Premise:
Roger Caillois, the French Anthropologist, divided the world’s games (using this word in its broadest sense to include every form of pleasurable activity) into 4 different classes depending on the kind of experience they provide:
Agon includes games that have competition as their main feature, such as most sports and athletic events.
Alea includes all games of chance, from dice to bingo, etc.
Ilinx or Vertigo includes all games that alter our states of consciousness such as skydiving or roller-coasters.
Mimicry includes activities that create an alternate reality and suspension of disbelief like theatre, dance, movies, etc.
Now, the question is why are we talking about this and how is this relevant to us, as leaders. I believe that understanding this is not only relevant for us but also critical to succeed as leaders.
Not all interactions and experiences are equally important. There are some moments which are more important than others.
Here is my interpretations and application of Roger Caillios’s original thinking about games. If we understand the different kinds of games there are (and all of us like to play), we can be intentional about the kinds of experiences we can create in those special moments and make them memorable.
Agon Games:
These kinds of games would be good in scenarios where we want the players to behave a certain way, consistently, over a long period of time.
Some common examples of Agon games are leaderboards where we create the environment of competition for our employees or customers or partners to compete with each other.
Alea Games:
These kinds of games would be good in scenarios where we want the players to exhibit a specific behaviour or perform an act in a compressed time frame (buy something before a specific date or fill out a survey form before a specific date).
Some common examples of Alea games are surprise gifts for people based on them behaving the way we want them to (surprise gifts to 3 people among those who buy our products today or ask a question in the all hands call, etc).
Ilinx or Vertigo Games:
These kinds of games would be good in scenarios where we want to celebrate a moment in time and make it memorable for the players (1st day of work, birthdays, last day of work, going live with a software, etc). These involve stimulating strong emotional response in our players.
Some common examples of Vertigo games are retirement parties, go-live parties, giving an award or recognising someone in front of people they care about (presidents awards for top performers, etc).
Mimicry:
These kinds of games would be good in scenarios where we want to establish deep connection with the player. One of the ways we can do is by engaging them in some sort of performance that they care about.
Some common examples of Mimicry games are celebrating a specific but significant decision that has been made and is made memorable through a series of theatric performance or rituals.
I have seen a brand go all out with an orchestra to meet with their 1st customer and publicly celebrate them by doing a full song and dance routine and garlanding the customer, all done publicly.
In conclusion:
In conclusion, one of the things that can differentiate us from other leaders and help us progressively become leaders worth following is our ability to intentionally create unforgettable experiences for those we lead.
So, our understanding of the different kinds of games people play and when and how to use them can prove to be an important skill as leaders. The key here is to design these games in such a way that they benefit the players and the designers (us) and is in service of those we lead.
