1.
MAXIMIZING THE VALUE OF YOUR
GAME-BASED SOLUTIONS
Sharon Boller, President | June 2017
A presentation from

2.
What I’m here for…
1. The challenge of making an impact
2. The gamification “spectrum”
3. Ingredients for implementation success
4. The framework of a good plan
5. Skill practice: readiness assessment and strategy
development
6. Examples from “wow” implementations
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3.
Why are you here?
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4.
THE COST OF NOT
GETTING IMPACT

5.
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Product Launch Curriculum – 250 sales reps Per Rep Cost
8 hours to complete gamified three-phase curriculum
($100K rep = $58/hour burden cost)
Curriculum design/development fees from vendor
($120K/250 reps)
Internal personnel costs (50 hours x 4 people x
$40/hour)/250 reps
Total – One Rep
Total Cost – 250 reps
Cost of 30% - 90% forgetting / non-use curve
$244,000
$1M+
$464
$480
$32
$976

6.
WHY GETTING IMPACT
IS SO HARD

7.
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Think
about
next
Monday.

8.
How many
issues, emails,
projects will be
waiting or piled
up from your
absence?

9.
How many
unplanned
things are
likely to force
you to adjust
any planned
activities?

10.
Beyond Monday,
how many hours of
“think time” will you
have next week to
reflect on what
you’ve learned this
week or consider
how you will apply
what you’ve
learned?

11.
What barriers
hinder you from
completing a
learning activity
you’ve been
assigned or
encouraged to
do?

12.
What
motivates
you to
persist
despite a
barrier?

13.
How would the
targets of your
learning solutions
answer similar
questions about a
course or
initiative you’ve
developed and
want / need them
to do?

14.
YOUR PLACE ON THE
GAMIFICATION SPECTRUM
DICTATES COMPLEXITY

15.
15Bottom-Line Performance
Game(s) within a
single course.
Game/
Gamified
approach for a
major initiative.
Gamified learning
eco-system.
Low
complexity &
effort
Highest
complexity &
effort
Game(s)
embedded into a
curriculum.
High
complexity &
effort
Where are you on this spectrum?

16.
WHAT DOES “EFFECTIVE”
IMPLEMENTATION
INCLUDE?

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Meaningful,
relevant game
experience
Comprehensive
logistics plan
Marketing and
communication
Plan

18.
1. How does the game benefit the learning experience?
2. What are the learner/manager/stakeholder anticipated reactions
(positive and negative)? How do these reactions influence the game’s
design and the messaging you deliver as part of implementation?
3. What realities exist in the learner population that affect design?
Implementation? How do these influence game elements that you
emphasize/leverage? How do they affect logistics/deployment?
4. What effort, skill, time, & planning are req’d to design, develop? What
impact does this have on the timeline and what you can produce?
Game(s)
within a single
course.

19.
Game(s)
within a single
course.
At curriculum or initiative level, you also need to know:
1. How is the curriculum or gamified approach resolving a business need or
problem?
2. What ongoing effort & creativity are required to maintain long-term interest in
game play or to keep things “fresh”?
3. What constraints limit or direct decisions on frequency of play?
4. What analytics and data can the game solution provide to showcase benefits
and cost-effectiveness? How should data be filtered for analysis?
5. Who needs data? For what reason?
Game / Gamified
approach for a major
initiative.
Games
embedded into a
curriculum.

20.
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Target
Audience
How many “personas?
For EACH:
• What are the
motivators?
• What are the
barriers or
constraints?

21.
Readiness Evaluation: Task 1
Consider a current or recent project you have that
will involve a game. Figure out where it is on the
spectrum.
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Game(s)
within a single
course.
Game / Gamified
approach for a major
initiative.
Games
embedded into a
curriculum.

22.
Readiness Evaluation: Task 1
1. Go through the 9 questions on page 1 of the handout.
Place a checkmark by every one you feel like you can
successfully answer right now and a question mark by
those you think you you don’t have answers for yet.
2. Let’s share out:
– What items did you mark with a question mark?
– What’s holding you back from being able to answer it?
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23.
Readiness Evaluation: Task 2
1. Consider your TARGET LEARNERS. Review the
motivation chart on your handout.
2. How many “personas” do you think you have?
3. What primary MOTIVATORS exist for EACH persona?
4. What constraints or barriers exist for EACH persona?
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24.
Player types:
useful for
design and
communication
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25.
Readiness Evaluation: Task 3
1. Take the implementation readiness
assessment.
2. Count your “yes” responses and your “no”
responses when you finish.
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Goal: All “yes” responses
(More than 3 “no” responses and you may be challenged in
getting and/or sustaining impact)

26.
TWO EXAMPLES OF
“GOOD”

27.
Brandon Hall Winner!

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Public recognition matters! As does regular
messaging, reinforcement.