How EVERY Leader Can Employ 10 Pokémon Go Lessons to Create a Winning Culture

Whether you are a video game enthusiast or not, you are likely aware that Pokémon Go launched in July 2016.  

The free-to-play, GPS-driven game is available for iOS and Android devices. Players are encouraged to find, catch, and train Pokémon virtual creatures.

The trained Pokémon are then deployed to fight others in the computer-generated world.

In it's first month, Pokémon Go has made a huge splash. 

Redcode estimates that 9.55 million people in the U.S. alone play Pokemon Go daily.  SiliconAngle reports that, "According to figures from AppInstitute.com in the next 15 minutes from when you read this line Pokemon GO will have been download 72,998 times and Nintendo and game developer Niantic would have earned a staggering $163,099."

That translates to over 7 million downloads and $15.65 million in revenue each day.

The launch had a significant impact on Nintendo's stock over the past few weeks.

Your interest in Pokémon Go may be all over the spectrum.

Perhaps you are thinking.

• Who cares? My video game playing days are behind me.
• This may be interesting, but what does it have to do with my business?
• Do we really need another thing encouraging people to bury their heads in their phones?
• Pokémon Go sounds like fun, I should download it.
• That reminds me, I think Squirtle is somewhere around here. 

I'm a big believer that we can learn new things from different sources. This is why I have written posts about:

• Performers (e.g., David Bowie, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift)
• Politicians (e.g., Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Marco Rubio)
• Companies (e.g., Lego, McDonalds, and Starbucks)
• And a wide-range of other topics

I invite you to think about your team and your broader organization.

Consider how your people interact, the level of engagement you see, and the culture in general. Would you say that people come to work everyday playing to win or are they playing not to lose?

There is a big difference between these two mindsets. People who are playing to win are engaged, excited, and ready to take on the next goal. They want to win and know they know that they can make winning a reality.

People who are playing not to lose are often guarded, anxious, and disengaged. Some of them quit and leave the organization. Or, worse yet, they quit and stay - doing just the minimum each day.

Over the years, I've had the chance to work with thousands of teams literally around the world. I've seen what it looks like when a team is playing to win vs. playing not to lose. I've also learned how great leaders employ Pokémon Go type lessons to make work a Winnable Game. 

Here are some keys to developing this type of culture (the list is not all inclusive, but is intended to be a starting point for your efforts):

#1: Identify a worthy but defeat-able opponent. 

Playing a game is a costly endeavor. It takes time, energy, and resources. In Pokémon Go there are some creatures that are easy to find and capture, but others that are elusive and hard to find. If all of the opponents are easily beaten, people disengage. They also disengage if the opponent is unbeatable. Pick a goal for your team and organization that can be achieved AND matters.

#2: Create clear rules. 

Pokémon Go rules are well defined and understood. If the rules of the game are not appropriate for the undertaking, clearly defined, and consistently applied, players will lose interest or, worse, become highly cynical. 

#3: Clarify the consequences – winning or losing matters. 

People care about a game when the outcome matters. If no consequences for winning or losing exist, players simply won’t care about the game. Just keeping your job is not enough!

#4: Challenge the players. 

The best games challenge players to put themselves to the test – unleashing their best knowledge, skills, talents and abilities to win the game.  

#5: Strive for a fast pace – or at least an appropriate pace. 

To keep players engaged, the scoreboard needs to change often. Pokémon Go can move as quickly as the player is willing to move. When a game moves too slowly, players may become disinterested or move to another game. As a result, the original game is abandoned.

#6: Ensure the players interact with each other – the play of others impacts what you do. 

My wife and I have two children - ages 23 and 18. Neither one of them grew up playing video games, but the other day I learned that they both were playing Pokémon Go. I sat at the table and watched my 'adult children' talking about the game. It was very interesting and reminded me that the best games involve team member interaction. One player’s move may support, enhance or complement another team member’s actions or may cause a change his or her plan, strategy, or play.

#7: Keep playing to become a better player. 

The more you play Pokémon Go the better you get. You improve your ability to capture creatures, you better understand where to find them, etc.. The act of playing the game sharpens a player’s ability to play future games and develops essential decision-making, problem-solving and leadership skills.

#8: Reward successful play. 

As the game unfolds, players must be recognized for great play – in much the same way athletes get cheers and Pokémon Go players gain creatures and capabilities. Small, timely rewards encourage people to play longer and harder.

#9: Reflect and celebrate.

Since playing and winning matters, players take tremendous pride from their efforts and results. The person who plays and wins a winnable game speaks positively about the experience and often admits that the time, effort, and resources expended were worth the sacrifice. Celebration brings one winning season to a close and prepares the players for the next.

#10: Make it a Game of Influence. 

Games of chance may be fun for a while - heck some people truly enjoy playing slot machines - but goals of this sort can be a challenge in the workplace. Consider this. If you set a goal with your team and success depends on factors like the economy or the weather, will most people feel like they can truly influence the outcome? People disengage under these conditions. Employees prefer games in which they can connect their behaviors to the results.

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I wish you the best of luck as you work to make work a winnable game from you and your people!

Best- Patrick

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Buy One; Give One Opportunity

Patrick is the author of Oliver's Spot. This fun, easy-to-read, and informative story is designed to teach leaders and teams how to work together to achieve top results. 

If you buy a new copy of Oliver's Spot by August 31, 2016, not only will you receive a copy of the book, we will also give a copy to a non-profit leader to help her or him improve team performance.

Click here to order!