What do videogame designers know that leaders should know? That progress is a great human motivator! Most successful videogames have progress indicators and achievement markers. Videogame designers know how to create a sense of progress within all stages of the game. That’s what hooks the player into the game!
Effective leaders need to do the same for their subordinates. Every leader’s job description should include implementing structure in a way that each worker can see his progress every day. On my last entry I introduced you to Teresa Amabile’s book The progress principle. Today we are going to focus on how to facilitate the perception of progress.
Like the videogame designers, you must create a “progress bar” for your people. Here’s how you can do that:
- Set personally meaningful goals. They need to be challenging but doable. What matters here is that the person perceives it has contributing value to something or someone who matters to them. It can be making a quality product, supporting a colleague, or providing a service for the community. It helps if you make sure employees know how to do the work correctly an how their work is contributing to the whole.
Even more important, avoid actions that negate the value of their work. Things like dismissing ideas, taking ownership away, making employees doubt their work will see completion, or asking them repeatedly to keep doing work for which they are overqualified. - Break down larger tasks into small, quickly achievable objectives, action steps that can translate into small wins. Make sure your people have a clear idea of how long something will take, but break down each larger strategy into immediately relevant action steps that must be accomplished. Help them focus on small achievable actions for the day.
- Eliminate obstacles that cause setbacks. Setbacks have a strong effect on increasing frustration, depleting creative energy, and creating a negative environment. Above all, make sure you aren’t a source of obstacles.
- Measure the progress of each action step. Have clear indicators that are easily understood. This will show forward movement and keep momentum going.
- Give feedback, celebrating the success of each step before introducing a new goal.
Remember. . .
Focusing on the power of progress will engender positive thoughts, feelings and motivation. If you focus on supporting the daily progress of people working in your organization, you will not only foster the success of the organization but also enrich the everyday lives of your employees.
Photo by: Wright Way Photography