths: One path is about power, use & abuse or lack of, leadership in a business or organization and how it effects systems and individuals inside the organization (original version for business). The other path is around diversity, inclusion, social justice, ethics, cultural awareness etc. within a society (original version for schools & charities).

This is a game in which a low-mobility, three-tiered society is built through the distribution of wealth in the form of different valued chips. Once established, the group with the most wealth is given the power to make the rules for the game. Almost without exception, they make rules which secure and enhance their position of power.

The groups are called "Squares", "Circles" and "Triangles", in order of relative wealth. The two lower groups generally consider these rules unfair and often label them "dictatorial", "fascist" or "racist". Sometimes there is open revolt against the Squares, other times the Circles and Triangles give up and drop out. When the frustration and conflict reaches a certain level, the Facilitator ends the game. The experience is then analyzed and discussed.

Organizations Use StarPower to Teach:

Schools & Charities Use StarPower to Teach:

StarPower helps participants:

Understand that power must have a legitimate basis to be effective.
See and feel the effect of disempowerment.
Realize that sharing power can increase it while hoarding or abusing power can diminish it.
Understand the effect that systems can have on power.
Be aware of how tempting it is for well-intentioned people to abuse power.
Understand that there are different kinds of power.
Personally experience and discuss the excitement of power and the despair of powerlessness.

As part of management training, StarPower illustrates how power affects performance, motivation and behavior. In diversity training, StarPower provokes discussion surrounding bias and gender, and helps examine how power manifests itself within a diverse organization.

Online Version of StarPower

Purchase Includes:

Detailed Directors Kit with Step by Step Directions to Set up, Run & Discuss This Experience.
One Live Event for Up To 45 Participants.
One Test Event for Facilitators to Practice.
Customizable Decks for Presenting Game Rules and Leading Discussion.
Personal Support From STS Staff.
Game* Available in Multiple Languages.
* Gameplay only, Director's Materials are in English.
And much more.

149.00 Order Here

Coming Soon!

Train the Trainer/Certification

TBA

Detailed Training Session Detailing How to Set Up, Run and Discuss the Online Version of StarPower.
Become Certified to Facilitate StarPower.
Be Included on Roster of Certified Professionals on STS Website.
More Details To Follow.

Free Tour of Online Version of StarPower

Tour Includes:

Learn how we've adapted the original version for use online.
As many participants from your organization as you'd like.
Rules of the simulation.
Facilitator control.
Mechanics of features, including scoring, group memberships, promotions/demotions, etc.
Different options for facilitation.
Approximately one hour held over Zoom.
Answer any questions you have.

Watch The Explainer Video: StarPower Simulation – What It Is, How & Why it Works.

Take a tour of our Use/Abuse of Power - Leadership experiential training program StarPower.

Watch The Video Here.

Discussing StarPower (Excerpts from the Directors Guide):

There are many ideas, beyond those listed below (click +/-), which may emerge in a discussion of the StarPower simulation and it is likely that each facilitator will want to examine the implications of such ideas for the specific topic under consideration. For instance a facilitator concerned with improving relations between two racial groups, between employers and employees, or between men and women, might discuss the parallels between the powerlessness felt in situations created in the simulation.

Generally however, groups need to discuss the simulation in personal terms of "who did what to whom", before going on to the issues involved. This can be an important experience in interpersonal relationships, helping members of the groups to understand their reactions to authority, competitive situations, etc.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column]

To change behavior, it may be necessary to change the system in which that behavior occurs.

StarPower is a situation which is competitive, has only a few winners and is highly unbalanced with regard to the distribution of power. Such a system almost invariably produces aggressive, authoritarian behavior. It would be possible to take a group of aggressive StarPower players and put them in a social system that rewards openness, honesty, warmth and tenderness and have them act entirely different; not because they are any better or worse as individuals but because they are operating in a different social system.

Consequently, many of our efforts to improve relations between races, different factions of the community, and improve morale in businesses are doomed to failure if we also don't try to change the social system in which they operate.

Each of us may be more vulnerable to the temptation to abuse power than we realize?

Before the simulation, most players would agree with the statement of Lord Acton who said, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely". But after the simulation, they assert their belief with a new respect for its validity. At least the Circles and Triangles do. The Squares sometimes have a hard time admitting that they abused their power or that they enjoyed exercising it. The Circles and Triangles are generally quick to point out instances where the Squares did not treat them fairly such as arbitrarily rejecting proposals by the Circles and Triangles, claiming special privileges, restricting the right of the Circles and Triangles and so on. Also, such non-verbal behavior as pulling their chairs close together, laughing devilishly and being unusually animated as they made their rules, would seem to suggest that perhaps they enjoyed it. And that, of course is the point. The reason power is corrupting is that it is intensely satisfying, makes one feel supremely important and creates an insatiable desire for more power. Few people can resist its influence. If this is so, then the clear implication is that we must not only try to avoid abusing power ourselves, but also guard against its abuse in politics, business, schools, families and in on-to-one relationships with others.

The idea that power corrupts as well as the other ideas which are listed below are often known by the participants before they participate in the simulation. Yet, when participants of all ages and sophistication are asked to place a value on what they learned from participating in StarPower, they consistently report that it was "very important" to them. In looking into this seeming contradiction of participants placing value on learning concepts which they already knew, it seems that the playing of StarPower has given new strength and validity to old but important ideas. It is one thing to know that power corrupts everyone, it is quite another to realize that power might also corrupt Ted or Mary or even oneself. This realization can often help the participants look at these ideas with a new perspective - an ideal time to re-evaluate them, to determine if there is still truth and meaning in them, to apply them to one's own discipline or situation or simply re-affirm their importance.

Few people are likely to participate in an endeavor if they feel powerless.

When the Circles and Triangles realize that the Squares are not going to be fair with them, they generally drop out psychologically or, physically, try to sabotage the efforts of the Squares, or seize the power for themselves.

This is not a new or surprising idea, but experiencing it directly can often help people see the behavior of those who are reacting to powerlessness, real or imagined, with a new tolerance and understanding.

If rules do not have legitimacy, they will not be obeyed.

When the Squares are given the power to make rules they are told they can make any rules they want but they must also enforce any rules they make. They rarely pay much attention to the enforcement part of the statement until the Circles and Triangles decide to disobey them. Then the often appeal to the director to make the Circles and Triangles obey them, and they have to be reminded that it is their duty to enforce the rules. They generally respond by piling on more rules which also are not obeyed.

This raises several interesting questions. Under what conditions is it possible to make unfair rules and have people obey them? Is it worth the price? Are people justified in disobeying unjust rules? Always?

What seems fair to those in power, is not likely to seem fair to those who are out of power.

Even when the Squares willingly admit that their rules are not fair, they often cannot understand why the Triangles and Circles are so upset. If a measure of perceived fairness were available, there is little question that there would be a great disparity between the Squares and the Circles/Triangles' perception of what is fair. It is this discrepancy which often creates serious communication gaps between administrators and teachers, management and labor, the legislators and the people, the rich and the not-so-rich.

Persons who are promoted rarely remember those they leave behind

When a Circle or Triangle is promoted to the Square group, he or she almost always participates in the rule making which discriminates against the Circles and Triangles.

Even when they do protest during the rule making, they will often use the rules to their own advantage and to the disadvantage of the Circles and Triangles. There is a question, or course, whether they would identify so closely with the Squares, if they continued to wear their Circle or Triangle badges after being promoted or if they had been sent to the Square group with the express purpose of representing the Circle and Triangles.

What's Included:

When you purchase the Virtual Live version of StarPower you receive everything you need to run one session for up to 45 participants. The time for one event is usually 2 hours, but it depends on your goals and how much you discuss the experience.

This includes:

One "Live" event for up to 45 participants.
One "Practice" event, in which the Facilitator can explore the system, test with support staff and prepare for the real event.
Access for one or two Facilitators.
A detailed Director's Guide which include step by step instructions on how to set up, run and discuss the simulation. This includes annotated tips and suggestions cultivated from years of experience running the program.
Customizable discussion questions designed to be adapted by the Facilitator to best fit your training objectives.
A customizable deck which takes the participants through the rules of the game, including how to use the trading and scoring system. The Facilitator simply plays this deck and it takes the participants step by step through the game.
Support materials which are sent to the participants before the event.
A detailed deck specifically for the Facilitator to learn about all of the features of the scoring and trading system.
Personal support from the Simulation Training Systems staff. We're glad to answer any questions via phone or Zoom.
The "Game" portion will be available in multiple languages including English, Arabic, Portuguese. We will be adding more languages as time goes on. All Director's materials and decks are only available in English. So the Facilitator will need to understand English to learn about the game.

Schedule a Tour

We're scheduling tours of our new online version of StarPower! Sign up today.

Adaptation

The virtual live version of StarPower is a stand-alone web based program. All trading, scorekeeping, and assigning of groups is done within our custom system. All Facilitator led discussion is performed inside a Video Communication System (VCS) such as Zoom, etc.

What Happens in Virtual Live StarPower

StarPower is designed to have participants take responsibility for their actions. There is no role playing, people are playing as they would given the situation before them.

Participants earn their place in a simulated society or organization through the decisions they make through trading and negotiating.

The “System” is set up to have the rich get richer, and in the end the rich make the rules. Inevitably, they make rules which keep them in power and enrich themselves.

The experience puts participants under pressure, but in a safe environment.

Schedule a Tour.

We're scheduling open tours of how the new system works, what it does, and how to start using this program.

For those who go through the tour are given the opportunity to test the simulation for free (limitations apply).

Please contact us at Sales@SimulationTrainingSystems.com or call us at 858 450-3400 to schedule a tour.

We look forward to hearing from you.

We will be focusing on how we've converted the experience into the virtual space with respect to facilitator control, trading, scoring, group membership, promotions/demotions and interaction integration with Zoom (or any online video conferencing system). The tour will give you a great feeling for how it works and what is needed to facilitate.

The tour will be about approximately one hour and held over Zoom.

How Does the New Online Version Work?

The virtual live version of StarPower is a Facilitator led, stand-alone, web based program. All trading, scorekeeping, and assigning of groups is done within our custom system. All Facilitator led discussion is performed inside a Video Communication System (VCS) such as Zoom, etc.
Facilitators and Players need to be on a computer and connected to the internet.
Up to 45 participants per event.

We've been working diligently for months in response to an overwhelming number of requests to create a virtual live (online) version of our experiential program StarPower (Use & Abuse of Power/Social Justice, Leadership).

We are very excited about the new beta version and are confident this will be fantastic virtual live program for interested parties.
Our main goal is to create an online platform for participants to have the same experiences as they would with our original version of StarPower, we feel confident we are succeeding.

Our design uses a combination of an easy to use customized web based trading and scoring platform built specifically for this simulation and Zoom (or any Video Conferencing System).

Please contact us at (858) 450-3400 or email (Mitch@SimulationTrainingSystems.com) if you are interested in learning more or participating in a tour of the program.

Thank you for your interest.

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