At April’s Innovation Day, we welcomed Craig Weightman, Researcher and Lecturer at Staffordshire University. He shared with us invaluable insights regarding ways in which we can uncover our employees’ hidden talents.
It’s no secret that engagement remains a salient (not to mention troublesome) issue within the context of current business practices. When hearing statistics such as 15% of worldwide employees are engaged in their jobs or that employee disengagement costs the UK economy £340bn annually, there’s little wondering why strategies for enhancing engagement remain a hot topic on the corporate agenda. From a psychological perspective, engagement requires energy involvement, enthusiasm and satisfaction. As such, the use of gamification processes represents an intriguing avenue of exploration for the modern business.
While gaming is a term typically associated with the process of playing computer games, gamification identifies processes used within games and gaming and applies them to non-game-based settings (including corporate settings).
So, what should we do about it?
Find your flow. “Flow” is a psychological state associated with a sustained period of optimal performance. Achieving a flow state necessitates a leader to work toward ensuring their team has clear goals, regular feedback and a working environment that is free from unnecessary distraction. In addition, employees must feel they possess the relevant internal and external resources required to cope effectively with the challenges they face in the workplace.
Don’t go to the dark side. There is a multitude of benefits associated with the implementation of gamification processes, however, don’t be naive enough to think there aren’t any drawbacks. Ensure you look out for any “off-task” behaviour: this might include employees using social elements of gamification to engage in non-game work-related discussions with their peers, which would detract from the primary purpose of the gamification system. Secondly, there is a fine line between healthy and undesired competition: whilst the presence of contests and leaderboards can encourage hard work and enhanced effort, it can also lead to demotivation, jealousy and resentment. Finally, remember gaming can become highly addictive, therefore employees may become increasingly dependent on the presence of gamification as a tool to keep them continually engaged in their work. Display caution when deciding the elements of gamification you wish to adopt in the workplace.
Satisfy your team’s needs. Gamification can help enhance intrinsic motivation and promote flow states. Consequently, it’s important to ensure your organisation is promoting the inclusion of gamification processes which will help elicit enhanced feelings of motivation and engagement. Optimal levels of motivation can be achieved through the satisfaction of three basic human needs: autonomy, competence and relatedness. Think carefully about how you can provide opportunities to satisfy these needs through gamification.
Champion intelligent gamification. Whilst enhanced employee engagement is a fundamental objective for many organisations, it’s vital to ensure these levels of engagement relate to the enhancement of working practices and opposed to being viewed as an opportunity to “play”. Monitor carefully the use of gamification within the workplace and, if necessary, reduce or limit the reliance of gamification-based processes as a tool for motivating your employees. It may be a delicate balance but, with work, it can be achieved.
These are just some key highlights taken from April’s Innovation Day. Each month, clients of the Innovation Programmes receive a full ACT report, capturing the guest expert’s research, the implications and next steps for leaders to apply back in their team and organisation.
Next month, clients will explore how we can bounce back from adversity by building resilience within ourselves and our organisations. For more information, please view the Innovation Day page.
Sources: Weightman, C. (2019) ‘The Power of Games to Unleash Potential’, KnowledgeBrief Innovation Day Presentation, 10 April.