One of the early lessons I learned about policy work is that battles are fought in theory first. Policy experts have to piece together historical data, look for patterns, imagine what could happen in the future, and develop recommendations to solve real-world problems. The policy work I do at CPEX – planning for initiatives and platforms that power up Louisiana with access to clean energy resources – requires a high level of tenacity. I have to constantly update and revise my knowledge base as new research and technology emerges in the field. At the same time, great policy is only created through people power, so thought revision occurs while engaging with various community leaders and stakeholders who have diverse perspectives and interests.
As a policy expert on clean energy resources such as wind and solar, I’m more comfortable thinking through complexity and sharing my ideas via the written word. However, my work at CPEX requires me to present at meetings, conferences, and various other forums. That would be fine – if I did not have a lifelong fear of public speaking. Every time I’m in front of an audience, I feel overwhelmed with shaky nerves and even shakier knees.
Surprising as it may be, I’m better prepared to do policy work and speak in public because of video games.
In a video game, the levels a player can reach are based upon experience. There are different quests and side missions to learn more about that world and its characters. Video games are immersive models for learning how to craft a narrative. As a gamer, I can visualize the pathway of a story, deploy a strategy, and adapt gameplay to figure out the best way to move the story forward. This adaptability to shift a narrative and modify strategy is critical to operating effectively as a policy expert in burgeoning fields such as offshore wind. I am able to describe new and evolving concepts to interested parties by keeping the larger narrative in mind. Also, as a gamer, I know how essential cooperative play and team-building are in advancing any policy that can help our state prosper.
However, in many games, a player does confront a “boss,” which is an opponent character who is stronger and more skilled than the game player. A player can’t reach a new level until they win a “boss battle.” Boss battles are encounters that test your abilities in a challenging way. A boss is a worthy adversary, and to defeat the boss, a player has to educate oneself on the mechanics of the fight. It may take many attempts, so a player should be prepared to replay a fight over and over again to learn all aspects of the encounter before the boss meets their demise. This idea of educating oneself and running an idea through many scenarios is something I am deeply familiar with as a policymaker. In both policy and planning, stakeholders need to consider all potential and cumulative impacts of a proposed solution to an issue. Just like a game player, a policymaker will study and reflect on past encounters and research and engage with other experts to consider new approaches to future issues. The only way to level up is to develop a skill set with new knowledge, understanding, and experience to deliver on and implement policy pathways that will support your community.
To continue with the video game analogy, every great character has an origin story and an arc toward victory. My fear of public speaking may have originated from the fact I didn’t speak until I was about three and a half years old. I had a speech impediment that required therapy until I was a teenager. Whenever I was in a situation where I had to speak, the words came out in a jumbled mess. It hindered others from seeing my potential. Just like I’ve done as a video game player, I pushed myself into situations to learn new skills. I did community theater, church scripture reading, and summer camp counseling. As I have developed this skill set, I added new missions for myself such as public speaking competitions through extracurriculars, and even becoming a panelist at a summit or conference. I still have my own boss battles when I’m in front of an audience, but I level up every time. Before long, I might be ready to give a PechaKucha presentation at our next Smart Growth Summit.
Video games can teach valuable skills that can be applied in real life. If you’d like to explore in a virtual environment the kinds of planning and policy work that CPEX does, here are four video games to challenge your creativity and cultivate your perception of urban planning and policy concepts.
Cities: Skylines is a fantastic city building game. Imagine if you could design your dream city, and up to a million residents could successfully inhabit it! A player can design a detailed city from the ground up. Your city design can include traffic systems, road placement, taxation, public services, and even district policies and zoning.
Democracy 3 allows you to become the president of your own country. You introduce policies, adjust government funding and taxation, and win the support of various voters. Each policy you introduce impacts your voter base and affects factors like crime or air quality, and during every turn, situations and dilemmas arise that require you to act on behalf of your country, for better or worse.
SimCity remains a classic in city planning. It introduces mechanics like regional play and shared resources, allowing players to plan not just a city, but an interconnected region.
In Banished, players build and sustain a small, isolated community. The game emphasizes resource management, survival, and long-term planning, offering a unique challenge to city planners who enjoy managing scarce resources.
Just as video games have taught me the importance of perseverance, strategy, and leveling up, they’ve also provided a unique lens through which I view my professional and personal development as a policy maker and public speaker. With each new challenge, I have an opportunity to learn and grow. Whether it's designing a city in Cities: Skylines or crafting policies that shape real communities, the principles of strategic thinking and resilience remain the same. As I push forward in my career at CPEX, I am not just battling fears—I'm building a narrative of progress, one quest at a time.