In the world of business, there's always a new buzzword or trend that's taking over. Right now, that buzzword is “gamification.” Gamification is the process of using game mechanics and game thinking to engage users and solve problems.

It's not just a passing fad, either. Gamification is changing the way businesses operate, and the way employees work. From employee training programs to task management apps, gamification is making its mark.

One of the most popular applications of gamification is in task management, today’s article topic.

We're going to dive into just what it actually looks like in practice, talk about its benefits, why in many ways, it's better than the old guard, and even give you an example. 

Gamification in Task Management: An Overview

Do you ever find yourself getting really into a video game or other type of game? Gamification is the use of game elements in non-game contexts. In other words, it's taking something that isn't traditionally seen as a game and making it into one.

Simply put – gamification in task management is the use of game mechanics and game thinking to engage users and motivate them to achieve their goals. 

Some common examples of gamification in task management include awarding points for completed tasks, adding levels or badges to signify progress, and leaderboards to encourage competition. 

Adding these elements to a task management system makes users more likely to stick with it and complete their tasks. In fact, employees experienced a 60% engagement increase when they gamified their work.

Let's dive into some additional benefits and see just why gamification is so useful.

Key Benefits of Gamification in Task Management

Gamification refers to design that seeks to, first, increase the motivation of users or participants to engage in an activity or behavior and, second, to increase or otherwise change a given behavior.

Simply put, to make life more fun and engaging. As a task management tool, gamification can be a great way to complete a piece of work more enjoyable and motivate yourself to get it done.

Let's see what the primary benefits of gamifying your task management system are: 

• It makes task management more fun
• Motivates people to get things done
• Helps with organizing everything
• Greater productivity
• Helps people learn new skills
• Encourages healthy competition
• Boosts morale
• Improves communication and collaboration

Now how about we talk about these a bit more thoroughly.

Make Task Management More Fun

One of the best things about gamifying your task management is that it can make the whole process more fun.

If you find yourself getting bored or frustrated with your task list, adding some game-like elements can help breathe new life into it.

This is perhaps the most important benefit. In a way, this feature influences every other benefit.

Motivates People to Get Things Done

Another great benefit of gamification is that it can help you motivate yourself to get things done. As mentioned above, this comes from the fact that most gamification applications borrow design patterns from (video) games.

Therefore, it's aimed to give uprise to similar experiences as games commonly do. For instance, feelings of supremacy, independence, flow, or uncertainty. When you make task management more fun, you're more likely to stick with it and see it through to the end.

Stay Organized and on Track

Gamification can also help you stay organized and on track with your task management. By adding elements like points, leaderboards, and achievements, you can keep yourself accountable and motivated to stay organized.

Enhance Productivity

Productivity is often enhanced when people are able to have some fun while working. By adding game-like elements to your task management system, you can find that you work more quickly and efficiently overall.

This can lead to better results in a shorter time frame. Gamification can also help reduce stress levels, as having some fun can take the edge off of difficult tasks. In this way, gamification can assist with creating a positive work/life balance. 

Help People Learn New Skills

One of the most interesting benefits of gamification is that it can help people learn new skills. When people are engaged in activities that are enjoyable, they often don't even realize that they're learning.

However, by adding game-like elements to task management, you can create an environment where people are actively encouraged to learn new things. It can serve as a great way to improve your team's overall skill set.

Encourage Healthy Competition

If you have a team working on a project, gamification can be a great way to encourage healthy competition.

By adding leaderboards and other competitive elements, you can foster a sense of friendly competition that can push everyone to do their best work. It can lead to better results and a more cohesive team.

Boost morale

Another great benefit of gamification is that it can boost morale. When people are having fun and feel like they're making progress, they're more likely to be engaged and motivated. This can lead to increased productivity and a better work/life balance for everyone involved.

Improved Communication and Collaboration

Finally, gamification can also improve communication and collaboration. When people are working together towards a common goal, it's important to have good communication in order to stay on track.

By adding game-like elements to task management, you can encourage people to communicate more often and work together more effectively. You can then expect better results and a stronger team overall.

Why Traditional Task and Project Management Systems Don't Work?

We’ve already talked about why gamified systems are so good and why they're so useful. However, are they better than regular systems?

While choices such as these always boil down to personal preference, we suggest you check out the arguments we listed out below on why these new systems are better compared to the traditional ones.

Gamified systems make tasks more fun

Let's face it: most traditional task management systems are pretty boring. With a gamified system, tasks become more like games, which makes them more enjoyable to work on.

Gamified systems keep you more engaged

Because gamified systems make tasks more fun, you're likely to stay more engaged with them.

This means you're less likely to get sidetracked or procrastinate, and you'll be more likely to actually finish the task at hand.

Gamified systems can help you work more efficiently

Because they keep you more focused and engaged, gamified systems can actually help you get things done more quickly.

This is because you're less likely to waste time on activities that don't contribute to the task at hand.

Gamified systems are flexible

Most traditional task management systems are pretty inflexible. With a gamified system, however, you can tailor the game to your own preferences and goals.

This means you can make the game as easy or as difficult as you want, and you can adjust it as your needs change.

Gamified systems are motivating

One of the best things about gamified systems is that they're motivating. With traditional task management systems, it's easy to lose motivation and give up on a task entirely.

With a gamified system, however, you'll be more likely to stick with it because you'll be motivated by the challenge of the game.

Gamified systems are social

Many traditional task management systems are pretty isolating experiences. With a gamified system, however, you can involve friends and family in the process, which makes it more enjoyable and meaningful.

Additionally, some gamified systems even allow you to compete with others, adding an extra layer of fun and competition.

Gamified systems are rewarding.

Because they're motivating and challenging, gamified systems can be quite rewarding. This is because you'll often feel a sense of accomplishment when you complete a task, which can be a great way to boost your morale.

How MagicTask (A Gamified Task Management System) is Changing The Way We Work

Now we talked a lot about theory, but how about we give you a very concrete example.

MagicTask is a completely gamified task management system with a host of features and benefits. It changes the way we work because it essentially incorporates almost all of the above notes we listed in this article.

“Created by gamers, built for gamers and entrepreneurs” is right there on their website, and this mantra is evident in their design. 

First of all - the regular stuff. MagicTask has a clean, simple interface that is easy to follow and track. Even non-technical users will find it easy to set up a workspace, assign tasks and subtasks, and organize those within projects.

Furthermore, your workspace is updated in real-time, so you know exactly how a project is progressing, no matter who is finishing up his or her tasks. 

But let's talk about gamification and the fun stuff.

You know that really satisfying feeling of completing quests in a game and then leveling up? Or, at the very least, looking at the XP bar fill up slowly but surely? Well, MagicTask can give you that feeling at work.

As you use MagicTask and complete tasks, you slowly but surely level up. Or rather, your themes do.

With this, you can get new animations and sounds. Just like you get gear and loot in a game, so too do you get extra auditions to the themes you have equipped for MagicTask.

What makes this extra important is that you will be looking at your task management system basically every day. Keeping it as attractive, fresh, and interactive as possible will do wonders for productivity.

Basically, this system gives you and your employees an almost instant reward when a task is done. There’s even a leaderboard system, so you can see how well you compare to other teams. 

Conclusion

And there you have it, folks, a thorough guide on why gamification is going to be the new paradigm in task management. Long gone are the days of stuffy, lifeless systems.

Now it's time for something more fun, something that can motivate yourself and your employees to maximize their time at work. We suggest you try this out, start with the MagicTask system, and then decide for yourself.

Click here to sign up for MagicTask: https://app.magictask.io/