Getting Gamification Right 22 Best Practices

Getting Gamification Right 22 Best Practices

1. 1. Clearly identify goals before diving in

   • The definition of success will vary among organizations
     • serious consideration to what it wants to accomplish
     • it is crucial for stakeholders to agree in advance on how they will evaluate their gamification initiatives

2. 2. Tie gamification to business needs

3. 3. Understand the psychology

   • gamification is rooted in principles of cognitive psychology
     • spaced retrieval or The spacing effect
     • retrieval practice or The testing effect

4. 4. Keep the game design simple

   • Complexity is an enemy when developing gamification platforms

5. 5. Leaderboards play an important role

   • Leaderboards bestow a sense of status and allow users to compare themselves to other players
     • the leaderboard should be simple
     • the leaderboard should refresh immediately

6. 6. But beware of leaderboard limitations

   • Those who dislike competition may find the concept of a leaderboard off-putting or intimidating
     • recommends structuring the leaderboard by department or territory
     • assign numbers or allow employees to devise code names

7. 7. Permit personalization

   • Companies are advised to allow workers to develop and embellish digital personas
   • It also provides the anonymity that some workers crave

8. 8. Encourage the freedom to fail

   • Repeatedly failing at a game allows a player to continually review information and reinforce their knowledge

9. 9. Build in continuous feedback

   • When creating a game, instructional designers should provide players with continuous feedback and the message that they are heading in the correct direction

10. 10. Add elements to delight or surprise users

    • Players become disengaged when a game gets repetitious
    • Prevent boredom
      • varying the length
      • difficulty
      • completion time of the challenges

11. 11. Distinguish between levels and badges

    • levels
      • Begin with short, easy levels in order to encourage widespread participation and buy-in
    • badges
      • recognizes non-linear progress

12. 12. Create an initial buzz

    • Grab the attention of users who log in, curious to explore the new offering

13. 13. Monitor the system for abuse

    • use the backend dashboards to monitor the system
    • Flag and investigate anything that seems out of the ordinary
      • such as a learner who advances through levels at an unprecedented pace
      • rapidly collects every badge available

14. 14. Extrinsic versus intrinsic

    • extrinsic
      • generally come in the form of cash or merchandise
    • intrisic
      • are internal—they drive individuals to take personal pride in their work and accomplishments

15. 15. Different strokes for different folks

    • personalize their designs with game elements most likely to appeal to each player type
      • •Socializers
        • are motivated by relatedness
      • •Free Spirits
        • are motivated by autonomy
      • •Achievers
        • are motivated by mastery
      • •Players
        • are motivated by extrinsic rewards
      • •Philanthropists
        • are motivated by purpose
      • •Disruptors
        • are motivated by change

16. 16. Be on point with points

    • is important to assign points in a fair and consistent manner

17. 17. Get social

    • Encourage users to exchange thoughts and experiences on a dedicated social platform where they can interact and acknowledge the achievements of their co-workers.

18. 18. Keep it fresh

    • regularly update the content of the gamification.
    • Add special and limited levels and badges or insignias

19. 19. Require participation

20. 20. Leverage it throughout the employee life cycle

    • Thanks to its versatility, gamification can be applied in a wide variety of ways

21. 21. Use it as a management tool

    • Gamification makes the challenge of achieving work-related goals more engaging in the same way a fitness tracker makes an exercise program more fun

22. 22. It is just one part of the L&D toolkit

    • Don’t gamify everything
    • A consultant can help a firm decide what projects might be most appropriate for gamification