Gamification in the Workplace – Wordle for the Win

Ok, we don’t really have a word game for you to play here, but the fact that you clicked to play proves the point we will make here… GAMIFICATION WORKS! 

You raced here with the hopes of dominating another game that gives you instant gratification and keeps you coming back time and again. That behavior is not exclusive to the game of Wordle, which hosts gamification at its core to draw in daily, repetitive players who not only show up for their task, but also encourage everyone around them to play (AKA compete) with them.

The draw and motivation from gamification extends to many industries and practices far outside the bounds of guessing a word. Researchers are using gamification to break addiction cycles, and educators are boasting the success of and need for their having a digital gamification application for their lessons.

The craze over a seemingly easy and fun game with a daily task like Wordle might sound like a fad, but the science behind your drive to play doesn’t lie, which is the driving force behind our INhabit software.

So, our having implemented gamification into our software designed for professional service industries like legal begs the question of WHY it works and HOW it works for business development in your particular industry.

We’re here to answer those very questions!

Why Gamification Works

Gamification is essentially motivation, like the motivation needed to successfully complete daily or regularly recurring tasks we don’t really want to do. This drive and initiative is powered by a chemical signal in our brain that releases dopamine (that feel-good factor). In essence, your brain releases dopamine when you experience something enjoyable, even in the smallest sense of the word, but especially when it comes to large-scale happiness like receiving a reward.

This release of dopamine doesn’t just occur when you complete a rewarding task. Repetitive enjoyment of a task trains your brain to anticipate your next “happy” move, triggering your brain to release that feel-good fuel BEFORE you even begin the task that will reward you.

This stands to reason that the receipt of an unexpected recognition for your work produces even MORE dopamine, meaning…

The more our brains complete recurring tasks that bring us the reward of “winning” for the day or bring us closer to reaching an end-goal over time, the more we stay motivated, which is exactly what the gamification aspect of recurring tasks does.

You can probably see where we’re going with this next bit on HOW gamification works for professional service industries’ marketing and business development initiatives, but let’s dive in, anyway.

Gamification for Business Development

If we know one thing about lawyers and professionals in other similar service industries, we know they love to compete, even against themselves.

Law school is basically a way less fun and far less magical Hogwarts Tournament, right? You’re given tasks and goals you don’t entirely want to do, even though you know the tasks are for your betterment, preparing you to reach a successful end goal. You’re competing against classmates, against yourself, and are looking for those high marks and praises to maintain your motivation.

This same motivation tactic is included in our INhabit software because it alleviates the universal struggle of not wanting to complete or prioritize seemingly mundane tasks such as business development initiatives, despite knowing the completion of those tasks are crucial for your firm’s success.

Our INhabit software uses gamification strategies to help you track BD efforts while creating accountability, providing intuitive reminders for follow-up, and procuring data to demonstrate return on investment through a fun and competitive online teaming platform.

Speaking of data – the numbers speak for themselves when it comes to implementing gamification in your daily work, and even Forbes touts gamification as a vehicle to motivate workers and create a happier working environment.

INhabit provides real-time views of individual and team efforts, as well as a reporting function to gain a more in-depth analysis of opportunities and achievements that attribute to defined goals – AKA every firm’s dream.

We know that gamification is a literal game-changer, and we’ve explained a little bit about why and how gamification in INhabit will help you meet, exceed, and grow your business development goals, but we’re always here to explain more.

Reach out to one of our flock to find out how a fun and addictive spin on BD can lead to overwhelming success for your firm.