Leading a gameful work from home culture - simple approaches a leader can take to motivate and engage employees remotely. * Key benefits of a gameful remote working culture * How to transition from workplace fun to remote fun * Why you should be a selfless game playing leader * Choosing synchronous or asynchronous play with your teams

1. Leading a gameful work from home culturePete Jenkins
CEO, Gamification+ Ltd

2. About Pete
CEO – GAMIFICATION+ LTD (BOFTA 2018 Award Winner)
Export Champion – Department for International Trade
Honorary Ambassador - GamFed
Lecturer - University of Brighton
Chair - Gamification Europe Conference
Founder - Gamification Awards
Ambassador - Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce
Guest Lecturer – King’s College London & ESCP Europe

3. The Plan
Look at some simple approaches a leader can take to
motivate and engage employees remotely.
1. Key benefits of a gameful remote working culture
2. How to transition from workplace fun to remote fun
3. Why you should be a selfless game playing leader
4. Choosing synchronous or asynchronous play with your
teams
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

4. Key benefits of a gameful
remote working culture
"EMPLOYEES FEEL THAT GAMIFICATION MAKES THEM MORE PRODUCTIVE (87 %),
MORE ENGAGED (84%) AND HAPPIER (82%) AT WORK."

5. To my parents who said staying home and playing
video games would never prepare you for the real
world. Check mate.
Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash

6. Gameful
company
culture
• A playful business
culture leads to higher
morale*
• It can help employees
feel a sense of
belonging.
Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash
* https://www.jobmonkey.com/employer-insights/play-more-games-at-the-office/

7. Video Games
Can Make You
Less Anti-
Social*
“gamers who partake in
live social environments
are actually the most
communicative and
friendly people there”
Photo by Stem List on Unsplash* https://www.gamedesigning.org/why-video-games-are-good/

8. Game playing
increases
creativity*
• Exposed to
imaginative worlds
• Challenges your
problem solving skills
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
* https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2011/video-game-playing-tied-to-creativity/

9. How to transition from workplace fun to remote fun
WHETHER IT WAS PLAYING WITH LEGO OR SITTING IN THE CONSOLE CORNER TOGETHER – HOW DO
WE NOW TAKE PLAY REMOTE?

10. What did your team play at work?

11. Workplace
games mean
different things
to different staff
• To me: foosball meant
a mental break (while
being super
competitive of course)
• To others: a chance to
bond, chat and catch
up
Photo by Bao Truong on Unsplash

12. What remote
games do you
need?
• Exciting ones - mental
release & competitive
• Bonding ones –
cooperative games &
shared failures
• Learning ones – word
& puzzle games
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

13. How do you find replacement games?
ASK YOUR STAFF – THEY SHOULD ENJOY THE HUNT

14. Why you should be
a selfless game
playing leader
HOW MANY LEADERS DO YOU KNOW WHO ARE
COMPETITIVE?

15. Made a mistake with Vasilis
I chose the game I enjoyed (Battle for Polytopia) - I was too good

16. Got it right with Kira
She chose the game and she wiped the floor with me

17. Be prepared to
play anything
• You need to show
playing is allowed, is
fun, and that you are
prepared to back your
staff choices
• Fostering more trust
and autonomy into
the remote working
situation here as well
aren’t we This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

18. Choosing
synchronous or
asynchronous
play with your
teams
• PLAY AT THE SAME
TIME
• TURN BASED

19. What’s the difference?
SYNCHRONOUS
Happening or done at the same time or speed:
i.e. Using Kahoot! For a virtual pub quiz over
Zoom
ASYNCHRONOUS
Not happening or done
at the same time or
speed:
i.e. Taking turns in
Words with Friends
Image source:
https://kahoot.com/blog/2020/03/27/z
oom-kahoot-remote-teams-culture/
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under
CC BY-SA

20. Pros and cons
Synchronous:
◦ Increased excitement
◦ Heightened social
experience
Asynchronous:
◦ Practical around working
hours
◦ Full autonomy for staff
(choosing when and
where they work and
play)
Source: http://quanticfoundry.com/2016/07/21/social-gaming/

21. Practical work
example – not
just about games
https://jell.com/for-remote-teams

22. A design method to get you started –
the player journey
Discovery Onboarding
Habit
Building
Mastery
You can design a gamified experience for your next team meeting. How an AD&D inspired meeting might
look:
1. Discovery – create some suspense around your next meeting
2. Onboarding – send some preparatory material, set the scene – let attendees know what to expect
3. Habit Building – get each person to take on a different role during the meeting: chronicler (minute taker),
professional cynic, blind optimist, this first time you are the dungeon master…
4. Mastery – celebrate the successful meeting, send a certificate (I just receive my professional cynic
certificate badge) or a virtual item, give them XP

23. Recommended games to play
https://gamificationawards.org/blog/the-gamification-awards-games-directory/

24. Join the Gameful
Leadership Guild
• A weekly online meeting *
• Facilitated by Pete Jenkins
• In small group(s)
• For leaders wanting to implement a Gameful remote
working culture
• Action learning approach in a confidential space
• Cost usually £500/month
• First 10 places are half price at £250/month
* Moves to meeting monthly after the initial sprint during
COVID-19 situation
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

25. Thank you for playing
CONTACT PETE
pete.jenkins@gamificationplus.uk
https://gamificationplus.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenkinspete/
https://twitter.com/petejenkins
https://www.instagram.com/petejenkins/
BOOK A FREE 20 MINUTE VIDEO CALL WITH
PETE
https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/GamificationLtd1
@gamificationplus.uk/bookings/