ClassX Video Lessons How World of Warcraft Could Save Your Business and The Economy | John Seely Brown
John Seely Brown presents an intriguing idea: the skills you gain from playing massive multiplayer games like World of Warcraft might be more beneficial than even a prestigious MBA from Harvard. This viewpoint encourages us to delve into the social and collaborative aspects of these gaming environments and consider how they can enhance both individual and corporate performance.
World of Warcraft is not just a game; it’s a vibrant social ecosystem with over 12 million players. Every night, around 15,000 new strategic ideas are generated globally within the game. To stay competitive, especially in high-stakes raids, players must quickly learn and adapt to these new strategies.
In World of Warcraft, players join guilds, which are collaborative groups of 100 to 200 members. These guilds don’t rely on traditional incentives like salaries or bonuses. Instead, they thrive on the passion and interest of their members. This self-organizing nature allows guilds to function as groups that explore and test new strategies together, refining their collective knowledge.
Guilds in World of Warcraft are exceptional at generating and refining ideas. Players often take the initiative to study specific game mechanics, such as a new magic potion, and share their insights with the group. This transforms the guild into a dynamic hub of innovation and knowledge refinement, a process not commonly seen in corporate settings.
High-performing guilds operate on meritocratic principles. They create constitutions and conduct regular after-action reviews, where members openly critique each other’s performance. This culture of accountability encourages continuous improvement and learning, contrasting with many corporate environments where feedback is often limited or hierarchical.
In World of Warcraft, players develop their own dashboards to track their performance and progress. This is different from the corporate world, where managers typically impose performance metrics. By defining personal measurements, players take ownership of their learning and development. A common saying in the game is, “If I ain’t learning, it ain’t fun,” emphasizing the intrinsic motivation to grow and improve.
Brown suggests that the principles observed in gaming can inspire a redesign of corporate workspaces for the 21st century. Imagine a work environment where individuals set their own performance metrics and collaborate in groups focused on accelerating learning. This shift could transform workplaces into talent accelerators, fostering faster learning and innovation.
The practices and structures found in high-performing World of Warcraft guilds offer valuable lessons for both education and management. By emphasizing passion, curiosity, and interest-driven learning, organizations can unlock exponential growth and development in ways that traditional corporate structures often fail to achieve. The gaming world provides a compelling model for rethinking how we approach learning and collaboration in professional settings.
Examine the organizational structure of a World of Warcraft guild. Identify how roles are distributed and compare these structures to traditional corporate teams. Discuss how the absence of monetary incentives affects motivation and performance. Reflect on how these insights could be applied to improve team dynamics in a corporate setting.
Participate in a role-playing exercise where you simulate a high-stakes raid in a game-like environment. Assign roles and responsibilities, and work together to solve a complex problem. After the exercise, conduct an after-action review to discuss what strategies worked, what didn’t, and how meritocracy and accountability played a role in your success or failure.
Design a personal performance dashboard inspired by those used in World of Warcraft. Identify key metrics that are important to your academic or professional growth. Share your dashboard with peers and discuss how self-measurement can enhance learning and motivation. Consider how this approach could be integrated into a corporate environment.
Organize a workshop where you and your peers brainstorm and develop new strategies for a hypothetical business challenge. Use the guild model to self-organize into groups, focusing on passion and interest. Present your strategies and receive feedback from the group, emphasizing the importance of knowledge generation and refinement.
Work in teams to design a corporate workspace that incorporates the principles of gaming environments. Consider elements such as self-set performance metrics, collaborative spaces, and areas for continuous learning and innovation. Present your design to the class and discuss how these changes could impact employee engagement and productivity.
Gaming – The activity of playing electronic games, often involving critical thinking and strategic decision-making. – Example sentence: “In the context of computer science, gaming can enhance problem-solving skills and foster innovative thinking.”
Skills – The abilities and expertise needed to perform tasks effectively, often developed through practice and learning. – Example sentence: “University students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills to analyze complex computer algorithms.”
Collaboration – The process of working together with others to achieve a common goal, often requiring effective communication and teamwork. – Example sentence: “Successful software development projects often rely on collaboration among team members with diverse skills.”
Knowledge – The information, understanding, and skills acquired through education or experience. – Example sentence: “A deep knowledge of programming languages is essential for developing efficient software solutions.”
Meritocracy – A system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement. – Example sentence: “In a meritocracy, students who demonstrate exceptional critical thinking and technical skills are often rewarded with scholarships.”
Accountability – The obligation to explain, justify, and take responsibility for one’s actions, particularly in a professional or academic setting. – Example sentence: “In computer science projects, accountability ensures that each team member contributes effectively to the final product.”
Performance – The execution or accomplishment of work, tasks, or functions, often evaluated based on effectiveness and efficiency. – Example sentence: “Optimizing the performance of an algorithm is a key aspect of computer programming.”
Learning – The process of acquiring knowledge or skills through study, experience, or teaching. – Example sentence: “Continuous learning is crucial for staying updated with the latest advancements in computer technology.”
Innovation – The introduction of new ideas, methods, or products, often leading to advancements in technology and processes. – Example sentence: “Innovation in artificial intelligence is transforming the way we interact with computers.”
Strategies – Plans or methods developed to achieve specific goals or solve problems, often involving critical analysis and foresight. – Example sentence: “Developing effective strategies for data management is essential in the field of computer science.”
