What the professional world can learn from professional gamers

In light of the current climate, businesses have made the move towards the adoption of ‘working from home’ (WFH), bringing new challenges for employees adapting to the new norm and trying to make the most out of their home office.

There’s a group of professionals who have always worked from home and have honed their skills in the very same conditions that the working world has transitioned towards – professional gamers.

At Legacy Esports, we are a team of esports athletes equipped with some of the best technology in the market, and off the back of our championship success in the most recent League of Legends Oceanic Pro League (OPL) season, we wanted to share some of our favourite tips the business world can learn while working from home.

1.      There is no ‘I’ in Team

A successful professional esports team runs like a well-oiled machine working towards a unified goal – to play the best and to be the very best. Each player brings a specific skill to the table that makes them a vital piece to create a team that every one wishes to challenge. To play in unison, despite being kilometres away from each other, it is key to have a clear understanding of the roles at hand and the overarching team goal. The same holds true for employees working from home. It is necessary to work as a team even if they’re not sitting next to each other. The best way to do it is to dial down everyone’s role to the individual skills they bring and ensure that together they can deliver the best possible results.

2.      Staying connected and in communication has never been so important

Whether in training or in the heat of the battle, esports athletes know the importance of clear communication and are constantly connected, speaking with each other through their headsets. As a team, they rely on each other to be the team’s eyes and ears. Communication while working from home is just as important. Not being able to speak to each other face-to-face means workers need to rely on communication, both visual and verbal, more than ever. Video call apps, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco’s Webex or BlueJeans, are great to stay connected in real-time. But make sure you go beyond watching each other working from their living room or dining table, and share screens and documents that everyone can see, update and feedback on. That will make all the difference between a single player and a multiplayer experience when WFH.

3.      Get it right the first time with the right Tech

 A good home set up is key to an optimal working from home experience and what will enable this, is the technology you use so it is important that you get this right! Always remember to have a fast and reliable PC performance to set the pace of productivity. Upgrading to an SSD, like the Samsung 860 EVO SATA, has dramatically improved our PC’s boot times and application loading time. We also suggest having an ultra-wide curved monitor with for a comfortable viewing experience such as Samsung’s 49" CRG90 Curved QLED Monitor If you are spending long hours on working and gaming, curved monitors can help to reduce eye strain because it optimises the human eye’s natural field of view. And with ultra-wide screens, you can easily multitask and keep as many windows and documents open at once.

4.      It’s not about working harder, but working smarter 

Many might not know this, but just like any professional athlete who takes on intense physical training programs to compete at a world-class level, esports athletes follow rigorous training schedules. This schedule not only details the time for gaming practice but also outlines the amount of rest needed in between sessions to achieve a healthy balance and maximise performance. Preparing a daily and weekly schedule to carry out tasks with breaks in between to rest and stretch out will help to avoid getting burnout – this is especially important when spending all day at home to work and relax.

5.      A balanced diet for a sound mind and sound body

Like any other sports professional, esports athletes rely on a well-balanced diet to keep them energised and focused. Staying at home, sitting in front of a screen shouldn’t be an excuse to binge recklessly on your favourite comfort food. At Legacy Esports, we pay special attention to the diet of our players, ensuring the team maintains a healthy and balanced intake of food that keeps them in the best shape to perform. Staying and working from home during social distancing should be a good opportunity to improve your eating. Take the time you have at home to plan out a healthier diet or take it one step further and learn how to prepare a new healthy dish.

6.      Adapting to changes

When the outcome of their performance is dependent on moment to moment gameplay, esports athletes are adept in responding to sudden changes and immediately reacting effectively to help turn the tide of battle in their favour. Businesses can learn a thing or two from professional gamers that can help them be more agile in rapidly responding to changes. By keeping an ear on the ground not only for their industry but others too, and by keeping an open mind to forward thinking ideas that challenge the ‘old ways’ of doing things, businesses can forecast potential changes that may impact them and respond in the most cost-effective ways.

Happy to hear your feedback - you can follow Legacy Esports on Linkedin https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/legacy-esports-australia or Twitter https://twitter.com/LegacyOCE #SamsungGamerAU

Note : Samsung is a partner of Legacy Esports