Work as a Game? For Real? Yes … Really!

Several months ago our blog post “Whose Job Is It Anyway” received a number of interesting comments from readers.  Among them were several that took the message to heart.  Readers reported looking at their jobs in terms of what the impact on their growth and success might be if they were to rely on themselves alone to bring about their own gains in both rewards and satisfaction. In recent months we have had the opportunity to work with several clients who many of us would see in enviable position.  Why?  Because they  make a lot of money.  As a result they have the means of pursuing just about any whim that strikes them.  And yet, their love of the game is the driver that has them continue to take it higher and thus reap the added rewards. I would imagine that to many this sounds quite unrealistic.  We play games outside of work for that’s where they belong.  A sport, TV’s game shows, board games or made-up games provides us with relaxation, challenge and just plain fun.  Work is different.  It’s serious and definitely NOT a place for games.  Are you sure?  What happens if we simply get curious?  The question then becomes what might happen if we were to apply the idea of a ‘game’ to our work?

• How would we play harder?
• What would we do to become more skillful in the various aspects of what we do?
• Who would we identify to mentor us in our drive to the next level?
• With whom will we share our desire to win at a higher level?
•  What is the single most valued benefit to us of taking our game higher and higher?
• How does continuing to change the work game in terms of our goals and our approach help us to maintain our interest in what we are doing … something that accounts for the majority of our waking hours each week?
• How does this ‘win’ impact our lives and our happiness?

Of course I can’t guarantee anything.  What I can promise is that applying the concept of making our work like competing in a game just might provide us with the added element that will make our pursuit of winning at the game of work the very thing that rewards us in any form we desire.   We’re already doing the hard part of doing our jobs.  Even games are hard so why not?  After all, whose job is it anyway?
Mike Dorman