In 2023, the first Global Knowledge Management Week was held by KMGN, led by Dr. Moria Levy. Knowledge Management Week is an example of an event that allows organizations to focus on a variety of knowledge management activities, including lighter activities such as gamification.
Everyone already knows that knowledge management and gamification are good friends.
In the article "Gamification: From Playful Beginnings to Practical Solutions," we wrote about its many benefits for the organization and how and when to incorporate it. With gamification, it's easier to increase knowledge sharing, strengthen employees' sense of engagement with activities, implement new knowledge management solutions, and much more...
Indeed, for the first Knowledge Management Week, we at ROM chose to commemorate it with one of our clients through gamification. We set out with a defined goal: to strengthen the connection between knowledge management and the use of advanced technologies.
To achieve this, we created 3 mini-games centered around technologies we wanted to encourage and expose additional uses for in the organization: MIRO, ChatGPT, and Visualization functions in Excel.
In the article " It's a game – How to introduce gamification into the organization," we reviewed the evolution of an escape room we created on another occasion and the insight we reached, that gamification solutions must be adapted to the resources at our disposal. We also saw how, with creativity and flexibility, even small games can create big experiences.
We took all these insights into account when planning the mini-games for Global Knowledge Management Week.
Since our target audience included all company employees, the game needed to be short and light - a pleasant interlude between routine tasks. We decided that each game should not exceed 10 minutes; "Gamification in an instant" - because sometimes it's better to be small and mischievous😊.
As part of the lightweight concept, each game stood on its own, with winners and prizes, but all the games had a unified gameplay and design language. The games, spread over a week, created an experience of a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Of course, Knowledge Management Week is just one opportunity for gamification. It's worthwhile and possible to consider where gamification in general, and mini-games in particular, can help us advance goals in our organization's knowledge management project.
Here are some additional tips on how to create such an "instant" gamification event, with thought and planning behind it:
One, two, three... Create 3 mini-games. 3 is a powerful number: not too many to start tiring people out, but enough to create a sense of richness and variety.
Gamification is a means in an organization and not an end in itself - just as there's no point in creating a beautiful portal that no one will visit, an "instant gamification" solution should also serve the organization's goals. If we create a beautiful and elaborate gamification solution, but it's not accessible and suitable for the organization, then what have we accomplished? Therefore, the game should connect to a knowledge management goal: for example, to lead users to the beautiful portal that you want them to become more familiar with...
Rhymes rhymes (but don't overdo it) - You know how sometimes a line from an advertisement gets stuck in your head and you simply can't get rid of it? That's the power of rhymes, they're just more memorable. Try to incorporate them in prominent places: in the game's title, in the final punch, or at another significant point during the game. But don't overdo it. The language should fit the character of the game, and come on, after all, this isn't a Shakespeare play...
Infographics can't hurt - Try to constantly think about how to be visual: invest in a cute teaser or a cool design for the puzzles and consider how to present the solution. If you can sneak in a nice graph, then why not?
So, for the annual Knowledge Management Week, or for another special event you're preparing for in your organization, isn't it time to start thinking about what your "instant gamification" will be?
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