In today’s highly competitive business environment—where time, money, and resources are in short supply—organizations are implementing more projects to optimize critical activities and processes.
Project teams, tasked with delivering high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results, face challenges like aggressive deadlines, scope creep, communication breakdowns, financial constraints, and more.
It takes skilled project managers and knowledgeable and committed team members to face these challenges and achieve project success.
For every $1 billion invested in the United States, $122 million (12%) was wasted due to lacking project performance
Only 26 percent of all projects succeed
Up to 20% of employee turnover happens in the first 45 days
- Project Management Institute & Gartner
Countdown: A Strategy Game for Project Teams® is a fast-paced, classroom-based simulation designed to improve the knowledge and skills of project team members.
Developed by Paradigm Learning in collaboration with project management experts, Countdown uses a variety of experiential learning techniques to engage and energize learners as they explore the concepts, tools, techniques, and behaviors of effective project management.
“More and more, project teams are an integral part of our company’s ongoing strategy. Development in this area is critical and Countdown had the right combination of fun and education to engage us.”
— Manager of Training, Citrix
“More and more, project teams are an integral part of our company’s ongoing strategy. Development in this area is critical and Countdown had the right combination of fun and education to engage us.”
— Manager of Training, Citrix
Countdown immerses participants in an intense project that lasts seven simulated months.
Small teams of participants move through project milestones, make critical decisions, communicate with stakeholders, and manage trade-offs - all under tight deadlines and with shifting priorities.
Less than an hour into the game, teams work with a Gantt chart, estimate potential delays and costs, evaluate the critical path, assess project risks, and make important decisions as they drive their project to success.
But it's more than an agile project management simulation game: It's a serious, intensely effective learning program.
After experiencing Countdown, participants will know:
“Countdown works because it’s a high energy, get-’em-excited kind of learning. It introduces PMBOK [project management body of knowledge] concepts to a large group of people. Not everyone will know how to do a work breakdown, but you sure know what one is when you’re done with the game.”
— Project Manager, Delta
“Countdown works because it’s a high energy, get-’em-excited kind of learning. It introduces PMBOK [project management body of knowledge] concepts to a large group of people. Not everyone will know how to do a work breakdown, but you sure know what one is when you’re done with the game.”
— Project Manager, Delta
