Designing the Game of Work

Excerpt from article by SHRM Executive Network

The global pandemic has forced all companies to reassess their raison d’etre and align it with key strategic and operational activities that insulate it from further uncertainty. Leadership teams have realized standard business orthodoxy no longer applies in today’s new reality and they’re searching for something honest, robust and adaptable. Unlike the financial crisis of 2009, the global pandemic has changed all facets of life and has affected the nature of work. 

In 1942, economist Joseph Schumpeter introduced an economic theory known as creative destruction. His theory expressed how economic growth is achieved through natural and constant product and process improvements. Over the years, Schumpeter’s theory has been adapted to describe how innovation displaces incumbents and replaces them with newer, more agile organizations. COVID-19 has unleashed the full force of creative destruction upon the global economy and few industries have embraced it as fully and successfully as the video games industry. Creative destruction is part of the video games business cycle, forcing the industry to reinvent itself every three to five years. Its method for adaptation centers on a version of design that can be utilized by all organizations to survive this once-in-a-generation challenge.

The spirit of game development is that nothing is impossible. We create worlds from the passions of people and solve challenges through iterative design that at times can seem like trial and error. Trust between team members and management is necessary to get the very best out of each other and solve creative and technical problems. Above all, it requires openness to new ideas and approaches and a willingness to move forward when there’s no guarantee of success.

Read the full article at SHRM Executive Network

The SHRM Executive Network also posed 5 questions to Alexander about how we can improve trust and transparency, innovation, and diversity at work.