No one likes feeling stuck at work.
And when teams are dragging their feet, it doesn’t take long for your productivity to tank. It's easy to see that Australia (and the rest of the developed world) might be knee-deep in a productivity crisis, but here’s the upside — there’s a way out.
When someone says gamification, what do you see in your head?
If you’re thinking this is just about tossing badges at people, think again. So, how do you light a fire under your team? But most importantly, how do you make sure it lasts?
In this exclusive interview, we sat down with author and experience designer Yu-kai Chou to break down what the best games had in common and how the Octalysis Framework can help teams get back on their feet.
Watch the full, unedited chat here. Is it pretty? You be the judge. But is it packed with insights? See and experience the spontaneity for yourself!
Insight: If you want productive teams, the goal is to connect and unlock discretionary effort.
Data: 90% of employees say gamification makes them more productive at work. (Zippia)
What’s the step change: Apply meaningful gamification by adopting the Octalysis Framework.
Back in 2012, Yu-kai Chou decided to crack the code on what makes games not just addictive, but fulfilling. The result? The Octalysis Framework — a deep dive into the Eight Core Drives of human motivation.
"Back in 2003, I was a heavy gamer," Chou begins. "I worked really hard to make all my characters in the game very successful. And then when I quit the game, I realised in the real world, I was the same loser. So I thought, hey, why can't I apply the same kind of motivation to improve myself in the real world, right?"
Chou defines gamification as the craft of deriving all the fun and engaging elements found in games and applying them to real-world or productive activities.
With the Octalysis Framework (coined through the combination of "Octagon" and "Analysis") — Yu-kai Chou figured out what makes people tick, then turned that insight into a game plan for the rest of us that covers:
These eight core drives can also be categorised as White Hat and Black Hat motivation.
White Hat being positive motivators like purpose, creativity, and achievement that foster long-term engagement. And Black Hat being scarcity, unpredictability, and fear of loss, which drive quick action but can create urgency.
By tapping extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, Octalysis is your roadmap to create engaging, human-centred experiences. So, what does this all mean for you?
Here are 5 key gamification takeaways from our exclusive interview with Octalysis creator Yu-kai Chou.
"If you talk to any gamer and you ask, why is that your favourite game? No one ever says, oh, because they gave me points or they gave me this badge." Chou says of how easily workplaces misunderstand gamification. "It's all about strategy, social interaction, competition, exploration."
Too many companies are slapping on points and badges without a second thought. But gamification isn’t some magic wand. To truly shake things up, you’ve got to dig deeper. Create an environment that taps into real motivational drivers — not just surface-level rewards.
The result? Boosted job satisfaction and productivity that doesn’t fizzle out after a couple of days. Who wouldn’t want that?
If you really want to get inside your team’s heads (in a good way!), it’s time to brush up on the foundational models behind Octalysis like:
"The foundation of the framework is that I study games, and then I studied a lot of these great pieces of work from great people, and I developed the core drives more." Chou explains.
Related: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion An Exclusive Interview with Robert Cialdini
Here’s the thing, everyone’s wired differently.
Some are driven by competition, others by social connections. When you understand your team’s “player types,” you can craft gamification strategies that cater to each of them.
Richard Bartle’s Four Player Types and the Deep Sphere model break this down, helping you tap into what motivates each person.
Because nobody wins if everyone’s playing the same game.
As Chou puts it, "Everyone wants to feel competent, right? Everyone wants to feel appreciated. It's just about to what extent do these core drives connect to people."
"Everything around you is a trigger for behaviour. So focus a lot on immersion design." Yukai stresses the importance of environment. "Most people, even if they're working remotely, they do want to be productive and get things done. It's not like they're purposely trying to do less work. But you just have all these triggers."
With more teams going remote, staying motivated from home is a whole new ball game. Chou’s REMOTE Framework — is a clever way to tackle the challenges of remote work that works alongside Octalysis.
Source: The Octalysis Group
Responsiveness, Expression, Momentum, Openness, Teamplay, and Enjoyment all align with the eight core drives in Octalysis. Get these right, and you’ll keep your remote team running like a well-oiled machine.
AI is promising. But it’s not going to swoop in and save the day — at least not when it comes to gamification. Right now, Chou rates AI’s performance with a B- because it can’t replace human connection (and gamification thrives on that).
The moral of the story? Just because it’s shiny and new doesn’t mean it’s better. Engagement can be low-tech but still meaningful and effective. Whether or not AI succeeds in understanding the nuances of human behaviour — the goal of gamification isn't all for efficiency but also for helping people connect to something deeper and more meaningful.
For now, focus on connection and motivation when applying gamification to your team.
"You know how the people in 'The Matrix' feel like something's wrong with their life? They're [Matrix] not really gamifying that experience very well. They believe that the best way to get you to do something is through basically Core Drive 8 — loss and avoidance. Terror." Chou begins his comparison.
"If the Matrix fed the Octalysis, then everyone is living the best experience of their lives in the matrix. They're just like — wow, I feel full of meaning. I'm changing the world." Chou says.
Motivation isn’t a one-size-fits-all deal. It’s made up of all sorts of factors. For Octalysis, it’s eight core drives of human motivation.
By understanding what drives your team, you can build an environment that motivates them to do their best, without burning out or losing steam.
So go ahead — put these insights into play and watch your team thrive.