Should Happiness Software Be The Opiate Of The Masses?
Gamification strategies are an incredibly exciting way of engaging with employees, and recently I set out to prove that it should be a core toolset within our business. However, an article in Psychology Today made me question the ethics of some potential approaches and I'd really welcome your views in the comment section below to help with decision making.
I am convinced that we can achieve tangible improvements in staff engagement, innovation and yes, even security using Gamification. For me it’s much more productive than simply brow beating what we want from our hardworking Customer Service Agents. What’s more, I believe that Gamification should play a growing role in getting the best from the Millennials and Generation Z’s who are increasingly a critical part of our workforce. For example, we recently Gamified a key Security measure in the business around our Clear Desk policy in the UK and Canada. This was a basic deployment but we saw a significant improvement in compliance at a tiny cost to provision.
I define Gamification as “Digitally leveraging game mechanics to enhance the experience of employees, customers and communities served by our business in order to improve their engagement, develop their skills and to drive innovation”. For me Gamification is all about tapping into that central core driver within each of us that pushes us to achieve for our own reasons, something that nourishes our inner drive. As a by-product of servicing these emotions I believe we can legitimately drive business benefit.
In the office we are now putting the finishing touches to the latest version of our “Happiness Software”, which is the perfect platform for effective Gamification. The software is solely designed to engage with staff simply to improve their day. It fosters a singular community across our geographically diverse delivery centres and securely reconnects employees with the outside world from within our estate as it moves ever faster beyond our doors without them. Our best agents are Social beings, and it’s really important to us that we feed that and provide a great place to work. Staff engagement is vital and this platform is part of that proposition. In this latest version we’ve introduced specific Gamification features designed to improve employee motivation and to facilitate innovation.
However, in an article in Psychology Today entitled “Why We’re All Addicted to Texts, Twitter and Google” the author describes how Dopamine and Opioid chemical production in the brain is driven by Social interactions on digital platforms. It goes on to describe how we have started to become conditioned to seek digital interactions to feed the desire to experience these chemicals. In particular it discusses how “Dopamine Loops” can drive addictive behaviours.
Conscious that the Gamification behind our Happiness Software will work with some of these same stimuli I’ve become occupied with potential ethical questions about what we are trying to achieve through Gamification vs. what is really ‘healthy’ for the work force. Could its wider roll out exacerbate problem behaviors which some individuals may suffer from outside of work with Dopamine Loops? While there is no straight forward response to this, it is clear Gamification is now well out of its hype cycle, and I’d argue that this is the best place for it to be if we are successfully leverage its potential. We now fully understand what it can bring to the party and we can use this to intelligently apply concepts for everyone’s benefit.
What do you think of the idea of Happiness Software purely to make Employees days more fun and engaging? Is it ethical and legitimate to develop Digital Platforms/Gamification Strategies which we now know could trigger Dopamine and Opioid responses in Millennials and Generation Z, even if the ultimate intention is to make in general their working lives better? Is Happiness Software and Gamification manipulation of employees, just a reality of ours times or exactly what we should be doing to create a good working environment with growing representation from Millennials and Generation Z? I’d love to understand your views to help me come up with the best way forward…
There are many great case studies and books on Gamification out if you want to know more. Gamify by Bryan Burke (Gartner) is my personal recommendation. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gamify-Gamification-Motivates-People-Extraordinary/dp/1937134857.
Joint owner of a B&B and restaurant in Hay-on-wye
7 年Gamification is an interesting approach. I would suggest it depends on the current culture of the firm on how well it will be received or how it's deployed. There are many other aspects to consider such as the job role itself. Also, it could create or amplify a "them and us" attitude. So handled badly it could create new problems. Additionally, it depends on the person and what motivates them. Some people are not competitive and would not thrive in that sort of environment but if it was approached collectively as a team it may have productive results. Gamification is not a simple silver bullet and in my view needs a lot if thought before implementing. Will be interested to read your progress on this James.