Gamification World Congress - Gurus Panel Part 2

This episode of Gamification Talk Radio is brought to you from the fourth annual Gamification World Congress held in Barcelona (Spain) on the 11th of November this year (2015).
 
The Gamification World Congress had a number of practical workshops led by globally renowned experts where attendees could learn about and implement the latest methodologies and tools to find game-based solutions for the business world.

The panel discussion was led by my colleague Jan Bidner and the panel includes An Coppens Chief Gamechanger at Gamification Nation, Peyman Vahedi, principal of a secondary Upper school in Kramfors, and myself.

If you missed Part 1 of the Gamification Guru Panel Disscussion, you can catch it HERE.

ln Part 2 our topics include:

• Cheating - is it cheating or creative thinking and innovation?
• Gamification in education - what is the proper place for gamification in education and what tools should be used?
• Gamification as an industry title - is there a better name that describes accurately what it is that we are working (playing) to achieve. 

Links to panel participants websites:

• An Coppens : http://ancoppens.com/
• Peyman Vahedi : https://www.laragenomspel.se/
• Jan Bidner: http://www.sogetipodcast.se/gamification/ 
 

About Your Host: 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.  

Are You Ready for the G Generation?

Research into the development of the brain has shown early childhood and adolescence are the critical years for how the brain is prepared for perceiving and reacting to the world. These critical years leave our brains with a particular set of assumptions and beliefs about how the world works.
  
Games reinforce certain beliefs about the players themselves, how the world should work, how people relate to one another, and about the purpose of life in general. 

Games create a self-centered universe where the player is in charge, and within certain rules or boundaries, can manipulate other people and objects. 

Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that an average 8-10 year old spends more than an hour a day with video games. The huge amount of time spent with video games during their formative years has led the Gamer or G Generation to be “hard wired” differently than those who came before them. 

Creating a Culture of Innovation

Does your organization have a culture that encourages innovation or is your suggestion box covered in dust?

One of my all time favorite quotes comes from Sam Walton who said,

"The key to success is to get out into the store and listen to what the associates have to say. It’s terribly important for everyone to get involved. Our best ideas come from the clerks and stock boys."

So how do you create a culture where your employees feel encouraged to share new ideas – confident that their ideas will be respected, welcomed, and that they will receive the credit for them?

1. Teach innovation - Host a better-faster-cheaper contest. Ask for ideas on how to speed up processes and save money, while maintaining quality. Offer prizes for those with the best solutions.
2. Conquer complacency – An, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality can kill your organization. Don’t be left behind your competition by getting stuck in the rut of complacent thinking and status quo. Ask for input on where you are stuck in a rut, and offer prizes for the best solutions.
3. Think big picture – Help your team to think big picture. Incorporate fun learning activities that encourage big picture thinking into your weekly schedules.

Here’s an impromptu one that will encourage your team to picture the future.

Austin Cycles

Purpose: To consider what an ideal future would look like for your organization, and to create and articulate a vision of what they can achieve.

Materials: Large sheets of paper and markers for each team.

How to: Divide your team into small groups of no less than 4 and no more than 6. Give each group flip chart paper, and markers.

Read the following lead-in to the group: “Louis Wilson has been the owner of Austin Cycles for 3 years. He’s managed his team, kept costs under control, and put in place plans to reduce turnover and to train new employees. Things are going pretty well.

Although his team is performing, Louis feels that there is a lack of challenge and excitement. Louis believes that Austin Cycles could be the best-known, best-liked motorcycle dealer in Austin.

Your assignment is to help Louis ‘paint a picture’ of his vision for the future. Draw what might be happening in the stores. What would the customers see? What would staff be doing? How would everyone feel? What would the shopping experience be? Work with your team to develop a vision for Louis’ team.”

Debrief Questions:    

• How did your team decide on the vision and what it would look like?
• What did it feel like to draw your vision?
• What does drawing pictures do as compared to just writing the words?

Level Up Tip: Since it is a pictorial representation of a vision for the future, and to make it a little tougher, have them use pictures only. No words.

You can find other big picture thinking activities in my Totally Awesome Training Activity Guide Book: How to Put Gamification to Work for You

Take the first step, to become a qualified gamification designer. Do you realize that among the people reading this article, you may be the one who grabs this opportunity to take the first step? As you start to think about the benefits of learning this new skill, I bet your mind can uncover further benefits in being part of the gamification design community.

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.

Adam Hollander - Successfully Implementing Sales Gamification with Fantasy Sales Team

In honor of this week's BIG news - Microsoft acquires FantasySalesTeam, an innovative sales gamification platform, to help organizations increase productivity - I am pulling from the vault, an interview with the CEO of FST, Adam Hollander.





Why Your Sales Incentives Are Failing: How to Successfully Implement Sales Gamification

When you talk sales incentives - Leader boards? Top scorers? Challenges? these elements have been part of incentive promotions all along.

But… most sales contests fail due to poor design and a lack of understanding how to motivate the entire team vs. the traditional top performers.

Successful use of gamification is much more than just fancy leaderboards. This week learn how to successfully drive sales improvements by implementing gamification the right way.

About Adam: Adam Hollander is founder and CEO of FantasySalesTeam which helps sales managers run more engaging and higher performing sales contests modeled on fantasy sports.  Adam has worked with hundreds of companies to assist them in achieving their sales targets and has held a variety of sales and sales management roles at both small and large public enterprises.  Adam holds a BA in Business Management from Babson College. Connect with Adam: (@FST_Games) www.fantasysalesteam.com

About Your Host:  A gamification keynote speaker and curriculum designer, Monica Cornetti is rated as the #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. Monica’s niche is gamification used in the corporate environment. Connect with Monica (@monicacornetti) www.monicacornetti.com

Action-based Learning... The Art of Design

Research has demonstrated that people learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process. Over the years, action-based learning has been proven to appeal to all types of learners, as it accelerates knowledge and skill acquisition, and ensures long-term retention.

Action-based learning uses experiential and accelerated learning techniques such as immersive simulations, game attributes, and other interactive activities to help learners develop insights and transferable understanding as they internalize new information.

Well-designed games and simulations that focus on strategic business issues are extremely powerful learning tools because they are able to engage and motivate learners well beyond more traditional teaching methods. Gamification adds the mechanics that triggers the actions to fulfill the individual motivations and needs. All of these work together to ensure key learning and business objectives are met.

Sententia’s Leadership Development Program is artfully designed so that learners can easily connect the stories, tasks, and insights they experience during the program with their day-today work lives. This unique, trademarked program engages and involves participants and motivates them to learn..

Is now a good time to schedule a Sententia World Explorer Essential Leadership Skills in a Diverse Workforce™ training program for your leadership and management teams?

For more information on program content and how it works, you can view our Slideshare presentation or Download our Facts Sheet

For more ideas on adding game thinking and gamification to your work and play go to:  http://www.monicacornetti.com/gamification 

Let’s play!

About the Author:  Monica CornettiFounder and CEO, Sententiawww.SententiaGames.com
www.monicacornetti.com

A gamification speaker and designer, Monica Cornetti is rated as a Top 4 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.

The World Explorer - Essential Leadership Skills in a Diverse Workforce

The World Explorer is a comprehensive blended leadership training that is based on next-generation gamification tactics using rich game narratives, simple game mechanics, understanding of unique personalities and motivators, competition, collaboration, creative thinking, and more…

Humans like to play, and when there is play involved, we become skillful learners.

The World Explorer uses a graphical story that captivates your interest and imagination. Two young explorers, Louis and Lindsey, are your guides on this adventure. As millennials, they are digital natives and feel quite comfortable with the use of apps, wearables, and websites to access information when and where they need it – and they’ll show you how to excel in this NEW digital era.

Learn how to plan for your journey and pack wisely to make every item count. This proven trademarked program ties into corporate objectives and performance goals and encourages on-the-job mastery, improved communications, and lasting organizational change.

Receive hands-on practice in building and leading teams and learn how to:

• Create a collaborative work environment for faster, better results – while maintaining healthy working relationships
• Formulate strategies for attracting, retaining and developing top-tier talent
• Increase engagement and retention by matching your company’s goals with the goals of the employees
• Understand the person your trying to lead – and persuade more effectively by speaking to their motivators
• Motivate your team – even the “difficult” ones

For more ideas on gamified corporate trainings please visit us at www.SententiaGames.com

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.