Yes…Another blog post about gamification, its validity, and whether or not it has a cozy, warm welcome home in the work place. I’m positive it will be a topic of discussion for many businesses in the years to come. That being said, it is quite exciting for me when I hear about local companies even kicking around the idea of gamifying through their website, mobile app, or something of the sorts. Not just because I earn a living when an organization decides to use BrokenMyth Studios to implement gamification into their business plan, although that is nice. But because I am a true believer in its abilities when used correctly. Just like anything in life- if it’s not built well, driven with a purpose and goal in mind. IT WILL FAIL.
I recently read Xerox’s “business of work” blog. The blog purposes as a tool for employees & customers to discuss where work is going in the future, what it takes to do their jobs, to lead, to manage, and to drive technology decisions. Additionally, it recognizes that work is always evolving whether we embrace it or not. It’s ultimately up to us to decide whether we want to be on the cutting edge of new technology, or ride the tail end of the wave while our competition reaps the benefits. Early adopter? or a laggard…your choice! The topic of this particular piece on the blog was “Community Building with Enterprise Gamification- Yay or Nay”. Xerox recently had a “dreaming session” where customers and researchers a chance to dream together and exchange ideas.
The blog’s author stated: “ There was a debate over the pros and cons of gamification in the enterprise. The millennials and emerging leaders believed it offered new opportunities to engage colleagues, ignite recognition for work well done and inspire new projects with the core of its benefit being personalization. On the other hand, one of the social scientists in the group described it as behavior modification similar to “Pavlov’s dog” psychology experiment. Some of the seasoned technologists and executives said it would standardize our processes and limit creativity as we try to reach a goal set by a program.”
A reader commented that gamification can be a great tool within enterprise systems. However, it is often implemented to check a box, or doing it to say “we did it!” She states it is crucial to determine what is actually valuable and should be measured. She is absolutely right. It is a great tool to engage, and keep people engaged. But, “you need to go big or go home-doing it half way benefits nobody”
Our experience here at BrokenMyth studios has been just that. Our customers who have fully committed to making it work, invested time & resources, have seen success that is easily measurable.
What is your experience?
