Gamification @ Work
I've got gamification on my mind right now. I am currently in a manufacturing environment at work, where games are often something that most people don't think they have time for. I disagree! There is always room for a bit of fun!
First of all, what is gamification? Gamification is the application of game elements or mechanics to a real-life situation to encourage results (Webster's def, Wikipedia's def). The biggest takeaway from that definition is that you are trying to make something happen. If you are just making a game out of something that happens anyway, why have a scoreboard?
Gamification is all over the place, so it's easy to find examples from which you can lift your own ideas. Here are a few you may have tried/seen/copied:
My own current experiment with gamification at work is going well. At the beginning of March, I started a game in my teams to help improve participation in Safety, Employee Recognition, and Improvements. It's up on a whiteboard in my area, and each time a team member does one of those 3 things, they get an achievement badge up next to their name. Here's the board:
That picture was taken a few weeks ago, right at the beginning of April. I was expecting that the space allotted for each person would last about 3 months. I was wrong! As you can see, a couple of people were about full after just a few weeks. That's a good problem to have! This game boosted employee recognition by 70% and got people to participate in improvements/cost savings that I haven't seen do so in over 6 months!
Another thing that has been surprising is how excited I have gotten about getting achievement badges for myself. They are little scraps of paper that I made, for crying out loud! But they represent effort that I'm making and accountability, and I want to be able to show that off to both my teams so they know I am in it with them and to my supervisors so they can feel comfortable knowing I've got things covered.
Being realistic, I expect that the first month was really exciting and that it will probably taper off a little, but I am confident that we will still end up at a new height of participation in the teams. The nice thing is, this game doesn't feel gimmicky, and it isn't very labor-intensive, so it is sustainable over time. That means a lot to me, because nobody has time to keep something up that is a huge hassle.
So, why is this game successful when my last game (Battlefield: Rings) wasn't really very successful?
There are a few things that all good games have in common. Here are a couple that I think are very important:
It isn't just about the specific task that needs to be accomplished either - it is about taking on the persona. A great example of that is Star Wars: Republic Commando. If you haven't ever played it and you like Star Wars, I'd give it a try. It's cheap on Steam. Anyway, in the game you are the leader of a unit of four commandos. You are given objectives, and there are various ways to accomplish them. One of the things that makes the game so engaging is you don't really know what the most effective way will be to beat the level, but you have your fellow soldiers there as resources to help you accomplish your mission. It's just like any team effort, whether it be on a basketball court or in a manufacturing cell. The game provides clear direction but gives you flexibility to make it your own.
For now, here are the four freedoms:
At the end of the day, gamification is an exciting topic with lots of potential for me and the people around me. I hope you'll give it a try in your own life, whether at home, at school, or at play. I'd love to hear how it goes!
Intro
First of all, what is gamification? Gamification is the application of game elements or mechanics to a real-life situation to encourage results (Webster's def, Wikipedia's def). The biggest takeaway from that definition is that you are trying to make something happen. If you are just making a game out of something that happens anyway, why have a scoreboard?
Gamification is all over the place, so it's easy to find examples from which you can lift your own ideas. Here are a few you may have tried/seen/copied:
- Khan Academy - Here you can get a badge for watching a certain number of videos
- Codewars - Sort of ninja-themed. Coders earn "kyu" (experience points) to boost their "honor" as they complete challenges here. You can join groups of other coders to form a clan.
- NerdMeritBadges.com - You can make custom merit badges for your game, cause, family reunion, whatever! Need I say more? Check out their site.
- Zombies, Run! - This is a personal favorite of mine. Go on runs/jogs/walks to complete missions to save your township from zombie hoards. I'm not into zombies, and I still love this game! It's made by a group called Six to Start. Their game Dungeon Runner is a great little 8-bit adventure. :)
Experimenting with Gamification
My own current experiment with gamification at work is going well. At the beginning of March, I started a game in my teams to help improve participation in Safety, Employee Recognition, and Improvements. It's up on a whiteboard in my area, and each time a team member does one of those 3 things, they get an achievement badge up next to their name. Here's the board:
Another thing that has been surprising is how excited I have gotten about getting achievement badges for myself. They are little scraps of paper that I made, for crying out loud! But they represent effort that I'm making and accountability, and I want to be able to show that off to both my teams so they know I am in it with them and to my supervisors so they can feel comfortable knowing I've got things covered.
Being realistic, I expect that the first month was really exciting and that it will probably taper off a little, but I am confident that we will still end up at a new height of participation in the teams. The nice thing is, this game doesn't feel gimmicky, and it isn't very labor-intensive, so it is sustainable over time. That means a lot to me, because nobody has time to keep something up that is a huge hassle.
So, why is this game successful when my last game (Battlefield: Rings) wasn't really very successful?
Good Game Characteristics
There are a few things that all good games have in common. Here are a couple that I think are very important:
Direction
One of the reasons I think games are so effective is that they make their expectations very clear. See that scary monster? Shoot it. Oh, and that logic puzzle that will move you to the next level that is filled with even scarier monsters? Solve it.It isn't just about the specific task that needs to be accomplished either - it is about taking on the persona. A great example of that is Star Wars: Republic Commando. If you haven't ever played it and you like Star Wars, I'd give it a try. It's cheap on Steam. Anyway, in the game you are the leader of a unit of four commandos. You are given objectives, and there are various ways to accomplish them. One of the things that makes the game so engaging is you don't really know what the most effective way will be to beat the level, but you have your fellow soldiers there as resources to help you accomplish your mission. It's just like any team effort, whether it be on a basketball court or in a manufacturing cell. The game provides clear direction but gives you flexibility to make it your own.
Structure
Balancing that freedom of interpretation with consistent structure can be tricky. One of the models that I learned in the edX learning game development course I took in late 2016 was called the Four Freedoms (Moving Learning Games Forward). I read recently that Scott Osterweil actually has five freedoms, but I'll just stick with the four until I have read up more on the fifth.For now, here are the four freedoms:
- Freedom to Experiment: Experimentation is what I mentioned earlier in my Star Wars game. I have various resources and options, so I make different choices to accomplish something.
- Freedom to Fail: Productive failure is a beautiful thing. When we learn something through failure, it can take some of that sting away. Games provide a safe place for productive failure. I like Osterweil's example of falling off a skateboard or crumpling up a drawing or piece of writing. The learner can get back up and try again, this time with just a bit more experience under his or her belt.
- Freedom to Fashion Identities: In game situations, we have the opportunity to adapt our identity to the task at hand. In the article cited above, an example is given of pretending to be a dragon or kill a dragon. As a child, you learned social skills from those types of games. In a grown up environment we can take on different roles, like the person in charge of safety or calculating cost savings for improvements made. Different roles will require different sets of skills, and it may be that you find your calling in life there. Or you may come to realize that you are not passionate about safety after all and just wanted to try something different for a change. That's the point!
- Freedom of Effort: Games can take into account the fluctuating energy/engagement levels of players at any given time. Sometimes I want to give it 110% and set a new record for myself. Other times, I just want to get through it. Sometimes, when playing a game like Star Wars or Descent II, I just want to use the biggest weapons to make the biggest explosions. (Hey, I'm a boy after all!) A good game can be played in any of those moods and still work.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, gamification is an exciting topic with lots of potential for me and the people around me. I hope you'll give it a try in your own life, whether at home, at school, or at play. I'd love to hear how it goes!
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