I will share one of our exercises conducted during the "Conscious Safety" seminar.
Gamification in education is the process of incorporating game elements into a training course. This practice increases student engagement and motivation, allowing for more effective material absorption. Previously, this technology was primarily used in children's education.
Generational theory identifies behavioral differences among generations: X, Y, Z, Baby Boomers, and their psychological characteristics. Currently, a generational shift is occurring, and workforces are becoming younger. Among young people, communication, response to change, and learning mechanisms differ fundamentally from their predecessors. It cannot be said that this is better or worse — the younger generation has developed its own characteristic psychological behavioral traits and so-called "clip thinking."
In fact, work teams can include various generational types: the older Baby Boomer generation, characterized by a desire to get the job done at any cost; Generations X and Y, whose specialty is a priority on individual work; and young people who need to be taught caution, self-control, and safe work practices.
Here, there are significant differences in the youth's desire to learn quickly, with a priority on digitalization and simultaneous attention to several events, but within a limited timeframe. Considering their characteristics, it is possible to build training processes for both groups within the same team — say, a crew — using gamification elements. Since adults generally do not like to learn and tend to avoid it, believing they already know everything, while young people are ready to "play" if it is interesting.
This approach proved to be very effective in teaching teamwork for risk identification and management. The initial first task for 2 (3 or more, but at least 2) mixed-age teams is to build a tower from an equal number of children's colored blocks, with the condition that one worker builds it. Excitement and a competitive spirit usually drive all teams to build as quickly and as high as possible. Naturally, some team's tower falls.
After that, the game facilitator clarifies Task 2: build the tallest but most stable tower. Characteristically, even at this stage, team discussions begin; furthermore, a "provocateur" appears, suggesting absurd ideas based on "luck." As an expected result, a leader emerges who weighs all suggestions and explains why a particular option won't work. Some teams succumb to adventurous proposals. Again, trying to overtake the opponent and watching each other, each team strives to build its tallest tower. At this point, experienced workers also get involved in the "advice" process. The team clearly ranks those who assess potential risks and those who ignore them. Workers with leadership traits also emerge when making balanced decisions considering potential risks. The most important part of this process is that everyone in the team begins to discuss the COMMON task with interest.
Without waiting for the "construction" to finish, the facilitator announces that time is up and provides the following inputs for Module 3: specifies the required tower height, the construction time, the stability requirement, and the condition of individual construction.
At the same time, from the moment the task begins, team members can no longer "give" advice to the performer. Next, conditions for the foundation and color schemes (since the blocks are colored) can be added. After that, the start is given, and the timer is started.
In Module 3, teams quite deliberately start by discussing construction options, adopt a tower design for themselves, choose a performer, and give instructions — essentially conducting a briefing for them, including risks and emphasizing how the tower should be "built."
The result: tools for preventing negative events become obvious:
having a clear project plan,
specific task assignment,
quality of the briefing,
risk identification and consideration,
execution management.
Thus, simple game forms allow teams to build cohesion regardless of age groups and psychological characteristics of team members, acquire risk assessment skills, learn to break tasks into stages, develop high-quality targeted briefing skills, and foster leadership. Consequently, a completely simple approach that requires neither financial nor time investment allows for the formation of sustainable safe behavior skills when performing high-risk work.
Today, gamification can be successfully and creatively applied to train all age groups.
Try it, change it, develop it!