Have you prohibited your team from playing games in the office? You might want to reconsider that. According to research, a team that plays video games together is more productive than the one that does not.
It may sound like a wacky idea but the effects of playing cooperative and competitive video games on teamwork and team performance are expansive. For most people, video games are nothing but something to pass the time. However, that is not the case. Video games may have garnered a bad reputation over the years but people are reconsidering their reputation in today's time.
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding video games and many parents have blamed them for the poor behavior and academic performance of their children. Despite the controversy, there are many people of all ages that play video games. These people are not just sitting in front of a screen mindlessly playing a game but they are actually polishing their skill sets.
According to researchers and experts, video games are good for you. You might have already heard or read up on the benefits of video games but what you might not have learned is that video games can help improve teamwork.
How Do Video Games Help Enhance Team Performance?
Science backs the claim that teamwork gaming can be the best thing for your employees. There are several reasons that support this claim, let's take a deeper look at some of them:
Community Building
When you work in a team you have a community of your own. To sustain the community, it is important that all employees believe in the community and are willing to play their part. To have a strong team is to have a strong community. The teamwork in gaming helps employees build a good community as they have to work together towards a common goal keeping all the strengths and weaknesses of each team member in mind. Working together as a team in a virtual setting helps bring the employees closer and form a tighter community.
Collaboration
Whether working on a project or playing a multiplayer video game, teamwork is a must. It requires the help of a team that collaborates and plays together to achieve a goal or in this case, a victory. There are several things to consider when working in a team, for instance, every player has to play the part so that they achieve the common goals they set for themselves. Most multiplayer games are based on strategy, to win the game it is important for all team members to follow a single strategy. If one ends up doing something and the other doing something else entirely, it is possible that they won't be able to win the game or even get close.
This why video games can be helpful in improving team collaborations as employees will have to collaborate in a game if they aim to win it. Once they learn the skill of collaborating without any hassles that will improve their performance in the office. If you feel that your team has difficulty collaborating, then you must not only allow them to play games but push them to take part in effective video games as a team on a daily basis.
Problem Solving
There are several problems you might face in your office on a day to day basis and it is important that you solve them together as a team. Problem-solving is a very important skill to have in your team. Your team must be able to identify all problems and then solve them together as a team. To solve a problem effectively, you cannot rely on a single employee alone; it must be an effort from your complete team. To teach them problem-solving you must push your employees to play games.
Most games begin with a problem that the gamers must solve either using strategies or applying techniques that the game provides itself. This helps employees learn how to solve problems they face when working in a corporate environment. In addition to problem-solving, your employees can also learn to be quick on their feet and make decisions with high confidence. It is very commonly seen that employees do not have self-confidence when they have been asked to make decisions.
Video games help improve their judgement and allow them to be more open to taking risks in their problem-solving.
High Productivity
Your employees cannot stay active throughout the day. The least productivity levels are recorded during lunch hours and after that. This is when the employees slow down on their work and are low on energy. At this time, video games can be the perfect solution for you to boost energy levels in your employees.
Video games can give your employees an adrenaline rush which can help them resume work with high energy levels. A short break of 30-45 minutes for teamwork gaming online can be great for high productivity levels.
Memory Retention
Having a good memory is not only important for the workplace but is a much important trait for all sorts of people. Playing video games can greatly improve your memory and that can help you deal with all the different tasks you have in your office.
If you think that your team is too forgetful then, allowing them to play games during working hours will benefit your company more than it will benefit anyone else.
Decrease in Stress
The workplace can give you a very stressful environment. Many employees dread coming to work as they have to face a lot of stress if they do. To make the workplace environment less stressful you can install gaming stations where your team can unwind and spend quality time with each other, this will help them remove the stress and build good relationships with each other.
A stressed-out employee will not be able to give you the kind of results you expect. Keeping this in mind, it is best for you to create situations where your employee can let go of the stress.
Communication
Communication gaps can be the biggest hurdle in teamwork. If a team does not know how to communicate properly, they might not be able to work together and be successful. However, if you permit your team to play video games together, they will have to communicate properly and that too in a less formal setting which can ease things up for them.
All these reasons are just why a company should invest in promoting a culture of video games for their employees. If you are looking to increase fluidity in your team then you must allow the team to have a little fun and play video games while on company's time. Managers! This is the best way to win the hearts and respect of your employees. All you need to do is allow them to play video games and you can expect to have much greater returns for a little leniency.
The happiness of your employees is important and a happy employee will give you the kind of productivity you expect. Take a poll and ask your team what games they would like to play! And on a lasting note, don't hold back if you want in on the fun! A little game won't hurt!
