I’ve been thinking a lot about the games we play. Gamification is more than just play

Some would say that life is a game. No, not the board game, LIFE. The rules are not very clear, and many of us find we’re lousy players… but I find hope in the idea that when I learn the rules, and practice playing, I win.

I sum it up with this quip:

If you can tell the difference between work and play, you aren’t doing one of them right”

So what about gamification of the things we call work?

Salesforce.com Chief Scientist JP Rangaswami talks about going beyond sticking a few game ideas into existing work flows and calling it gamification. He says:

“putting the lipstick of gamification on the pig of work.”

The gamification of work is going to take a while. In many cases, it means looking at process that have worked well for decades, identifying where we can do better and redesigning jobs.

I think this innovation will prove to be a huge wave of increased productivity for those who do it. The things we’re calling social media today are the tools to change our business. In a few years, we’ll be just calling it the way we do business.

As we continue in this revolution, what games will you be playing?