Gamification, Like Hot Fudge on Ice Cream... or is it??

While points, badges, and leaderboards are important elements of gamification projects, gamification is more than just drizzling these elements onto a business process like hot fudge on Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream.

Gamification requires a great deal of thought about the entire design of the system, including understanding the nature of your users, thinking about what you’d like them to do and how best to make them do it.

As with any type of program design it needs to be carefully considered, designed, and reviewed. If you’re going to gamify your training and development then you’ll need to have knowledge of psychology, motivation, and game design, and understand the potential pitfalls of each.

Here are four areas to consider:

1. Context - Gamification can increase motivation and engagement in users, but to get there we need to examine our own programs and processes in the context of gamification instead of considering gamification as simply a supplementary feature.
2. Technology - You must consider whether to go no-tech or to add technology, the best technology platform to use, and examine the specific game elements and game mechanics you’re going to incorporate.
3. Testing - A critical part of good gamification is to test or pilot the gamified environment to the maximum extent possible. Testing helps answer a number of critical questions such as is it fun, do your employees want not want to engage with this game, and will it result in the desired business outcomes?
4. Progress - The important part of any initial foray into gamification is to learn as one goes, weaving in increasingly complex elements and mechanics as competence and capabilities grow.

Gamification, when used and designed properly, can prove enormously beneficial for companies. As with any strategy, when it’s used clumsily and hastily it begins to lose its value and gain criticism. The elements that make it so powerful are not trivial or plug-and-play features.

So, as rich and yummy as Gamification is, it can and will deliver results as long as the design is properly thought through.

If nothing else, it may make business and learning more fun!

The ability to shape and leverage gamification as a powerful mechanism for motivating individuals and driving behavior rests in the hands of those who begin to use it today.

Take the first step, to begin an adventure that will benefit you and your organization. Do you realize that among the people reading this article, you may be the one who grabs this opportunity to take the first step? Get started with a Level 1 Gamification Certification for Talent Development Professionals.

About the Author: Monica Cornetti
Founder and CEO, Sententia www.SententiaGames.com www.monicacornetti.com

A gamification speaker and designer, Monica Cornetti is rated as a #1 Gamification Guru in the World by UK-Based Leaderboarded. She is the author of the book Totally Awesome Training Activity Guide: Put Gamification to Work for You, writes The Gamification Report blog, and hosts the weekly Gamification Talk Radio program.