My third post about motivation is inspired by the second talk I saw Michael Wu deliver recently – the Science of Gamification.
At the heart of gamification is the observation that we avoid work in preference to play. So perhaps if we can introduce elements of the game to the working world, we might be able to influence behaviour to achieve a business purpose.
Wu’s definition: gamification is the use of game mechanics/dynamics to drive game-like engagement and actions in non-game environments (e.g. work, education, exercise, etc.)
My interest was piqued with that mention of engagement… Here we are in the world of motivation once more. Wu demonstrated how gamification dynamics are mirrored throughout behavioural psychology and economics.