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Signpost 29

Work which is aligned with its environment does not require added meaning.

Signpost 29

In a nutshell:

Some organisations use gamification to make routine tasks seem more exciting by framing them as personal quests or opportunities to win rewards. While this approach can add purpose to otherwise mundane tasks, meaningful work in a well-designed workplace should not require such external motivations to engage employees.

Key Chapter: 25

• 29.1 Adding meaning, if not purpose, to help people undertake routine tasks are sometimes used by some organisations to rebrand the mundane as exciting. For example, in lieu of going to the office every day, we are offered a chance to be a hero every day, see a clear path to success, engage in personal quest-based narratives and win prizes at work. Such is the offering of a company using “all the mechanisms and strategies that make games exciting and addictive to sustainably drive employee engagement, learning, and performance” an approach known as gamification. p.91

• 29.2 Gamification can add purpose to otherwise meaningless tasks, but doing meaningful work in a properly designed workplace should not need gamification. p.91

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