The Game Changer How to Use the Science of Motivation With the Power of Game Design to Shift Behaviour, Shape Culture and Make Clever Happen

Use the science of motivation with the power of game design to unlock motivation and drive progress in your organisation.

There are two conventional ways to approach motivation: set goals and try to change attitudes and beliefs (which takes a lot of personalised effort); or develop incentives and rewards to inspire effort (which takes a lot of money).

This book shows you how to take a third new approach ? designing the work itself to be inherently motivating.

Combining the best elements of three distinct fields?motivational science, game design, and agile management?this book shows you how to positively influence behaviour through better work and project design.

This game changing book:

• Gives you a refreshing science-based approach to the classic challenge of motivation in the workplace
• Is ideal for any leader or manager looking to take their workplace culture in a new direction
• Includes practical advice for creating highly productive, motivated and innovative teams
• Is written by a motivation strategy and design expert who consults on leadership and change management to a wide range of clients ? from the executives of multinational organisations, through to the directors of switched-on startups.

The Game Changer will show you how to unlock creative, productive and collaborative work. It is the perfect resource for forward-thinking leaders in organisations and teams focused on crafting a work culture that gets the best out of their people. 

About the author xi

Acknowledgements xiii

The big question: How do you motivate people to do great work? xv

How to use this book xxiii

Part I: The motivation savvy-up

1 A most alluring motivational folklore 3

2 An imperative for change 23

3 And yet . . . the big motivation gap 47

Part II: Getting your game on

4 The root of all game-changing hacks 79

5 Get your head into the game 97

6 A model game changer 123

Part III: Changing the game

7 Lift your game 141

8 Change the game 163

9 You, the game changer 189

Index 193

Dr Jason Fox is a global authority on motivation strategy and design, and he’s on an epic quest to liberate the world from poorly designed work.

After sneaking into the Ivory Towers of academia and levelling up with a PhD in record time, Jason now works with forward-thinking business leaders, showing them how to use the best elements of motivation science and game design to influence behaviour, drive progress and make clever happen.

He has advised on motivation strategy, change management and good gamification design to a range of organisations — from multinational companies like PepsiCo, Gartner and Toyota; to the big banks, universities, mining, telecommunication and pharmaceutical companies; right through to grassroots educational organisations and savvy startups.

Jason lives in Melbourne, Australia, the hipster capital of beards and good coffee. When not gallivanting around the world speaking at events (as the science-based alternative to the fist-pumping rah-rah motivational corporate speakers) or immersed in game-changing work with clients, Jason enjoys partaking in extreme sports like reading, coffee snobbery and fruit ninja.