The topic of “Gamification” has been part of our business activities for some time now. Meanwhile it has reached a high relevance for future-oriented companies. By 2020, the market volume is estimated at more than 11 billion US dollars (link). Through the natural play instinct in us it is possible to motivate people efficiently and sustainably, to develop them personally, to activate new behaviours, to improve abilities and to achieve a productive handling of change.
What can Gamification achieve in the daily work routine?
The buzz word Gamification is becoming increasingly common – especially in connection with learning and change processes in companies. Gamification methods are therefore successfully deployed now in numerous companies in a wide variety of areas, e.g. in personnel development, corporate communications as well as marketing and sales. Gamification, for example, can be used to motivate employees to become involved on the company’s internal platform, to pass on their knowledge to others or to actively tackle and advance change processes.
There are virtually no limits to the ideas and possibilities for Gamification, and the successes in everyday work and in customer retention can already be proven in many cases. This is because the entertainment factor serves a positive emotional openness, it increases motivation and promotes the learning effect – regardless of position and hierarchy. Gamification can also help to optimise the structure of work processes and increase their efficiency.
Attractive employer? Gamification puts you in the lead
With Gamification, companies have the opportunity to adapt to the present and future requirements of highly qualified employees – an important aspect in times of ever longer vacancies and the constant search for more and more rare, suitable employees. Since in Employer Branding, a positively motivated corporate culture, developing employees and a future-oriented management team are factors relevant to success. Gamification creates positive influences for this: by means of feedback systems, intensive exchange with colleagues and a positive association with change.
Changing it playfully – does it work? Yes, it does.
Change processes seldom proceed simply, because man is demonstrably a creature of habit (link). And experience has shown that change in companies only works if it is actively tackled and professionally supported. In most cases, however, change projects fail for internal reasons: for example, lack of top management commitment to the project, insufficient resources, lack of motivation and resistance because employees do not feel picked up, understood with regard to their reservations or sufficiently involved. (Learn more about it)
Especially change projects in companies are extremely complex processes, which have to be exemplified and “lived” into the teams especially by the executives. Here, too, Gamification approaches or training methods with playful approaches can provide significant support. Through playful learning, the need for change can be internalised more easily, necessary structural or procedural optimisations can be played through and personal behaviour and motivation patterns can be positively influenced. The teams enter into an intensive exchange, various positions and emotional points of view are heard, intrinsic motivation is placed before extrinsic motivation and solutions can be created together. Important effects that have a lasting effect and can thus significantly advance change processes.
The ActeeChange method, for example, is an innovative Gamification approach that is particularly suitable for change projects. ActeeChange links different change theories and models and thus the mechanisms and connections of change phases, resistance and leadership styles can be experienced effectively. The methods learned are applied in practice by means of a change management simulation and in this way the change competence is trained. This also enables you to transfer the experience to your own change project, to test interventions and to successfully manage your change process. You can find out more about ActeeChange here.
Learning by playing – learning for a successful personal and entrepreneurial development
The Gamification approaches offer versatile possibilities to make companies fit for the future. Processes can be optimised. Employer Branding can be supported, and thus highly qualified employees can be recruited in the “War of Talents”. Likewise, Gamification can make a positive contribution to inspiring, developing and retaining people and teams. There are also many opportunities in the area of customer acquisition and customer retention.
From a critical point of view, the simplicity of the Gamification approach can also involve risks that can be counterproductive: intrinsic motivation can, for example, be unintentionally superimposed by extrinsic motivation. In order to maintain and promote intrinsic motivation, the appropriate Gamification elements must be implemented correctly. It is also important that the Gamification application is continuously checked for possible cultural obstacles in an iterative process and adapted, if necessary.
I would be delighted to talk to you about your experience with Gamification in your company and I look forward to your getting in touch.