No manager ever says, “Let’s make our company a boring place to work.” Yet, many do exactly that. To instill more fun and excitement into work, design jobs so they feel more like games.
This means providing a sharply focused, urgent goal and a very tight deadline. Set up autonomous teams and encourage them to experiment. Even long-term goals can be broken into smaller game-like chunks. Think 10 or 15 weeks instead of 6 months of a year. For each goal, ask a team to plan an approach and carry it out. The whole effort should encourage creativity. Most importantly, take note of and celebrate successes along the way.
Adapted from “Make the Job a Game” by Robert H. Schaffer.
