DO YOU PLAY GAMES AT WORK?

Hey, I'm not spying on what you do at work. That's your personal, professional and private decision.

What I'd like to do is share with you an article I recently read about game theory at work.

This particular Wall Street Journal article, "Latest Game Theory: Mixing Work and Play" (WSJ), says that businesses from IBM to consulting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd., are working to make everyday business tasks more appealing by introducing elements of videogames into the workplace.

For years, Shamrock has used the Fish philosophy of making work fun while providing the best customer experience, along with various events, to bring new and old members of the Shamrock team together. While this is not quite 21st century exploration into video games, I do agree with the tone of the WSJ article, which says outright that work should include fun and team building. After all, we spend one-third of our day at work.

The writer of the WSJ article also says that IBM and Deloitte include reward and competitive tactics commonly found in the gaming world to make tasks such as management training and brainstorming seem less like work. Employees also receive points or badges for completing jobs or meeting time limits for assignments. The article goes on to explain that some companies include competitive tactics so workplace gamers can view one another's scores, to encourage friendly competition and motivate performance.

The article even includes results of a study by Colorado Denver Business School which found that..." employees trained on video games learned more factual information, attained a higher skill level and retained information longer than workers who learned in less interactive environments."

I'm not knowledgeable enough in online gaming to say whether this is a good idea or not, but I understand that gaming is the new reality. And I believe that work should be fun.  Nevertheless, I also have to admit I'm of an old-school "show me" attitude. However, if at-work gaming can add to fun and productivity at work, then I think it's something worth investigating.

So, I will consider workplace gaming with an open mind, and I'd really be interested to discuss ideas with anyone who will share their advice about this trend with me. 

FINAL THOUGHT...

A big part of the work we do for our customers relies on new technology.  Workplace game theory may provide us with an opportunity to walk the tech talk right where we work.  It's certainly worth investigating.