All Work and No Play Makes Fewer Opportunities

Since the office is considered a workplace, it isn’t often associated with games or fun. However, it has been found that some games provide significant benefits, especially when they are introduced to a work setting. Here at MyTek, we are committed to watching and helping your business grow, so you can often find strategies here on our blog that you can start using right away for your business. Today, we’re going to talk about what games for the workplace are the most beneficial.

How Games Can Be Used

Classrooms often use games to reinforce the lessons the teachers are putting forth, and it is no different for employers who want their employees to engage with tasks they are learning. Research shows that happiness contributes to hard work, so why not help your employee’s happiness meter go up with some games? Workplaces that encourage playfulness will most likely have decreased stress levels, boosted motivation, an influx in fresh talent, and improved workplace relationships. These games might even encourage collaboration and increased creativity. 

Understanding ‘Gamification’

Incorporating games into your workplace is often referred to as gamification. You may have experienced this before, like through a team-building exercise or an ice breaker. These are just two examples of gamification. 

Some Basic Workplace Games to Start With

If you are wanting to use gamification tactics in your workplace in hopes to reap some of its benefits, you will need to know exactly what you are wanting to accomplish first. Are you wanting to boost communication between separate departments? Are you trying to encourage teamwork? Or, are you wanting a way for your team to destress? While this may feel like you’re overthinking the fun, it is really important to consider what you’re looking to get out of these games. You want to make sure the game you are choosing won’t have the opposite effects and that it will actually help your team. 

Games That Help Company Culture

Here are some spirit boosting games that can be played in your office:

• Two Truths and a Lie – This one almost speaks for itself. Each person will write down three facts about themselves, two true and the other false. The group has to guess which is the lie.
• Secret Mission of the Day – In this game, each employee receives a message lining up the task they will need to do that day. It can be something like slipping in a specific word into a conversation or something else along the same lines. Others in the group need to be on the lookout to see if they can catch the person in their task. If the person slips their weird word in and no one notices, they win.
• Treasure Hunt – A scavenger hunt is always a good way to get a team working together and on their feet. Using riddles and challengers can make it a team-building exercise.

Gamification Can Help Sales

Games can even keep your salespeople competitive. With the use of a quota or point system, as long as it is friendly, your sales team can become motivated to work toward rewards. You can have sales tracked so everyone can keep their eye on the prize. MyTek can help you make sure your team can collaborate and communicate online and make it possible for your whole team to see the sales competition. 

Gamification Can Help Support or Customer Service

Friendly competition can also help customer service support. You’ll need to know your KPI or Key Performance Indicators so your staff knows what they are aiming for, but once you do, games are a great way to reach your goals. 

What games for the workplace do you use? MyTek is here to help with all of your technology needs, so give us a call today at 623-312-2440 to learn more.