The moment someone finds their game
Sooner or later, with every client, I see something shift in their eyes. As if a light switches on. That is when I know they have found their game.
Every time I work with a client, somewhere in the process I see a change in their eyes and posture. As if a light has been switched on. That is when I know they have found their game.
I wrote this text after meeting a friend. He was sharing his struggles with a concept at work and how hard it was to get it adopted. The thing was: he had never considered serious games.
The assumption that is often wrong
My friend was familiar with my work as a game designer and had a positive view of serious games. Yet he never approached me — he assumed serious games applied to other situations. Training or team-building games, he thought, were more logical applications. In his case, a more nuanced change was needed among leaders, to think differently. And honestly, the old way was just easier. PowerPoints and phone calls. Those were the known mechanics.
I asked him how he could be so sure serious games wouldn’t work — especially since serious gaming comes in many shapes and sizes. Had he ever considered a Jolt for his situation, for example?
From scepticism to concrete options
This time we went deeper. I shared more examples, and soon we were brainstorming about a very simple yet effective serious game. Through that conversation he moved from sceptic to actionable options. His body language changed and he started smiling. “You’re right,” he said, “I think I’ve found my game.”
You’d be surprised how often I encounter this: people who react positively to serious games, yet assume it won’t apply to their situation. And you’d be surprised how often that assumption is wrong.
Open to a short brainstorm? Get in touch — and let me find your game.