06 Dec What will people say?
If you’ve been in the workforce for a few years, or really any time at all, you have undoubtedly witnessed, participated in, and/or been the target of workplace gossip. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that, according to a new study published in Office Pulse, nearly three-quarters of white-collar workers admitted to gossiping about coworkers and workplace-related issues while at work. In fact, American workers spend an average of about 40 minutes per week gossiping at work. Why do so many of us spend our time this way, and is it helping or hurting us?
While workplace gossip tends to get a bad rep, these conversations aren’t always harmful and are often had for good reason. Nearly half of all respondents in the Office Pulse study claim that their workplace chatter relieves stress and helps them build workplace relationships. However, despite these seemingly positive benefits, workplace gossip can lead to unnecessary office drama, lack of productivity and performance, and a toxic workplace environment. So how can we help our employees relieve stress, build relationships with their colleagues, and blow off steam, all while increasing overall productivity, performance and culture? It turns out that playing a game may just be the answer.
Work-related gamified activities allow employees to communicate authentic feelings in an anonymous environment without the fear of judgment or retribution. Furthermore, game-play has been proven to activate the hippocampus and trigger the release of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. This combination not only makes the participant feel good but also allows them to increase their ability to think creatively and enhances their overall productivity. Additionally, it reduces stress, increases one’s capacity to process information, and mitigates the effects of cognitive overload.
The competitive nature of gamified activity tools helps colleagues collaborate with one another and build stronger relationships with each other. All while partaking in work-related activities. This breaks participants out of the mundane and routine nature of today’s corporate environment and gives them the opportunity to relieve stress and bond with colleagues in a healthy and cognitively enhancing manner that benefits the individual employee and the organization as a whole.
What practices are helping or harming your team? What if you could discuss these issues candidly, without fear of retribution, but also without malice or insecurity? This is one of the many results that GoodGames can deliver with tools like RANT, Gallery, and Headlines. These game-like activities provide a structure that does away with the tearing down, allowing teams to focus on building up.Want to learn more? We’d love to chat with you and see how our tools can help your team.