Interview with Virtual Work Teams Expert Yael Zofi
This interview is with virtual work teams expert Yael Zofi and her experience presenting at the ASTD Tech Knowledge conference last week. She recalls the many wonderful speakers who share her passion for virtual teams and the future use of technology in the workplace. Yael also discusses the impact of the concept of gamification on and how it will be applied to virtual teams in the future. Remember to check back next week for the continuation of this interview for more of Yael’s insights on virtual work teams.
Q. You attended ASTD Tech Knowledge conference last week where you presented on virtual work teams. Can you list some of the speakers you got the chance to meet?
A. Two really interesting and impressive ones were the keynote speakers. Jane McGonigal was humorous with an innovative presentation, full of astonishing facts about gaming. The second speaker was Stewart Crabb, Head of Training and development for Facebook, and he had a great deal to say.
Q. What caught your interest and attention in Jane McGonigal’s gaming presentation?
A. Jane’s presentation made me reflect on games, and the fact that games have been played by humans as long as we can remember. Also, she noted that in the workplace the concept and the amount of gaming has greatly increased. The idea of collaboration and gaming is quite incredible. Some of the facts Jane shared, such as that one third of the world’s population is online and 45% of internet users are under 25 years of age, show that there is a huge opportunity for future gamification.
Again, it is incredible that an increasing number of individuals are online – the possibilities for growth are endless. As Jane said, there are 5.9 mobile cell users and 1 billion gamers worldwide as of September 2011. The use of gaming and the fact that so many people (young, old, employed, retired) play games on their phones or computers made me realize how great the opportunity is.
The important point here is that business leaders need to start taking games seriously as platforms for learning and interactions. Gamification is the way to build problem solving and to practice 21 century skills.
You can view Jane’s slideshow below. It includes some interesting facts and data based on Gartner Research and Analysis.
Games as a Platform for Innovation
We will be sharing the second part of the interview with Yael on Friday, February 10.
