Gaming the Workplace

Henry Albrecht wrote an enlightening entry for SmartBlog today about the potential of ‘gamification’ in the workplace.  Titled “The Game of Corporate Wellness: Failing, Winning and Gloating”, Albrecht’s article gives employers several tips on ways they can engage their employees that far suprass the effectiveness of competing company wellness programs.

Tailoring the interactive experience to the specific cultural environment is very important, according to Albrecht, who says, “A game that works for active employees of globally dispersed high-tech companies may be very different from one that works for single one-location hospitals.”

It’s also important to start small and take baby steps toward initiating your corporate ‘game’.  Simple rewards and increasing levels of involvement are useful in drawing in employees who likely won’t want or feel free to engage in the game.  “If you demand too much early on, you’ll overwhelm participants with too much too fast,” warns Albrecht.  But by switching the focus from telling employees what to do, to letting employees decide how best to achieve a set goal, creativity and effectiveness can be nurtured to new heights.