New App Provides Business-Building Skills Through Climbing Mount Everest Experience

    VOERENDAAL, NETHERLANDS, December 17, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A unique new app provides project managers and team leaders the skills that they need through a game that takes them to the pinnacle of Mount Everest.

The app, developed by father and son team Peter and Jeroen Storm, is the first of its kind that can be deployed on iPad. Called "Climbing Everest: Team Skills for Managers," it is a fun and easy way to improve planning and team skills.

The game is set on the treacherous slopes of Mount Everest. Participants are set the task of managing a team of climbers in their quest to reach the summit. As they scale the heights vital decisions have to be made: which climbers move to which camp; how much load do they carry; how fast can they go without getting exhausted? The participant has to be able to adapt his strategy and overcome many challenges en route to the top.

The game effectively teaches three essential management skills:

1. Team Coordination. How do you divide tasks among team members to get the best result?
2. Project Planning. Finding the balance between moving quickly, which increases the risk of accidents or sickness, and taking too long which increases the risk of missing deadlines.
3. Risk Management. Determine your external threats, their consequences for your success and how to recover from setbacks.

The tips and lessons learned from the game are immediately applicable to real-life business projects. The game can be used for both personal development and team development. Professional teams play "Climbing Everest" in a multi-player setup which functions as an "ice-breaker" during the startup phase of a project.

"Climbing Everest" is the brainchild of father and son partnership, Peter and Jeroen Storm. For two decades Peter was a professor of management at the Open University in the Netherlands and for many years has played pencil and paper games with professionals of one kind or another. He recently created PMLab for project managers. Jeroen is a UX designer at The Centre for Learning Sciences and Technologies which is part of the Open University of the Netherlands. He designs high-end web-based and mobile applications for distance learning and in 2009 founded Stormadvies, a design consultancy which specializes in user experience, interactive design and internet strategy.

Says Peter Storm, "We see apps as a cost effective way to motivate employees and keep training costs down. 'Climbing Everest' is a fun and easy game to play which definitely improves the learning process."

"Climbing Everest" is the first app produced by the Everest Manager team. It can be customized for specific company needs. As many as an additional 10 apps are planned that focus on different skills for project managers and other business professionals.

"Climbing Everest: Team Skills for Managers" is available for $2.99 at the AppStore.

For more information please visit: www.everestmanager.com or contact Jeroen

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