# Team motivation through gamification
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**We humans are programmed to be motivated by rewards. So-called ‘gamification’ makes use of this instinct. The mechanism of appealing to people’s natural instinct to play can be applied in a variety of ways in the business world. Thorsten Niemeyer is a gamification specialist. He knows how to motivate users to use software or carry out specific tasks. But what about process documentation? Can gamification help transform a paper tiger into a dynamic, up-to-date [to produce process documentation](../../en/process-documentation/index.md)? He spoke about this on „hsp live at 11“ with Paul Liese.**

Like so many young people, Thorsten Niemeyer spent a lot of time playing computer games. He first came across the term „gamification“ at a conference whilst studying electrical engineering. But it wasn’t until some time later that he began to explore the subject in real depth. Today, he is constantly furthering his knowledge, including through the work of gamification guru Yu-kai Chou, one of the pioneers and leading figures in the field. Thorsten explains the term „gamification“ in a single sentence as follows: “Gamification is the application of game elements and mechanics in non-game contexts.”

Thorsten wants to use gamification techniques to encourage people to carry out activities for the sake of the activity itself. The aim here is actually the journey, rather than the reward that awaits the participant only upon reaching the finish line – such as money or a medal. This mechanism can be incorporated into software to make everyday, particularly repetitive, tasks more entertaining. Accordingly, the key question is: How can intrinsic \(i.e. self-generated\) motivation be stimulated to encourage positive behaviour?

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## The urge to play as a mindset topic

Thorsten uses self-coaching as an example. Via [Gamification](../../en/team-motivation-gamification/index.md) The aim is to encourage people to reflect on their own lives. Aspects such as stress, activities, relationships and distractions are examined. People can address these issues using gamification tools. For example, by choosing for themselves which methods to use when tackling tasks. Successes and improvements automatically motivate them to carry on. In addition, there is the aspect of purpose – that is, looking at and understanding the bigger picture: why am I doing this? These mechanisms can also be applied to software.

Studies show that people actually perform worse on creative tasks when the reward consists solely of money or similar incentives. The reason: people are driven more by intrinsic motivation than by external incentives. A taxi driver drives to their destination with moderate motivation for the sake of money, whilst the amateur racing driver goes full throttle for first place without earning a single cent. However, making repetitive tasks appealing through gamification requires good ideas. One element could be continuous feedback.

## Gamification as a tool

So how does Thorsten advise companies on gamification? First and foremost, he focuses on the benefits. He would not offer his services to a gambling platform. The next step is about building habits. Over time, people should develop an internal, intrinsic trigger. This means that in certain situations they should automatically use the product – for example, using a specific piece of software when faced with a particular problem. According to Thorsten, this internal trigger is built up through external triggers such as notifications and emails. With repeated exposure, the recipients of such external triggers gradually develop this automatic response – in other words, the internal trigger.

This raises the question: how do companies benefit from using software with gamification elements? Thorsten explains this using documentation software as an example. Motivating software encourages staff to keep documentation up to date on a regular basis and to continually work on optimising it. This, in turn, ensures that the documentation is usable and can be utilised for process optimisation. Successes such as these create a sense of reward among employees and lead to satisfied customers. In short: companies can benefit greatly from gamification.

## Using feedback to boost productivity

Ultimately, feedback is far more motivating than a simple points system. But what role does the social aspect play? Of course, it matters to compare oneself with colleagues’ achievements, says Thorsten. However, it’s not just about competing with one another. Gamification mechanisms can also be used to encourage team members to give each other feedback and motivate one another. Status can be awarded and built up through this. So it’s not necessarily about the reward or the status itself, but what these mean in the social context within the team.

Can gamification methods really motivate everyone? Thorsten can only give the famous favourite answer of all lawyers: ‘It depends.’ As a gamification consultant, at the start of every project he asks: ‘Who am I doing this for? Who is the target audience?’ The next step is to identify specific drivers for specific people. The strongest motivators can be status and recognition, knowledge and education, or fears. With a homogeneous group of people who share a major common motivator, the majority can be catered for; however, there are always individuals who do not fit the mould.

## The two poles of gamification

The two extremes of gamification are explicit and implicit. On the one hand, the gamification element can be incorporated into software in an extremely obvious way, for example through its visual design and presentation. On the other hand, it is also possible that users may not even realise at first that the software contains gamification elements and reward systems. However, Thorsten also points out that the boundaries are fluid and that there are countless nuances between the two extremes.

All of this can also be done at the [Preparation of procedural documentation](../../en/process-documentation-2/index.md) be used. Whether it’s status or feedback – certain motivators can make the documentation process more engaging.

Our collaboration with Thorsten and hsp will begin in January. Anyone interested should definitely follow hsp’s social media channels.