Serious Gaming in Enterprises – Increasing Effectiveness through Gamification
Games, fun and tension … and effectiveness?
First impression: these do not go well together.
But wouldn’t they make for an interesting mix at the workplace? Games are associated with fun and delight and who wouldn’t like to boast about “playing” at the office? For one, this could cause for some trouble with the superior, right?
On the contrary, the idea of playing or gamification has gained an entirely new meaning. A ludic environment helps break settled routines, motivates employees for that additional ingenious idea. It seems the perfect weapon for the boss to elevate spirits.
The CHANGCE-Game takes it one step further. It is not only a medication to suppress the symptoms of routine boredom and rigid thinking patterns, but serves as a proactive and playful approach towards thinking in chances instead of problems. Using the advantages of gamification, the participants systematically discover the organisation’s chances and derive necessary actions.
Creating an Innovative Environment with Games
Games create an open environment, a variation from the day-to-day, fostering a creative atmosphere and allowing everyone to express their thoughts. Additional aspects such as role-playing help conceive a holistic and differentiated spectrum of perspectives on the task at hand.
Pioneering in business in the 60’s the Sloan System Dynamics Group of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed the Beer-Distribution-Game. The simulation game teaches systemic thinking in the context of supply chain activities and demonstrates the effectiveness of ludic approaches.1
In a game setting, incentive systems especially motivate participants and in transfer employees. SAP uses their gamification application (Roadwarrior) to train their sales staff. Completing simulated sales pitches successfully rewards the employees by unlocking new levels and awarding certificates.2
This appeal is similarly utilised in the CHANGCE-Game. After the completion of a certain amount of questions, participants are rewarded with building blocks. These game pieces are used to build chance rooms of which their organisation consists. Ultimate goal: complete all chance rooms and do so by working in a team as one.
The brain researcher Gerald Hüther and philosopher Christop Quarch also discuss the importance of games in their book “Rettet das Spiel!” (“Save the game!”). Among the concepts presented, the authors present why our brains achieve peak performance when provoked in a playful manner. They further depict the appreciation of games in previous cultures and settings. According to the scientists, creativity surfaces when offered the opportunity to try out new things playfully. This thought can be attested by many known innovations, which were neither given birth to under the pressure of deadlines nor threat. “The innovative breakthrough emerged from within, as a result of playing around with ideas.”3
Fun and games is over, what now?
Playing offers an explorative and experimental learning process. However, when applied in a business setting we shouldn’t just put the playing board back on the shelf but make something of the results. In this sense, the CHANGCE-Game requires an evaluation of the results, in order to trigger a change process with influence on the future. The following CHANGCE-thinking process demands the development and successful implementation of a chance oriented firm strategy.
[1] Sloan System Dynamics Group, (MIT)
[2] SAP Roadwarrior
[3] Hüther G. und Quarch C., Rettet das Spiel!
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