Soft skills are cutting edge, and your training should be, too. Do you wish your learners had a scalable and safe way to learn by doing? Imagine the possibilities if your learners could practice high-stakes interpersonal skill and incorporate their learning into day-to-day work. From difficult conversations to coaching, feedback, and negotiation, the applications are endless. With immersive VR, it’s now possible to deliver such training at scale. Powered by a blend of AI and live human interaction, mixed reality VR has become the ideal way to gain essential skills in the workplace. It combines true human intelligence with the consistency, customizability, and scalability of AI, unlocking empathic potential in your workforce and ensuring readiness to perform. Together we will explore: How immersive simulations engage auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning How organizations are leveraging VR in areas like leadership development, customer service, and sales enablement How organizations are elevating the conversation around soft skills through immersive VR

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Frequently Asked Questions

6. Leadership, Sales,
Service… High
Stakes Interpersonal
Skills Practice
Through Immersive
VR
BRENTT BROWN AND CHRISTINA YU

9. Humans
Not Scalable
Empathic
Intelligent
Expensive
Technology
Scalable
Not Empathic
Not Intelligent
Cheap at Scale
Role play
Simulation
Branching
game
Coaching Adaptive
learning
Micro
learning
Role play is just
one of many ways
to prepare for
difficult
conversations

10. 58%
of hiring managers say the
lack of soft skills among job
candidates is limiting their
company’s productivity
(LinkedIn)
$81bn
estimated annual economic
cost of the soft skills gap in
the US by 2025
(“The economic cost of unfilled jobs in
the U.S.” November 2014)
The soft
skills gap is
urgent
• Collaboration
• Emotional Intelligence
%Agreeingskillisveryimportant
% Agreeing skill is difficult to find
• Digital Skills
• STEM Skills
20 60 90
203090
• Risk Management
Soft skills are in demand—but hard to find
(20th CEO Survey by PWC)
• Problem Solving
• Leadership
• Creativity and
Innovation
• Adaptability

11. Only 33% of U.S. Employees are “engaged at
work” compared to 70% of employees at the world’s
best organizations. Only 13% of employees strongly
agree the leadership of their organization
communicates effectively.
66% of 18-34 year olds strongly feel they need
opportunities to improve interpersonal skills
Only 11% of executives strongly feel that their
leadership development programs achieve desired
results
Two thirds of all jobs in 2030 will be “soft-
skills intensive”.
52% of L&D leaders say “Leadership Development/
People Management” are the most important skills to train

12. 7
Meaningful
conversation
is the essence of
interpersonal skill
“Having deeper and
more extensive
interactions with
employees is not
just a common
leader preference
but also a core
value for more
successful
companies.”
-Evan Sinar,
“The Hard Science
of Soft Skills”
Image used under license from shutterstock.Com
“
Sinar, evan. “The hard science behind soft skills.” Chief learning officer - CLO media, 25 apr. 2016,
www.Clomedia.Com/2016/04/25/the-hard-science-behind-soft-skills/.

13. What’s in a conversation?
Much more than we
realize...
Nonverbal
[presence, posture,
gestures, facial
expressions]
Listening [focus,
inviting response,
signal
understanding]
Speaking [alignment
of thoughts/body
language/words,
paraphrasing what is
heard, clarifying
assumptions]
Cadence [silence,
pauses, rhythm,
dynamics]

14. Can the art of
listening and
speaking be
taught?
IMAGES FROM:
CNBC.com
www.thefamouspeople.com
www.npr.org

15. Humans
Not Scalable
Empathic
Intelligent
Expensive
Technology
Scalable
Not Empathic
Not Intelligent
Cheap at Scale
Role play
Simulation
Branching
game
Coaching Adaptive
learning
Micro
learning
Spectrum of
human to AI
provides range of
training options
“Training soft skills
should be viewed as a
sport. It takes a
combination of positive
modeling, repeated skill
practice, on the job
application.”
-Richard Wellins and
Evan Sinar, “The Hard
Science of Soft Skills”

16. LEARNERS
• Artificial
Intelligence allows
subject matter
experts to control
single or multiple
avatars
• Machine learning
used to predict and
classify learner’s
simulation
performance
• Learners can
personalize the
learning challenge
in real time
SIMSpecialist
REAL-TIME AUDIO AND
VIDEO FROM SIM
AVATARS
Artificial Intelligence
Learners
Experiencing the
VR Simulation
Blended human
& AI approach

17. Sight Sound SmellTasteTouch
The real world
The virtual world
Brain
Sensory affordance
* [4] slater, M. (2009). Place illusion and
plausibility can lead to realistic behavior in
immersive virtual environments. Philosophical
transactions of the royal society B: biological
sciences, 364(1535), 3549-3557.
Plausibility and
Place illusion
create an
environment
where
participants
can respond as
they would in
real life

18. Hyperreal avatars make it possible to mimic authentic facial expressions

19. Situational authenticity requires avatars to be placed in realistic
environments

20. 2
0
Hyper-real
simulation
achieves safety
and danger at
once
IMAGE USED UNDER LICENSE FROM
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

21. Use simulations
to stress test for
high stakes
situations at
work, requiring
authenticity and
presence
IMAGE USED UNDER LICENSE FROM
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

22. “Simulations can create
lifelike virtual scenarios that
replicate the realities of the
job in a safe situation... The
brain and body get a very
“real” experience of practice
that actually activates the
same neural pathway
required to turn a routine into
a habit.”
-Dr. Britt Andreatta, author of
Wired to Grow

23. 23
Immersive training
simultaneously
engages emotional
and cognitive
processes
Targeted scenarios
focus on specific
objectives, isolate
critical challenges
Iterative practice
solidifies skill
through spaced
repetition
Immediate feedback
allows learner to
adjust effort and
performance based
on results
Why simulation works for
developing interpersonal
skill

24. AGILE DESIGN
sims take a few
hours to design
and can easily
be modified for
course
correction.
SCALABLE
Mursion can
serve 5,000+
learners per
week at a
fraction of the
cost/time of
traditional role
playing.
VERSATILE
applicable for
leadership,
sales,
customer
service,
compliance
and D&I.
Why simulation
works for
organizations
looking to
unlock
workforce
potential

25. Designed for private
practice, self
reflection, and spaced
learning. Learners
individually experience
unique scenarios
focused on one or two
discrete competencies
with live feedback.
Geared for peer-to-
peer learning,
learners are grouped
together in teams of
3-5, each experiencing
at least one scenario
directly with the
avatar(s).
Optimal for partners
who prefer to
insource simulation
design and delivery.
Partner designs,
schedules and
delivers simulation
sessions.
Flexible learning
models, each with
opportunities for
reflection and
coaching
INDIVIDUAL
SIMULATION
SESSIONS
VIRTUAL
GROUP
WORKSHOPS
LICENSE TO
DELIVER
SIMULATIONS

26. Leadership Sales Diversity & Inclusion
Education Healthcare Defense

27. Leadership content examples

28. “He says we don’t see
‘eye to eye.’ What’s that
supposed to mean?”
“He’ll wait all day to assign
something at 5 PM, then expects
it done in the morning…”
“Haven’t gotten a
raise in 5 years!”
“She never has time for
me. I have no idea how
I’m doing!”
“She hovers,
waiting for me to
make a mistake.”
“She expects me to check in with
her every half hour.”
“I can’t figure out
what he wants.”
Leaders
account for
70% of the
variance in
employee
engagement
Harter, jim. “Managers account for 70% of variance in
employee engagement.” Gallup.Com, 21 apr. 2015,
news.Gallup.Com/businessjournal/182792/managers-
account-variance-employee-engagement.Aspx.

29. ● 13% of employees strongly agree the
leadership of their organization
communicates effectively.
● 21% of employees strongly agree that their
performance is managed in a way that
motivates them to do outstanding work.
● 30% of employees feel that their manager
involves them in setting their goals.
● 23% of employees feel that their manager
provides meaningful feedback to them.
Employee engagement in the US
comes down to leaders according to
Gallup

30. Immediate
costs of
disengaged
employees -
$450B - $550B
a year in US
Turnover Productivity
Customer
service
ratings
SAFETY
Product
quality
(defects)
Safety
Image used under license from shutterstock.Com
Sorenson, susan. “How employee engagement drives
growth.” Gallup.Com, 20 june 2013, www.Gallup.Com/
workplace/236927/employee-engagement-drives-
growth.Aspx.

31. LEADERSHIP
SCENARIO:
PROMOTING
WORKPLACE
SAFETY
CULTURE

32. Negotiations influence model
“The Mursion simulation is a highlight of our workshop on influencing
skills. Our employees find the interaction challenging and fun. The
fact that the participants can’t slip out of the role play makes the
interaction more realistic and reinforces the learning. Mursion’s
product is a great tool for L&D organizations to have when faced
with the challenge of teaching behavioral competencies.”
Karen Herbert-Maccaro
VP & Chief Learning Officer
Case studies:
Leadership
development

33. 33
Medical
Education
Teaching
Hospitality Military
Beyond Leadership
Sales Enablement Customer Service
Safety Compliance Workforce
Development

34. VR
FOR SALES
TRAINING

35. From basic to C-Level training
“We entered into the Mursion project planning to just use it
for our basic sales skills training. We quickly found that other
areas were interested in the simulation for more advanced
sales skills, specifically the sales of new high-end services.
Overall, we are excited to be working with Mursion – our
sales skills are our core competence and this is a way that
we can take them to a new level.”
Rachel Hutchinson
Head of Global Portfolio and Community Management
Case studies:
Sales
enablement

36. FOSTERING
EMPATHY
AND INCLUSIVE
THINKING

37. SERVICE
SCENARIO:
DEALING
WITH
DIFFICULT
CUSTOMERS

38. Problem resolution scores
increase 5 percent with just
one hour of Mursion per hotel
“Results from the program are staggering. Hotels that received
the [Mursion] training experienced the highest short-term gains in
customer satisfaction that Best Western has ever measured.”
Bruce Weinberg
VP of Operations
Case studies:
Customer
service

39. “Prejudice in the present day looks
very different than it did in the ‘70s
and ‘80s. It’s often rooted in coded
language and actions, which makes it
easy as a bystander to just shrug
your shoulders and move along. It
takes a lot of social tact to know
when and how to say the right thing.
Mursion offers a safe place to
practice these skills.”
- Jason Chen

40. “Practicing intervening when subtle forms of
exclusion (microaggressions) occur can go a
long way to create a culturally inclusive
organization, business, or campus. We are much
more likely to step in/step up when we have
gained the confidence and experience to do so.
After receiving training on how to minimize
implicit bias and micro-aggressions, mursion’s
simulations provide the opportunity to practice
what you’ve learned. It feels like you are there,
and your newly acquired skills are called for.
Practicing in this way helps to build your
confidence so that in your workspace, you are
ready when (not if) your skills are required.”
-Dena Samuels

41. 4
1
Research Base
1. AN INDISPENSABLE
TRAINING TOOL
Studies show that simulations are
more effective than other
instructional methods, because
they simultaneously engage
trainees’ emotional and cognitive
processes.
TENNYSON, R. D., & JOREZAK, R. L. (2008)

42. 4
2
2. SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF
When the visual appearance, voice,
and gestures of a virtual avatar are
properly integrated, trainees
experience a sense of “presence” in
the virtual world or what some might
call “the suspension of disbelief,”
wherein the human brain thinks of
the virtual avatar as another human.
Slater, M., Khanna P., Mortensen, J., & Yu, I. (2009).
Slater, M., Spanlang B., Sanchez-vives M., & Blanke O. (2010)
Research Base

43. 4
3
Research Base
3. BLENDING ARTIFICIAL AND
HUMAN INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence is simply not
sufficiently mature as a technology
to mimic human nuances, voice,
vocabulary, and gestures. Human-
operated simulations using virtual
avatars are far more powerful than
computer-generated simulations.
Fox, J., Ahn, S. J. G., Janssen, J. H., Yeykelis, L.,
Segovia, K. Y., & Bailenson, J. N. (2015)

44. Measuring
Change:
Kirkpatrick
Model

45. Measures of Success
• Perception surveys from learners
• Quantitative items (Likert Scales)
• Qualitative items (open-ended
questions)
• Metacognitive reflection
Reaction
Measure your learners’ initial
reaction to gain an understanding
of the training program and
valuable insights into material
quality, educator, and more.
Image used under license from shutterstock.Com

46. Measures of Success
• Intelligent human assessment
(subjective components)
• Basic performance metrics from
data-rich simulation environment
(turn taking, articulation rate,
listening, rapport building)
• Derived metrics (emotional prosody,
influence)
• Complex constructs such as
engagement and empathy (derived
and contextually varied)
Learning
Measure how much information was
effectively absorbed during the
training and map it to the program
or individual learning objectives.
Image used under license from shutterstock.Com

47. Intelligent
Analytics
• Turn taking
• Articulation rate, fluency
• Emotional prosody
• Influence
• Listening
• Rapport building
• Engagement and
empathy
• Affect
• Discretely measurable
objectives

48. COMPOSITE VIDEO FOR LEARNER
REVIEW AFTER SIMULATION
VR
SIMULATION
FOR REVIEW
PLAYBACK
CONTROLS
LEARNER
RATING
REAL-TIME
RATING (BY
SIMULATION
SPECIALIST)
LEARNER
VIDEO
JUMP TO SECTIONS OF PERFORMANCE VIDEO
FOR REVIEW
Comprehensive
performance
review and
reflection
combines human
and AI driven
assessment
LAG
SEQUENTIAL
ANALYSIS

49. Measures of
Success
• Observational data can be
collected during and immediately
after simulations
• 360 reviews of learners
(supervisor, peer, direct reports)
for evidence of behavior change
• Learner reflection data
Behavior
Measure how much your training has
influenced the behavior of the
learners and evaluate how they apply
this information on the job.
Image used under license from shutterstock.Com

50. Measures of Success
• Identity data sources that yield either
proximal or distal data (e.g. retention
rates)
• Correlations between training and
business impact (brand, customer
service ratings, turnover, productivity,
product quality, engagement scores)
Results
Measure and analyze the impact
your training has had at the
business level, and be sure to tie it
to the individual or program.
Image used under license from shutterstock.Com

51. What the data on soft
skills training says
• Soft skills can be trained. Leaders who undergo
behavior based soft skill training report a 49
percent increase in soft skills post training.
• Soft skills training pays off. Organizations
demonstrate an average return on investment of
$4,000 for every $1,100 spent developing soft
skills.
Empathy is the
linchpin
According to a DDI database, empathy was
the foundational skill, with the largest positive
correlation (with leadership).
Image used under license from shutterstock.Com
Sinar, evan. “The hard science behind soft skills.” Chief learning officer - CLO media, 25
apr. 2016, www.Clomedia.Com/2016/04/25/the-hard-science-behind-soft-skills/.

53. Questions?
Visit Mursion.com
to schedule a
custom demo

55. #CLOwebinar
Register for the next webinar!
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DEVELOPMENT COACH?
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