Most Important Leadership Quality for CEO's Creativity
"The Psychology of Play
Any small business can use people's love of games to build brand engagement and loyalty."
"THE HAPPINESS CULTURE: ZAPPOS ISN'T A COMPANY -- IT'S A MISSION
TONY HSIEH SOLD EARTHWORMS, GREETING CARDS, AND SLICES OF PIZZA. ALONG THE WAY, HE NEVER CONSIDERED THAT A FAILED BUSINESS MEANT HE WAS A FAILURE. THEN, THE GUY WHO WORE THE SAME PAIR OF SHOES FOUNDED ZAPPOS. TODAY, TONY SAYS IT'S ALL ABOUT HAPPINESS, AND HE'S GOT THE BUSINESS TO PROVE IT."
The thing about Zappos is that it really might be a model for a new way to build and run a business.
Okay, now that seems like a stretch at first glance for an on-line etailer who's major claim to fame is that they sell a ton of shoes. But if you read the Zappos CEO's new book, Delivering Happiness, you may come to believe that Tony Hsieh (pronounced: Shay) is really on to something.
"Value of Play in Society
We have considered how play affects us individually, from our individual brain to how to boost our creativity. What happens when we combine this and use these strategies on a larger scale? How are groups affected by play? Consider everything you have learned thus far about play. How might you incorporate it into a workplace setting or even into group work? What might you want to add? What might you be wary of? Would you have any hesitations or specific things to consider in adding in “play”? As you take what you have thought up, read below about how different companies have added in “play” opportunities, and note what has worked well, what has not worked, and especially note why.
Dive In
Please make sure to read, watch, and explore all of the linked content in this section.
The relationship between rewards and performance
It turns out that the relationship between rewards and performance is somewhat surprising. We may think that rewarding people highly for their accomplishments leads to better accomplishments, but this is not always true. Did you know that large rewards can lead people to perform more poorly at certain types of tasks, time and time again? For a snapshot into how this relates to autonomy, mastery, and purpose watch this video from RSA Animate:
Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us
Fun as a business strategy?
Fun as a business strategy? Who would have thought? This article captures the importance of talking the talk and walking the walk with workplace playgrounds. Read the article here.
Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivation
Ever wish you were able to have full control, be creative, and do things that you like to do at work? Find out how some businesses have adopted new operating systems that do just that.
TED Talk: Dan Pink- The Puzzle of Motivation
Play Encourages Innovation & Collaboration
Fun, play and creativity can encourage innovation and collaboration. Read on to find out how Google provides their employees with workspaces and areas that promote collaboration and innovation. Read the article here.
Latest Game Theory: Mixing Work and Play
Would you like to play games as part of your job? This article explores how companies are using “gamification” in a variety of ways to motivate employees and make the 9-5 workday a little less boring. Read the article here.
Things to consider
Consider all that you have read and watched. When you are using play to motivate others, what are the important considerations to remember? How can you add in play to boost productivity? What do you think is the importance of adding play in? Workplaces are offering more freedoms and flexibility, such as letting employees work from home. How can this be accomplished with employees still meeting their deadlines and expectations for their performance? How about applying this to student life: Does freedom and flexibility help or hinder your performance? Finally, how does bringing in “play” elements relate to this?
References:
Pink, D. (2009, July). Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation [Video file] . Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html
Rodriguez, R. (2013). Goofing off on company time? Go for it. CNN Living. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/29/living/play-at-work-irpt
Silverman, R. (2011). Latest Game Theory: Mixing Work and Play. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204294504576615371783795248.html
Stewart, J. (2013). Looking for a Lesson in Google’s Perks. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/16/business/at-google-a-place-to-work-and-play.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&"
More and more businesses are using gamification to create brand awareness and drive user engagement.
Gartner, Inc. predicts that more than 70% of Global 2000 organizations will have at least one gamified application by 2014.
In the last few years, we’ve also seen an increase in the number of companies that deliver gamification services and solutions including Bunchball, BigDoor Media, Badgeville and Gigya.
“Gamification typically involves applying game design thinking to non-game applications to make them more fun and engaging.” (From Gamification Wiki)