It’s only a game

Gamification at work is creeping in more and more. I’m not talking here about playing Call of Duty or Minecraft on your lunch break, that’s not what this post is about, sorry! For anyone wondering what I’m referring to the best definition I could find was:

Gamification is the concept of applying game mechanics and game design techniques to engage and motivate people to achieve their goals

This is used across a whole host of places. A very simple example is your own Profile page on LinkedIn, what is your “Profile Strength” at the minute? When you started on LinkedIn it would have been “Beginner”. Did you look at it and think “I want to get up to the next level” or “how do I fill up the whole circle”?

As I said this is a very simple example but a good one I think to show how it is popping up everywhere. A stronger example are forums, I’m thinking Microsoft technical forums in particular. You sign up and post questions or answers to questions if you’re a helpful kind of a person. If you post answers you get points awarded, if you get enough points you get different badges. For some people more than others the driver for them will be to score more points. You take away the Gamification element and they would be less inclined to get involved.