Enforcing Fun at Work

I always loved having fun at work. Yet in my years at the enterprise there were a couple of times where there was an attempt to enforce or systematize fun. It never worked, in fact was downright embarrassing. This economist article posts about that, giving some examples I had never hear of. Recall though my previous post on gamification, making something productive fun a part of work is a subtle process.

" ... From Red Bull's in-office slide to TD Bank's costumed morale-boosting team, companies are trying harder than ever to ensure that their workers are having fun. They shouldn't bother, argues The Economist -- workers hate feeling that they're being forced to have fun, and there are less embarrassing ways to boost employee engagement. "The cult of fun has spread like some disgusting haemorrhagic disease," this column notes. "Compulsory fun is nearly always cringe-making ... "

Alexa Enabled Gadgets for Teaching and Fun

Ultimately assistants are about engagement.  Sometimes to get work done.  Sometimes for fun. Sometimes to engage with others.  Some narrow goals, some very broad.   Right now it organizes and delivers my music.  Controls aspects of my smart home.   Manages a conversation to deal with commands,  responses.  Delivers or not,  if it has the intelligence.   Teaching sounds like a good general goal.    And driven by fun or learning progress with game-like accomplishment provides strong motivation.  Can it be done?  Look forward to seeing the attempt.

Here is Amazon's announcement of this effort for developers:
Introducing Custom Interfaces, Enabling Developers to Build Dynamic Gadgets, Games, and Smart Toys with Alexa
August 15, 2019
By Karen Yue ....

Amazon is trying to make Alexa-enabled gadgets more fun
The new API could let Alexa teach you to play the piano.
 By Igor Bonifacic, @igorbonifacic in Engadget

A variety of new Alexa-enabled gadgets, games and smart toys could soon flood the market thanks to Amazon's latest developer tool. On Thursday, the company detailed "Custom Interfaces," a new API within its Alexa Gadgets Toolkit SDK that allows developers to create interactions between Alexa and their own internet-connected products. Amazon is positioning Custom Interfaces primarily as a way for third-party manufacturers to leverage Alexa to create fun and quirky experiences.

For example, Amazon envisions the manufacturer of a WiFi-enabled indoor basketball hoop using Custom Interfaces to create an experience in which Alexa chimes in anytime you score a basket. In another potential scenario, Amazon suggests Alexa could work in tandem with a smart mini keyboard to teach you how to play the piano. Of course, as with any API, its potential is only as good as the developers working with it. It will be up to them to create interesting experiences with Amazon's new tool, something that's not a given. ... " 

Promoting Mind Mapping

We were very active users of 'mind mapping',  a much simplified form of  'concept mapping'.  in the enterprise  So I much like to promote the idea, its always useful.  Good to see this article and expose others to it.  There are many packages that do this, many are free.  Spodek uses Freeplane, which I have not heard of, but sounds interesting.  Its a way to get organized, and communicate that organization to others.   If you have the slightest interest in organizing your thoughts and work, give it a try.   In Inc: 

The Most Useful (and Fun) Software You Don't Have
If you don't use mindmapping software, you don't know the fun, efficient productivity you're missing     By Joshua Spodek

Mindmaps and mindmapping software are awesome!

Yesterday, I finished creating two new keynote talks, each over 60 slides. Going from idea to complete deck used to mean complicated struggling between paper, blackboard, whiteboard, word processor, and presentation software.

Now I create one mindmap using one piece of software to create the whole presentation. It's faster, easier, and more fun. I'm writing this post because of how fun and simple it was to be so productive.

I rarely like using computers for what I can use paper and pencil, but mindmaps and mindmapping software help organize complex ideas better by every measure I care about. They're simple, effective, and, best of all, fun. ... " 

More on Corporate Fun

Techdirt writes on enforced corporate fun.   Yes, happy workers are a good idea, but bizarre forced programs of humor and fun do not create happiness.  Better to create trust,  transparency, teamwork and useful interaction.  I wrote about this previously.

Fun not Fear

Barb Didrichsen points me to a new site by Phil Terry: Fun not Fear. " ... The science and math behind 'bad news' With the "fun not fear" Facebook campaign, we are combatting the culture of fear with good news, good acts and a focus on the importance of everyday creativity ... ". Many have probably heard of this, but once again Phil puts together a good idea. Goal to get " ... 1,234,567 Facebook members by April 1, 2009 (then we go for 128 million by Jan 30, 2010) ... "

Common Craft Explanatory Videos

My colleague Walter Riker (see his Ease of Blogging site) sends along a link to the site Common Craft.  " ... little 3 minute videos for explanation on technology for fun and have not figured out how to monetize it. The video's are fun and have a neat way of dealing with explanations ... " .   I took at a few of these and they are very nicely done.  it is often useful to have simple explanations at the ready  in the enterprise.

About Common Craft - Who We Are (And What We Do) We Make Video

Our videos may surprise you. They're short and simple. They use paper cut-outs. They cover subjects "in Plain English." But lurking under the simple surface are lessons that have been crafted with great care. Despite our fun and lighthearted style, we take explanation seriously ... "

IDEO and Fun in Innovation

From Innovation Excellence via Linkedin:  A look at IDEO, asking why the fun has not spread.  Worked with IDEO a number of times, including our work at the Innovation Centers and GYM.  Always interesting collaborations, often useful.  Applied fun in innovation is a good idea.  Making it useful is often difficult.

ABC Algorithm Example

Most interesting, will take a further look.   Much more detail and images at the link.

How to Apply Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm to Solve Unconventional Problems

Solve a puzzle for fun. Learn a new Algorithm. Win-win. Full code.

Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) Algorithm, covered in my last article, is quite flexible but is it flexible enough to solve an unconventional problem; a logic puzzle? The answer turns out to be “why not?”. So, we’ll go into detail about how to model and solve it. Going through this process might perhaps help you to look at other problems and make better-informed business decisions.

The unconventional problem for this article is the Match stick puzzle, inspired by the Mensa calendar. The objective is to burn the match sticks to get the specified number of burned segments in each column and row.

We will solve this using the ABC Algorithm.

Explored Solutions during the solution process. Image by the Author.

Why a match stick

At AAXIS Digital, my colleagues and I routinely encounter and solve complex business problems that need out-of-the-box thinking. As well, I am part of a vibrant and active community of engineers and puzzle lovers called the Rowdy Riddlers. So, for business and pleasure, you can say logic problems are my jam.

I encountered this puzzle at the Rowdy Riddlers group. If you think it should be solved manually; I agree. We did and it was fun. But solving it computationally, in my opinion, is a fun and worthwhile exercise.

A wise man once said, “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” While there is wisdom in that old adage, I believe ABC Algorithm is more like a swiss army knife that you can use to solve different types of problems. The more we look at different examples of its application, the better we will get at recognizing patterns in our everyday optimization problems which will enable us to make better-informed business decisions.

Burn baby burn

Now that I hopefully have you convinced this is a worthwhile task, let’s take a look at the puzzle in a little more detail. To recap, the objective is to “burn” the match sticks to get the specified total number of burned segments in each column and row. Let’s take a gander.  .... ' 

Fun Theory from Volkswagen

Via IFTF: The Fun Theory Site. Some ongoing contests for innovations in this space.

' ... This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better ... '

Gamification for Productivity

 Current re-look at gamification.   We did a brief trial of using gamification for crowd sourced problem solving.   Not productivity, but for potential originality in solutions.  No pressure to participate.  You did have to have some background knowledge to be invited.   

Are we having fun (at work) yet?  in Strategy-Business

Games or contests meant to inject some motivation and productivity into the workday can backfire if employees feel pressured to take part.

Anybody who’s endured a tense Scrabble night with their family or been picked last for the team at school knows that “friendly” competition isn’t always fun and games. What might seem like endless amusement to some can be a source of anxiety to others. Nevertheless, in an effort to boost performance, lighten the mood, or relieve the tedious nature of repetitive work, many managers are introducing game-playing to the workplace, typically in the form of app-based competitions.

by Angela Lester and Claudia Montgomery

This so-called gamification of work has caught on in several fields, including retail, banking, and human resources. It’s been hailed as a way to keep employees more engaged and focused (especially those in younger generations who grew up playing video games). The appeal is obvious: Research shows that job satisfaction is the key to employee happiness and engagement, and engaged workers tend to be dynamic, supportive, and committed at work. Engaged employees also deliver higher-quality customer service and are less likely to quit, which cuts down on organizational turnover costs  ... '

Amazon Announces Gadget Alexa Tools

Been impressed by what Amazon is doing to support Devs.   Still nothing I would call breakthrough intelligence.    Waiting for that.

Amazon's new Alexa Gadgets Toolkit lets Alexa have some toy-friendly fun

Robots that can lip sync Alexa's speech? Disco balls that sparkle whenever you say the wake word? Amazon's new software makes it possible.   By    Ry Crist in CNET

Amazon has already made a point of making it as easy as possible for developers to build their own Alexa devices. Now, the online megaretailer wants to do the same thing for devices that work with Alexa -- and it wants to teach those gadgets some fun new tricks aimed at taking them to the next level.

To do so, Amazon is launching the Alexa Gadgets Toolkit, a new set of software tools designed for third-party gadgets that connect with Amazon's Echo devices via Bluetooth. Developers who put the toolkit to work will be able to take advantage of four new features. Here's how Amazon describes them: ... " 

AI for Handwriting Skills

 Always looking for things that will look for patterns that need to be selectively taught.  Here a good example, teaching children to improve handwriting.  Other examples?  Coding?  AI Management?

Innovative application helps students learn to write

EPFL startup School Rebound has developed a revolutionary application that uses artificial intelligence to help students improve their handwriting in a fun and personalized way. Nearly 15,000 students in Switzerland, France, and Italy are already putting it to work.

Handwriting problems affect nearly 25% of children aged 5 to 12. These problems, if not managed early on, can negatively impact them throughout their school years. EPFL startup School Rebound has provided a concrete solution to this problem by developing an application that uses tablets and artificial intelligence to better detect potential handwriting problems and support children as they learn. The subscription app is called Dynamilis, and can be used by all children learning to write – with difficulties or without – at home or at school. Dynamilis has already been downloaded more than 10,000 times and will be released soon in England and the United States.

While Dynamilis was free during its testing phase, it switched to a subscription model this past March. After a free trial week, parents, therapists, and schools are offered a monthly or annual subscription. Costs depend on the number of children using the application.

L. Boatto, A. Peguet, T. Asselborn, S. Viquerat, P. Dillenbourg © 2022 Dynamilis / Sven Viquerat

Strengths and weaknesses at a glance

School Rebound was founded in 2021 based on the research done by CEO Thibault Asselborn for his PhD thesis at EPFL’s Computer-Human Interaction in Learning and Instruction Laboratory (CHILI). “Some children have handwriting problems that may stay hidden for months. Because the problems are not obvious, parents and teachers may hesitate to consult specialists,” says Asselborn. “During this time, the students can accumulate learning difficulties as these handwriting problems monopolize their concentration and prevent them from developing other skills. This could cause students to lose confidence and develop significant educational blocks.”

As part of his PhD research, Asselborn helped develop an algorithm that can rapidly analyze a child’s handwriting. The child only has to write for 30 seconds on an iPad with an Apple Pencil for the application to establish their handwriting profile. “The tests we ran in the lab lasted about 20 minutes, but they didn’t take certain factors into account, which may reduce the accuracy of the analyses,” says Asselborn. Dynamilis evaluates dynamic aspects of handwriting that the human eye can’t see such as stability, pressure, speed, and angle. “Our app gives detailed analyses about the motor aspects of handwriting. This can give parents an initial indication before determining whether their child has difficulties with handwriting and, if so, to what degree. If the difficulties surpass a certain level, they’re recommended to go see a specialist.”

Learning dressed up like a game

Based on a child’s handwriting profile, the app recommends personalized activities to practice the fundamental aspects of handwriting – all while playing games. “The in-app tests don’t look like medical tests in the strictest sense,” says Asselborn. “It’s important to have an air of fun to avoid making children feel like they’re taking an exam, which can put them on edge.” The playful aspect during the testing phase is crucial for the School Rebound team and their Chairman, Pierre Dillenbourg, also head of CHILI. “While we were developing Dynamilis, our aim was to help children,” says Dillenbourg. “To do that, we knew we had to go beyond a simple handwriting-analysis program and give them activities to support learning and, for the more severe cases, correction. Games are an effective solution for children who are having problems in school because of their issues with handwriting.”  ... ' 

The Near-Term Future of Robots at Home

Have followed the progress of home robotics here for some time. Especially the work by IRobot with their Roomba sweeper and Scooba floor cleaner which were sold for a while at Costco. They have seen some tough times, losing big in the third quarter, but now plan some new ideas. The article linked to below provides some useful hints into their plans. This BW slideshow includes reviews of a number of current robot offerings, for fun and household tasks. Though clever, most of these ideas have only implied autonomy, and still have a way to go.

iRobot: Ready to Clean Up
" ... The Roomba maker says it's readying more robots to do the dirty work of cleaning and the fun work of keeping people connected " We're trying to focus on the chief household officer vs. early adopters, or people who are fascinated by robot technology. We're positioning Roomba as a durable appliance that will give you freedom to do more of what you want to do during the day. As you look at your life inventory, and the amount of time you spend doing things you enjoy vs. those you dislike, we're asking, "How can we show you that robots can give you more freedom in your life?" That messaging, and delivering the goods in the product, is important--that robots aren't things of the future, but very practical today ... "

Game Changing Presentations: Prezi

I was reminded of the Prezi presentation system by a link Jerry Michalski sent me today.   It is an interesting, Cloud based,  unique method to construct visualizations and presentations.  Sometimes called a  'zooming user interface'.  It does have a fun aspect.   The simple animation attracts your attention. Here are a number of examples.   It uses a freemium cost model.   I am looking at the possibility of linking it to mind and concept map demonstrations.  Has anyone out there done that effectively?

See Jerry Michalski's excellent Prezi on other kinds of innovation as an example.  It also has a viewer for the iPad, where I think could be a good and mobile tool.

"  ... Prezi is a cloud-based presentation software that opens up a new world between whiteboards and slides. The zoomable canvas makes it fun to explore ideas and the connections between them. The result: visually captivating presentations that lead your audience down a path of discovery .. " 

More background.

Game that Speeds Language Learning

In the CACM:   Always the kind of gamification that should be of most value, one that turns a difficult, lengthy and tedious effort into obsessive fun.    But how often does this work well?   Where do the game mechanics make the most sense?

" ... In an effort to streamline the process of learning a second language, Cornell University researchers first created a "fun" aspect by adopting a video game format, then boosted the speed of learning by incorporating a social media "chat" function.

The researchers' most recent paper, Social Situational Language Learning through an Online 3D Game, was presented at the recent ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction conference (CHI 2016).

Mark Riedl, associate professor in the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) School of Interactive Computing and director of the university's Entertainment Intelligence Lab, said the Cornell work "parallels my own studies of 'games with a purpose.' While we work with games that crowdsource common-sense knowledge data sets instead of education, we are trying to identify which game mechanics increase player enjoyment and also increase the accuracy of data produced by humans."  .... '   

Wal-Mart Decides on Fun Stories

Akin to Story telling,  Recall my mention of the local grocery chain Jungle Jim's.  Personally I think they should do more in that space to tell fun stories to attract and engage customers. Maybe with screens or ultimately with robotics.  At the right is the monstrous Jungle Jim's Shark.  Not too much of a comes story with it yet.

Do Insects Play with Toys?

Mimicry learnings to be had?

Are these bumble bees playing with toys?

First example of insects seemingly having fun with objects adds to evidence for emotions

27 OCT 2022  11:00 Ambyerik Stokstad

Playtime isn’t just for children. Lab-kept bumble bees roll small wooden balls around for no apparent purpose other than fun, a new study reveals. The finding supports evidence that bees experience pleasure, researchers say, highlighting the importance of protecting them in the wild and treating them well when they’re kept in hives.

“It is super cool,” says Elizabeth Tibbetts, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who was not involved. “We usually think about insects as being so different that they lack sophisticated behaviors.” But not everyone is convinced the behavior is in fact play.

In animals, play helps the brain develop: Fox cubs pretend-fight to learn social skills, for example, and dolphins and whales jump and spin even without predators around. A study in 2006 described behavior in young wasps (Polistes dominula) that looked like play fighting, but whether other insects play hasn’t received much research attention.

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Lars Chittka, a behavioral ecologist at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and author of the recent book The Mind of a Bee, and colleagues stumbled upon the new evidence by accident. The team was studying how bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) learn complex behaviors from their comrades by training the insects to move wooden balls to specific locations. (If a bee moved a ball to the right place, it got a sugary treat.) The researchers noticed that some bees moved the balls even when no reward was offered. “They just seem to like going back to them and fiddling with them and rolling all over the place,” Chittka says.

Samadi Galpayage, then a master’s student at QMUL, was fascinated by the bees' many behaviors. “I couldn't help falling in love with them,” she says. “I stayed on to do a Ph.D. to learn more.”

Galpayage set up what was essentially a single-story apartment for the bees. At one end was the nest, which had a single entryway to a recreation center. The far end of the rec room connected to a cafeteria with an all-you-can-eat supply of pollen and sugar water. ... ' 

Bunchball and IBM

Have had some conversations with gamification vendor IBM.  Good to see they have partnered with IBM Connections.  Exploring how to add game dynamics and fun to user engagement.  " ... For a little more than a year, IBM and Bunchball have been selling an integrated solution that encourages adoption of the enterprise social network by making the initial learning and ongoing use of the platform more fun and engaging. ... " .   I look forward to see more examples from IBM.

Tiny Games

We also experimented with what we called micro games, to engage people that visited a web site.  But also to get consumers to solve little problems, trading small creative efforts for fun.  Here micro games are tailored for multiple occasions.  " ... A game for every occasion is the premise behind Tiny Games--a mobile app that reinvents the Victorian parlor game while challenging current gaming convention with its promise of fun social games for users to play when they're out and about in the real world. ... " 

Humor That Works

Former Colleague Andrew Tarvin,  of Humor that Works,  is giving a webinar in January for the P&G Alumni network.    Thought I would give him a shout out .... check out his space.  We need more humor.

https://www.humorthatworks.com/

Andrew Tarvin is the world’s first Humor Engineer teaching people how to get better results while having more fun. He has worked with thousands of people at 250+ organizations, including P&G, GE, and Microsoft.

Today’s world is constantly driving towards greater efficiency. The only problem is that you can’t be efficient with humans because they have “emotions” and “feelings.” And those feelings get in the way of greater productivity. The key is to focus on effectiveness.

This webinar will teach you how to accomplish your goals and not just complete a task. Combining elements of leadership, emotional intelligence, and software engineering, attendees will walk away knowing how to work effectively with the most challenging resource there is: humans.

Presenter Bio:
Andrew Tarvin is the world’s first Humor Engineer teaching people how to get better results while having more fun. He has worked with thousands of people at 250+ organizations, including P&G, GE, and Microsoft.

Prior to starting his company, Humor That Works, Andrew was an IT project manager for Procter & Gamble and the self-proclaimed Corporate Humorist of the company. During his time at P&G, he worked for R&D and engineering in Cincinnati, for P&G Prestige in NYC, and wrote a terrible rap jingle for Pringles.

He is a best-selling author, has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and TEDx, and has delivered programs in 50 states, 20 countries, and 4 continents. He loves the color orange and is obsessed with chocolate. ..... 

Thanks,
P&G Alumni Network