Gamifying Mundane and Innovative Processes

Lauren Carlson contacted me a few days ago to point out some posts in her Software Advice blog.  She originally posted a very good introductory note about the idea of Gamification for sales force automation.  In particular looking at the aspects  of using badge type rewards.   Not an area where we had tried to use the idea.  I have mentioned we had used the general gamify idea for solving tough problems which could use human interaction to generate alternative innovative solutions.  Most were adopted later by altering them using design considerations.

Then Vincent Beerman, followed with some more useful ideas about the concept,  he is the Director of Development for SpectrumDNA, a Social Loyalty and Gamification Agency. Spectrum designs and builds Social Loyalty Programs (SLPs) that drive profitable transactions by fusing classic loyalty mechanics with game dynamics into apps that ignite the social graph.  This work was new to me.

Altogether the beginning of an interesting conversation.  Beerman writes:

 " ... By applying game dynamics to SFA (sales force automation)  initiatives, managers can highlight the intrinsic rewards of helping others on the team through social indicators while providing the right extrinsic rewards for more mundane tasks. The rank and recognition game mechanic has driven the success of eBay, iTunes and Stack Overflow.   ... Gamification does not mean ‘to make a game.’ The art of gamification leverages the science of human motivation to highlight intrinsic motivators and supplement measurable action with extrinsic rewards and recognition in order to optimize experience and productivity. ... "

Read the whole thing, very good, a manifesto for those seeking to sell management on Gamification.  Not always easy.  I am struck to how much gamification can take up some of the aspects of industrial simulation and predictive analytics.  Its all about applying abductive methods to test out new, innovative methods that exist, un harvested,  in the minds of all our employees. Extracting them can be made to be fun.

Am continuing an exploration of the topic of gamification, more will be posted here in the coming week.  Want to collaborate in further evolving the use of gamiication in the enterprise? Join in the comments if you like.