Almost all of us love to play games. Toddlers are intrigued by games of manipulating colorful shapes. Seniors crowd bingo halls. Every generation plays games of skill and games of chance from chess to backgammon to tic-tac-toe. Games can be social events, team events or solitary challenges. We watch games filled with vicarious thrills on reality TV. Games are part of the fabric of our lives and have a place in business also.

Most games can be broken down into three parts: a challenge, a strategy, and a reward. Surprisingly most business endeavors consist of the same three parts: challenge, strategy, and reward. Yet when we approach a challenge in a work context, we normally think of it as work rather than fun. But what happens when we make that task at work into fun by turning it into a game? If it is done thoughtfully, respectfully, and creatively a game can increase staff enjoyment and customer satisfaction.

Is there an undesirable task that must be done? One game oriented manager has everyone in the department (himself included) pick one card from a deck and the unfortunate person who picks the lowest card gets the task.

In a high-pressure atmosphere dealing with fast response shipping one company has developed a game where teams race each other (with points off for errors).

Look at the tasks that your business does. What is dull and repetitious? Can you make a challenge out of it? Within the context of a game atmosphere can your group develop strategies to do that task better? Cheaper? Faster? What will the rewards to the organization are if you can meet the challenge? How will the team members be rewarded when you meet the challenge? If you make it a game and make it fun it will focus attention on the task at hand. Competition can transform individuals into team members who work together better. Spirit and morale is heightened. Productivity is increased.

If work becomes fun (note that I mean serious fun), everyone customers, staff, and management wins the game. Work to make work fun and see what winning feels like.

Larry Galler

Larry Galler has been an owner of three small businesses selling to local, regional, and national markets. Since 1993 he has been coaching and consulting high performance executives, professionals, and owners of small businesses to extraordinary acheivement. He speaks frequently to business groups and has written a weekly newspaper column since 2001. If you want to increase the velocity of your business success, contact Larry for a free coaching session - larry@larrygaller.com .