“Game of Life” Educates Employees About Health Disparities
Ryan Miller
| 3 min read
One of the trickiest and most emotional aspects of life is just how unpredictable it can be – especially when it comes to personal health. The twists and turns can feel insurmountable. To help employees better respond to those going through a personal health crisis or other situation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan encourages employees to attend a “Game of Life” simulation experience. The training is based on the Game of Life board game and is a resource that has helped the organization better empathize and understand the issues customers face on a daily basis. By placing employees in unique situations through the simulation, they must come up with solutions that do not necessarily have clean-cut resolutions. The trainings are hosted by Bright Blue, an employee resource network at BCBSM focused on providing awareness to employees about individuals who are differently abled and chronically ill. Bright Blue has helped sponsor an expansive version across the company to educate and inform employees about how health and health care can truly make a difference within a person’s life. Employees are assigned a persona who faces challenging health and personal obstacles. The variety of personas and experiences vary between each personal case within the game. However, despite which case and experience each individual may receive, the goal is to help employees understand one important key message: Unpredictable experiences, whether based on personal health or economics, can change everything about your life. The most important factor to succeed in the Game of Life? Not coming into the game with any preconceived notions. The less participants know before going into the game, the better. The element of surprise truly impacts how the game works and really makes each individual experience unique. No two games are ever the same. “It’s important to approach it with fresh ideas,” said LaTrisha Lake, senior project consultant, RIDGG Marketplace Operations, who serves as co-chair of the Bright Blue group. “Every group that comes in leaves with something different. This experience helps our participants learn how to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.” BCBSM has a steadfast commitment to increasing awareness of different cultures and communities through diversity training and learning sessions. These programs are essential to help the workforce better support members. A variety of networks also help promote diversity, offer fresh perspectives for our business and create new professional development opportunities. Examples of the networks BCBSM have include an Equally Blue Network for members of the LBGTQ+ community and its allies, as well as a Veterans Network and POWER, designed to help women succeed in their careers. To learn more about networks at Blue Cross, click here to see the full list. If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
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