How to develop a game
From Supermarket Sweep to Escape Rooms, DataIQ members have created and developed a variety of data-themed games, with examples utilising a data value chain as the basis for the game. These games involve a series of puzzles for participants to solve; some working in parallel with others, some chronological.
These puzzles can be split in two separate sections where participants can only unlock the second set after completing the first. The first puzzle is working out which information and data is needed, but all the data is locked. This is where the second puzzle comes into play: participants need to figure out which information is worth unlocking.
This structure can work as the base for many styles of game with the result being curated by the data leader of an organisation to highlight specific needs to that business. Once the game is completed, it is imperative to explain that what the group just completed is what the data team must do for every problem and request posed to them. This will provide a proper definition of a value chain to improve future requests while providing a lived experience for the player to help make the message stick.
Benefits of gamification
For years, CDOs and data teams have been developing data literacy academies and training to improve organisational fluency. While this is incredibly important, the traditional paths to encourage engagement in these programmes are not always effective. Approaching from a gamification angle by creating a lived experience and demonstrating the data function in an immersive and fun way can ensure the insight and understanding required can be understood and maintained in the future.
These initiatives and gamification have been shown to improve the amount of detail in initial requests and increase understandings of data timelines, helping to manage expectations.
The importance of executive engagement and competition
A crucial highlight is that data games are not only for data teams; they open to everyone. To encourage people to engage with gamification it is imperative to lead by example by having Executives get involved. One DataIQ member launched their developed game at a larger data event and had executives pitch separate teams. The best results were when executives chose teammates outside of their own function, highlighting how people from all areas within the company are required to work together to achieve greatness.
Not only does having the executives complete the game encourage others to follow their example but pitting C-suite leaders against others provides a competitive spirit within the company. This competitive spirit can be enhanced by having leaderboards that people can track, as well as providing personas, badges, and other gimmicks like laptop stickers. As DataIQ members can attest, even the most seasoned data leaders are big kids inside who relish the opportunity to play games and win prizes.
While developing and delivering data academies is hugely important for improving data literacy within an organisation, engagement is essential to make the academy successful. Gamification to engage the other functions within the company is one of the best ways to achieve long-term involvement. Value chain-themed puzzles can put the organisation in the shoes of the data team in a subtle and entertaining way while securing the message of what the data team does for each department’s success.
By securing gamification engagement from C-level executives, data leaders will be able to improve input from all areas of the organisation leading to long-term success for gamified initiatives and data academies.
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