Serious gaming often gets dismissed as nothing more than a fun intervention that lacks the ability to drive real tangible change. However, we believe that this notion is far from the truth. In fact, we believe that serious gaming is one of the most powerful learning tools available to effectively tackle complex challenges while providing an unforgettable learning experience. But what makes serious gaming so impactful? This blog post aims to provide a clear answer to that question.

Serious gaming: a definition

Let’s begin by understanding what serious games really are. Essentially, serious games are interventions that are designed with the intention of achieving much more than just entertainment. Serious games combine gaming elements with learning and organizational change objectives, providing participants with the opportunity to act naturally and gain deep insights into the consequences of their behavior and choices in an interactive and highly effective manner. It’s an experience that leaves a lasting impact, as one HR manager puts it, “Now I’ve seen how it all works with my own eyes, it’s changed my perspective forever.”

Serious gaming is a powerful tool for bringing about crucial change in an innovative and inspiring way. It’s a form of learning that generates unforgettable experiences. Within a serious game, participants continuously experiment and engage in a fundamental dialogue about their team, organization, and the challenges they face. It’s learning in its optimum form, as time seems to fly by, and players are fully immersed in the experience.

In addition, serious gaming is incredibly versatile and can be applied to a wide range of topics, contexts, and teams. From team development to leadership, culture to core values, and agile working to diversity and inclusion, serious gaming can be used to address various challenges effectively.

The impact of serious gaming

It’s evident that we take serious gaming seriously, and it’s for a good cause. Over the last 30+ years, InContext has devoted itself to developing groundbreaking innovations in the industry. Our serious games have been successfully used by thousands of teams, continuously proving their effectiveness. Teams and organizations have experienced a multitude of benefits by incorporating serious gaming into their learning strategies. Let’s dive into a few of them.

1. Dynamic learning and unforgettable experiences

Serious gaming generates unforgettable experiences and provides a relaxed setting that generates energy. Unlike traditional training methods, serious games provide an immersive experience that engages participants and encourages them to learn through experimentation. By combining gaming elements with learning and organizational change objectives, serious games create a dynamic learning environment that is both effective and enjoyable. Additionally, the relaxed setting of serious games helps to create an active and spontaneous atmosphere that energizes participants and promotes natural behavior, leading to a more authentic and impactful learning experience.

2. Improve employee engagement, happiness, and organizational development

Structural use of serious gaming in organizations leads to higher job satisfaction, positive relationships with colleagues, and support for organizational goals. When serious gaming is used consistently as a tool for learning and development, it can have a profound impact on employee engagement and happiness. By providing opportunities for employees to learn and develop their skills in a fun and interactive way, serious gaming fosters a positive work environment that encourages teamwork, communication, and innovation. This, in turn, leads to a more positive relationship between employees and their colleagues, as well as a greater sense of support for the organization’s goals and mission.

3. Drive continuous learning, innovation, and inclusion

Serious gaming has proven to be an effective tool for organizations to create a culture of learning and development that fosters teamwork, communication, and innovation. By utilizing serious games, participants are engaged in a collaborative and interactive learning experience, which can help to break down barriers and promote open communication and cooperation across departments.

Moreover, serious gaming can promote a culture of continuous learning, experimentation, and improvement. Through these games, employees can develop new skills and knowledge in a fun and interactive way. This approach encourages a willingness to learn and try new things, which is essential for staying agile and adapting to changing circumstances in today’s fast-paced business environment. By fostering a culture of learning and growth, serious gaming enables organizations to create a more engaged and satisfied workforce, which in turn drives growth and success.

InContext We-Learning: the key breakthrough

Serious gaming has the potential to bring about significant impact, but only if used as a means rather than an end goal and in a team context. This is where InContext’s unique We-Learning concept for serious gaming comes in: learning together, experiencing together, and growing together.

With We-Learning, teams engage in a collaborative dialogue about the core issues, the problems they face, and how to create a change together. This stands in contrast to individual serious gaming interventions where each member plays their own game.

By playing serious games in a group or team, We-Learning creates an environment for feedback, pushing boundaries, connecting people and goals, and fostering interaction and fun. The result is a learning culture that promotes experimentation and continuous improvement, driving growth and success. As such, We-Learning is a fundamental part of all our serious games and approach, enabling breakthrough change and fostering a learning culture that is vital to team and organizational success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, serious gaming is a powerful tool for driving crucial change in an innovative and inspiring way. It fosters a positive work environment by encouraging teamwork, communication, and innovation while creating an effective and enjoyable learning environment. However, it’s essential to note that serious gaming itself is not the end goal for achieving breakthrough change. To maximize its effectiveness, it’s crucial to consider the unique context of a team and create engaging interventions that teams experience together (We-Learning), engage in fundamental dialogues about their current state, and work towards a common goal.

By embracing the future of learning through serious gaming, organizations can become more adaptable, stay agile, and drive growth and success.