Ever Heard of "Gamification"?

I met a man while attending a business training conference in Waco, Texas in the early 80s. His name is Chuck Coonradt. His business is developing business leadership orgainzations for many successful companies of varying sizes. Chuck wrote a book entitled "The Game of Work". The question is posed as to how to enjoy work as much as play.

in an interview with Forbes Magazine in 2012 Mr. Coonradt in describing the Gamification system asked himself, "Why would people pay for the privilege of working harder at their chosen sport or recreational pursuit than they would work at a job where they were being paid?" Here are the main points of his response....
*Clearly defined goals
*Better scorekeeping and scorecards
*More frequent feedback
*A higher degree of personal choice of methods
*Consistent coaching

Are there benefits to these "diversionary" activities? How can "Gamification improve our work productivity and the success of our employers?Perhaps Atari and Nintendo realized in the 70s that they were creating a generation of millenial focused on gaming for gaming's sake! That said, how can we turn this into a productive function? In the 60s we used simulators, primative as they were, as a first step to driving a real car on a real road.

Airlines use flight simulators to teach real-world situations in a safe environment.The United States militay uses video gaming and simulations to train for artillery, pilot training, drones, and so much more, teaching real-life skills through gaming applications.

If, in the course of training our people, we can add those five elements to their life skills....clearly defined goals and measurable objectives, appropriate and immediate scorekeeping with feedback, a reasonale level of oersonal choice, along with regular coaching for success, they will bring a much happier, more productive self to the team!


Look for ways to enjoy the work you have chosen as much as your play!