Learning Innovations- Gamification
I've been through many meetings, workshops, and development sessions. Some have been amazing, and others have missed the mark. Usually, when a training misses the mark, it is because there was no well-defined goal, no buy-in from participants, and/or the content was not relevant or inspiring.
The trick in continuous development of capability is ensure that it is relevant and engaging. Too often people close their minds to the idea of capability and enablement. They’ve “seen” it all, and “know” it all.
One of the best approaches to combat that kind of apathy is gamification.
What better way to engage people than through a game? The goal of gamification "is to maximize enjoyment and engagement though capturing the interest of learners and inspiring them to continue learning" (Wikipedia- "Gamification of learning"). Play is an important development tool in children, and we are becoming more aware of its importance throughout life. Games release our inner desire to compete and win, and they create a connection to the content that can increase retention and buy-in.
The biggest drawback of gamification, as I have seen first-hand as a participant, is missing the forest for the trees- getting too caught up in creating a “game” that it loses relevancy and/or impact. Great that they had fun…but did they walk away with the skill and knowledge they needed to? Having a clear goal and relevant content along the way will ensure your gamification is successful.
In my experience, gamification is better than a traditional role play, which is often contrived and inauthentic. Typical role-play puts participants in a difficult situation without the intended learning outcome.
The Traditional Role-Play Dilemma:
If the “customer” is too hard on the “sales person”, it can create tension between them in real life. (“Why were you that way? You made it impossible, and I looked bad as a result”)
If the “customer” is too easy, then it is too unrealistic (how many interactions are so smooth?)
The “customer” needs to constantly refer to their “persona” card to ensure they get all the nuances, and may not be able to accurately portray the persona, leading to an awkward exchange with little value.
The “sales person” needs to follow a rigid flow of acceptable behavioral steps (rigid selling framework without flexibility for individual preferences and customers) that often pigeonholes the “sales person” into an experience that is more scripted than authentic.
It is my contention, that time spent on role-play would be better spent on alternate activities that require people to build those skills in real-life.
For example- if you want to teach your sales team how to build a relationship through connecting with customers, it is infinitely more valuable to have them break off in to groups and “get to know” each other. Then, through natural conversational flow, take 3-5 minutes to find 2 or 3 other people with whom you have something interesting in common. Not hair color, not job- something deeper; such as first car, first concert, a mom with the same name; etc.
Innovation will need to be ongoing in a learning environment in order to keep people engaged, and skills building relevant. You should expect to tweak multiple times before finding the formula that works for your current situation. Incorporating these innovations correctly, and continuously improving upon them is imperative.
It's a dynamic world without a one-size-fits-all solution, but that's what draws so many to the field, and pushes innovation...and where I find excitement.
