Gamification Mechanic Monday: Help a friend
Helping a friend is a game mechanic you will often find in casual games to achieve either a next level, unlock a gateway, add to your farm or city, or simply donate a life, so your friend can play on. The whole idea is that playing together and collaborating is more fun. I have to say I often feel apprehensive to ask friends for help too often in games, but to unlock key milestones I do tend to be fully committed, because I feel I earned it. Some friends of mine seem to have set help requests on autopilot and no matter how often you help, two minutes later they are back asking for more. So if we feel this in a game situation, when looking for help in a work situation may become even more tricky.
A lot of people in work would have the impression that admitting the need for help is a weakness or lack of knowledge; however when systems can be put in place to make this acceptable for the greater good of achieving team goals for example this can have a very positive influence. Collaboration and achieving team goals is ultimately what a lot of companies want to create. Gamification can assist, when the structure of collaboration counts towards team goals as opposed to individual goals. Resource allocation to goals and projects is a fine art to get right, imagine that the individuals in the team can actually decide how to allocate their time and the team goals are already prioritised to assist their decision making. Positive reinforcement to everyone as opposed to just the individual often encourages teams pulling together. If this is combined with people working to their strengths, you are in a position to create high performing teams.
In gamification this would mean you have visible team goals, also visible strengths and then projects which need a combination of skills. Resource statistics like you see in multi-player online games can give good insights and potentially help you as the player who you would team up for specific tasks and projects. Celebration is for all involved when the win is made.
Where have you seen gamification to suggest collaboration for team goals?
