Sales orgs have been running sales contests since the beginning of time. Salespeople don't take part because it makes the company more money (even though it does) they take part because it connects with their competitive spirit, gives them an opportunity to make more money, and is usually associated with some new push/technique/product for the rep to try out in the field.
Game mechanics as it applies to business is essentially just the internet version of the sales contest applied to different orgs. The problem has been that areas like customer service and development have been harder to track than areas like sales. And even sales has had to define new metrics as the sales cycle gets longer and longer, it's no longer enough to just measure the outcome, you've got to measure what happens in between. These same techniques can and are being applied to other areas, and there's a lot more that can be done.
To some extent 'game mechanics/gamification' is just another buzzword but it also represents a pretty powerful concept that can be used to build more effective organizations.
Game mechanics as it applies to business is essentially just the internet version of the sales contest applied to different orgs. The problem has been that areas like customer service and development have been harder to track than areas like sales. And even sales has had to define new metrics as the sales cycle gets longer and longer, it's no longer enough to just measure the outcome, you've got to measure what happens in between. These same techniques can and are being applied to other areas, and there's a lot more that can be done.
To some extent 'game mechanics/gamification' is just another buzzword but it also represents a pretty powerful concept that can be used to build more effective organizations.