Before you say, “What?” and dismiss this post, let me explain that I don’t mean you have to play games with your team members in order for them to do their jobs. What it means is that we should be looking at the same principles that hold people’s attention when they’re playing games, and apply them to their job duties and performance.
For example, let’s look at a short list of reasons why games engage people so well:
There’s a clear PURPOSE to the game
What is your purpose (e.g., “We want to rule the [your industry] world!”)? Do your people clearly understand why they are there? One persistent challenge is that people’s jobs are often so disconnected from the purpose they’re trying to achieve (professionally and organizationally) that they feel as though they’re performing activities that are meaningless.
Are your people merely breaking up rocks?
You can overcome this by helping everyone see your overall vision. I read a great story in which a man in ancient times came upon a field where men were breaking up rocks. He asked several what they were doing, to which they all replied, “Can’t you see? We’re breaking up rocks!” But when he asked one final man the same question, the man replied, “Can’t you see? We’re building a cathedral?!” How much more meaning does it give to “breaking up rocks” when you know you’re contributing to building a cathedral? Help them see the cathedral… not just the rocks.
Do you set clear, measurable goals?
There are clear GOALS to reach
Goals help everyone accomplish their mutual purpose. Without them, people are shooting blindly, trying to hit an unknown target. If they don’t know what to aim for, they’ll disengage because, if they can’t tell if they’re getting anywhere, they’ll never feel capable of succeeding in their positions (even if they know the vision you shared).
Set clear, achievable, measurable goals for your people. Be sure to assign roles, so everyone knows who is working on which goal. Set deadlines, so they can’t go on forever without accountability. Put metrics in place to measure the progress and success of everyone working on that goal. Share the metrics, as well as how far they have to go to close the gap between where they are and where they need to be.
There are clearly-identified RULES that everyone must follow
Do your people know the rules? Is it clear that everyone must follow them? Or are there “favorites” (or exceptions) who don’t have to follow the rules? Fairness in the workplace plays a much more important part in people’s perceptions of an organization and in their engagement with the team than ever before. Addressing issues of fairness in the workplace has become a huge leadership challenge because if team members don’t perceive that the workplace is fair, they will disengage more quickly because, well, “Why bother?” But if leaders pay attention to this factor, become cognizant of (and stop) words and actions that may be perceived as “favoritism” and follow the rules themselves, it will help eliminate the “Us vs. Them” mentality and allow people to relate and engage better. After all, it is much more rewarding to be a team player than to go it alone and constantly feel as though you’re fighting a losing battle.
Clear MILESTONES are set
Prevent team members from becoming de-motivated trying to reach a huge goal all in one shot. No one can jump from A-Z without steps in between, so let them know where the milestones are and how to reach them. This also allows you to encourage and coach them along the way. Milestones offer specific check-points where team members and leaders alike can assess if everyone is on track for success; if not, they can quickly be coached in getting back on track, so no one reaches the end of a project, only to find out that they were off-track for the last 6 months… but no one knew it.
Everyone knows all the PLAYERS
They know who is on their team, who can help them with which goals, and who always shows up to be a true team player. Is it clear who your people can call on when they have questions or problems? Do distribution lists exist – not only with updated/correct contact information, but also which areas of expertise each person possesses, so the right person can be contacted for the right assistance? Don’t let your people flounder around without knowing who to call to quickly assist them in using a tool, figuring out a process or even just answering a simple question about what was meant by a particular instruction or statement. According to 360 solutions, in the average 100-person organization, 17 hours per week are lost simply clarifying communications! How much time, productivity and profit can be accomplished just by enabling people to find answers and clarification more quickly? (Helping communicators be more clear in their oral and written communications is a whole other topic we’ll address in another post!)
Everyone knows the TOOLS available to help them accomplish their jobs
What’s in your toolbox?
And the tools work! Do your tools work as they were designed to work? Do you solicit and receive feedback on their ease of use and performance?
I once worked with a client who told me they were confounded by the fact that their field personnel wouldn’t use a particular tool that had been designed for them. When they finally questioned their administrative staff about why the guys weren’t using the tool, they were told that this tool was too confusing and cumbersome, and the guys hated it! So, they avoided it at all costs. But once the first question was asked, it led to more questions about what was difficult or confusing about the tool – and they were able to redesign it so it worked! So, start asking questions if people aren’t using the tools you create for them.
Additionally, does everyone on your team know about all the tools that exist to help them do their jobs better, quicker and more efficiently? Do they understand what they are designed to do? Do they know how to access them? Do they receive training on using them? Remember, if someone is given initial training on using a tool, but is subsequently required to use it rarely, it is difficult to use it efficiently on those rare occasions when they have to use it. So, provide refresher training (or quick e-mail tips/reminders that a certain tool is available and how to access/use it – a Tip of the Week or “Did you know…” message can work wonders to help people to remember and use those tools).
And finally, there are REWARDS for accomplishing steps all along the way
Not only do team members receive rewards for reaching milestones and large goals, but they also receive rewards for helping each other. Most people feel good helping others, while some are in it more for the reward. Regardless of who is on your team, even the most motivated people appreciate an occasional reward for being a team player. Figure out what you can offer your people for performing simple acts of kindness or helpfulness on your teams. It doesn’t have to be monetary! Sometimes just a few simple things like recognizing them, or giving points that can be collected for time off or early release (or even a work-from-home day) are very welcome and inspire them to do more.
Just think of how much more engaged our people would be if we applied the principles of gamification to their jobs. It’s really not difficult – and actually represents all the things we should be doing anyway. Identifying them in terms of the elements that engage people in games will help you focus on and track the WOW actions that will make a big difference in your workplace and on every team you lead.
Do you have ideas on how to engage your teams? Do you use the principles of gamification in your workplace? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
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