It’s 9:00 a.m. and Anna turns on her computer. But Anna doesn’t see herself as just a data analyst—she’s a detective, about to begin a new investigation. Today’s case? A sales report. At the crime scene lies a mysterious drop in online transactions. She needs to gather the evidence—the investigation begins!
Upstairs, Marco, a passive cycle manager, faces a stack of supplier invoices to process. He challenges himself to complete as many as he can within an hour. His record? Twenty-four invoices.
And then there’s Lucia, a customer service specialist. To her, every dissatisfied customer is like an opponent in a video game—but she doesn’t use a sword or shield. Her weapons are active listening and expert complaint handling. She only wins if she can crack a smile.
What do Anna, Marco, and Lucia have in common? They’ve found a way to make their work more playful. This is what the literature calls Playful Work Design (PWD): the ability to optimize your work experience by making it more enjoyable through play.
When we play, our brains release dopamine—the neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and motivation. By turning work tasks into playful experiences, we activate the same mechanisms that keep us hooked on a good book or video game. But why does PWD work so well? Because play is our first form of learning. As children, we learn by playing. This ability doesn’t disappear with adulthood—we simply tend to forget it.
It’s a process that triggers the state of flow. Flow occurs when we face a challenge that balances difficulty and skill, keeping us focused, motivated, and productive. When we manage to turn work into a game, time seems to pass more quickly, fatigue decreases, and satisfaction increases.
There are a few ways we can “gamify” our work:
- By adding a fun component, using imagination and humor (e.g., Anna pretending to be a detective, or Lucia aiming to bring a smile to customers’ faces).
- By adding a competitive component, testing our skills (e.g., Marco challenging himself to beat his own record for processing electronic invoices).
What’s remarkable is that this approach can be applied to any job—because we’re not changing the activity itself, just the way we experience it. It’s a mental shift that anyone can adopt.
Grab a pen and paper and try this four-step guide:
- Gain awareness. Our brains are naturally wired to seek gratification and well-being. You may already be applying some form of PWD without realizing it. Pause for a moment and ask yourself: “In what ways am I making my work more fun or challenging?” Maybe you try to finish a task in record time, or you create small, rewarding routines.
- Find your style. Notice recurring patterns in how you approach your work, and turn them into strengths. Do you enjoy stories? Turn your tasks into an adventure—assign roles or imagine a mission to complete. Are you motivated by challenges? Set personal goals, create a scoring system, and compete with yourself. Do you love connecting with others? Involve colleagues in friendly competitions or shared activities.
- Raise the bar. Identify the tasks you find most boring or burdensome—answering emails, filing documents, handling customer calls? These are perfect opportunities to experiment with playful strategies. Use your style to reinterpret them in a more engaging way.
- Compare notes. Observe how your colleagues work and exchange ideas. Comparison can be a valuable source of inspiration and lead to surprising solutions. For example, a customer service team told me they enjoy giving nicknames to the most demanding clients, and they reward whoever handles the toughest call with a good cup of coffee. Small changes like these can make a big difference in making work lighter and more engaging for everyone.
Let me wrap up with a few insights from my experience as an Instructional Designer—a role that challenges me to create innovative and engaging training experiences.
- Entertainment. I bring my passions into training. For example, I use clips from my favorite TV series, like Camera Café or The Big Bang Theory, to make concepts more relatable and fun. I also adapt board game mechanics into training exercises. Is there a passion you could bring into your work?
- Competition. When I need to complete a project, I set myself a challenge: I put on headphones, choose a playlist, and try to finish within a set time. This turns the task into a game and helps me stay focused. Who knows—maybe music will become a productivity booster for you, too!
Now it’s your turn. Find ways to gamify your work, have fun, and inspire your colleagues along the way.
Andaf Magazine – April 2025
