People are Players not Pieces Joshua Howard Executive Producer Microsoft Guiding Framework Several Examples Audience Participation Closing Notes Management as Game Design Management as Game Design is NOT ID: 489811
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Slide1
Management as Game Design
People are Players not Pieces
Joshua Howard
Executive Producer, MicrosoftSlide2
Guiding Framework
Several Examples
Audience Participation
Closing NotesSlide3
Management as Game Design
Management as Game Design is NOT
this – a manager moving faceless pieces around a boardSlide4
Management as Game Design
The still
above is from “ET the Extra-Terrestrial”, during a scene where the kids are playing D&D, and the circled one is the DM.
This is from XKCD, and the circled character is playing a DM.Slide5
Management
i
s theGame MasterSlide6
Management is the Game Master
People are players not piecesAlignment around a single purposeNon zero sum gameWe want people to want to playSlide7
Management is the Game Master
You scrum or waterfall the way you choose what roleplaying system to useYou plan a campaign the way you build a development planYou define the goal, but your players/employees have tremendous say in how that goal will be metYou challenge your players/employees, but are completely committed to their successManagement/GM are bothService Through Leadership rolesSlide8
Structure
Look at a management challengeRe-frame it as a game design challengeExplore what game design can teach usCompare that to what management theory would saySlide9
Challenge: Providing Feedback
Without feedback you can’t improveUnless there is feedback its hard to know if you are doing a good jobWithout feedback the manager and the employee may or may not be on the same pageBut giving good feedback can be difficult…Slide10
What do games tell us
aboutproviding feedback?Slide11
Effective Feedback: Game
TimelyImmediate feedback better than delayed feedbackSlide12
Effective Feedback: Game
Timely‘Mappable’ Player should know what they did that resulted in the given feedbackSlide13
Effective Feedback: Game
Timely‘Mappable’ Nudge towards progress Know when someone is stuck and provide clues about what they might do nextSlide14
Effective Feedback: Game
Timely‘Mappable’ Nudge towards progress Proportional The impact of the feedback should be appropriate, as compared to the action and other feedbackSlide15
Effective Feedback: Game
Timely‘Mappable’ Nudge towards progress Proportional Celebrate in PublicLet people show-off to othersSlide16
Lets
look at what Management tells us about providing feedbackSlide17
Effective Feedback: Management
Timely
The closer to the event the feedback can be given
the betterSlide18
Effective Feedback: Management
TimelyAbout Specific Behavior
Behavior is something we can change, but only if the feedback is precise about what behavior the feedback is about, so the
rightlesson is learnedSlide19
Effective Feedback: Management
TimelyAbout Specific BehaviorProportional
The
tone/significance of the feedback should match that of the behavior the feedbackis aboutSlide20
Effective Feedback: Management
TimelyAbout Specific BehaviorProportionalPraise in public
Let
everyone know when something is done wellSlide21
Effective Feedback: Management
TimelyAbout Specific BehaviorProportionalPraise in publicCoach in private
Ensure
there is no shame in being coachedSlide22
Effective Feedback: Management
TimelyAbout Specific BehaviorProportionalPraise in publicCoach in private Provide a path to improvement
Corrective
feedback more likely to lead to successSlide23
Side by Side
Feedback: GameTimely‘Mappable’Nudge towards progressProportionalCelebrate in PublicFeedback: ManagementTimely About Specific BehaviorProportional Praise in publicCoach in private Provide a path to improvementSlide24
Lessons Learned
Significant overlap between good game design and good management theoryEven if you never read a management theory book, you already know a lot about how to give good feedbackSlide25
Challenge: What is the best management style?
‘You mean I can’t just order people around?’Should I be hands off?When do I get involved?‘Its not working, what do I do now?’
Challenge:Slide26
What
can games tell us aboutmanagement styles?Slide27
Management Styles: Game
What is the best kind of GM?Can anything in games tell us about different kinds of players?
It depends on your players and the gameYes, there are many models of player or game typesSlide28Slide29
Lets
look at what Management tells us about management stylesSlide30
Management Styles:
ManagementNot all employees are the sameDifferent employees need different things from managementModels exist to understand this
Progression of Needs ModelSlide31
Side by Side
Management Styles: GameDifferent kinds of players want different kinds of game experiencesModels exist to better understand thisDesigners decide which model works for their game and their playersManagements Styles: ManagementDifferent kinds of employees need different things from their managementModels exist to better understand thisManagers decide which model works for their game and their employees
Even the models have
strong parallelsSlide32
Even just using Bartle’s model as a manager would be a good startSlide33
Lessons Learned
Significant overlap between good game design and good management theoryEven if you never read a management theory book, you already know a lot about why different management styles are important, and what they areSlide34
All Together Now
Wherein the audience now participatesSlide35
Challenge: Motivating a Team
Work can be hardHow do we keep people engaged and committed to doing their best?Slide36
Effective Motivation: Game
Effective Motivation: Management
Side by Side
Lessons Learned
At this point the audience was asked to
contribute what
they
knew
about how to motivate players
Then a quick summary of what modern management theory says about motivation was presented from D. Pink’s book “Drive”
The audience list and the core principles from “Drive” were compared, and turned out to be very similar
Motivating players can teach us a lot about motivating employeesSlide37
Closing Notes
Though similar, there are important differencesLaws govern how people are treated at work, but not how we treat playersThe stakes can be higher at workIts easier to decide to change games than to change jobsManagement as Game Design at the micro level as wellEvery process can be designed as if it were a gameBut like a game, people should walk away if its not working outRecommended Books“It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy” by Michael
Abrashoff“Freakonomics” by Levitt and Dubnerhttp://freakonomicsbook.com“The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencionihttp://www.tablegroup.com/books/dysfunctions/Slide38Slide39
Conclusion
We can deliver positive employee experiences using what we know about delivering good player experiences. Be the best GM for your team you can be.“Being a true DM requires clevernessand imagination which no set of rulesor books can bestow.”Gary Gygax, The Dungeon Masters Guide, 1979Slide40
Questions?
More ResourcesSituational Leadershiphttp://www.kenblanchard.com/Effective_Leadership_Solutions/One_to_One_Talent_Management/Management_Situational_Leadership_Training/ http://www.situational.com/“Drive” by Daniel H. Pinkhttp://www.danpink.com/drive Bartle’s MMO Player Modelhttp://www.mud.co.uk/richard/hcds.htm The 4 Fun Keys by XEO Designhttp://www.xeodesign.com
Contact InformationMore from Joshua Howardhttp://thereisnothem.wordpress.comEmail Joshua@bonegames.comAll material © 2012 Joshua Howard or their respective owners