Putting Games to Work
Can games really change the world for the better? A few weeks ago, I finished the book Reality Is Broken by Jane McGonigal, PhD, a world-renowned designer of alternate reality games. In the book, McGonigal argues that gaming can lead the way to solving real-life problems.
There are some interesting takeaways for managers and employers of all kinds. For example, badges, or “leveling up,” could offer employees new forms of recognition and achievement that can engage them at work and encourage them to grow.
Already we’re seeing companies use games as a form of marketing. One example is Dodge’s hide-and-seek campaign for the Journey. The car company hid three of these vehicles around the country; find one and it’s yours.
But who has effectively used a game to solve a problem, as McGonigal describes, and not just as a marketing gimmick? Well, these guys have … Online Gamers Crack AIDS Enzyme Puzzle.
The games McGonigal explores in her book encourage collaboration, give people challenges that test their skills and provide recognition for reaching the next level of achievement. But, applying game theory doesn’t mean employees will trade in their drills for joysticks.
As a communicator, I see games as a useful metaphor, a new interface with work, a new context and fresh language for the work experience. In this sense, gaming seems to be an effective way to communicate the personal value of work to the individual. I mean, wouldn’t it be more interesting to “beat a high score” than “reach a quota”? Would you rather be a “Level 5 Project Management Guru” or a “PMO Coordinator”? The idea is to apply to work the elements of gaming that are shown to engage players for hours on end in tasks that, when you get down to it, are needlessly difficult and have no material benefit other than a feeling of total immersion.
Could re-imagining work as a game at your company help you untap your employees’ full potential? If carefully designed, the answer seems to be yes. If gamers did in three weeks what scientists had been unable to do for years, it might be worth popping in a quarter and giving it a try.