I’ve always enjoyed playing games whether it’s cards, board games, or sports. There is something about the competitive environment that makes things fun, well, usually.

Business is really a game – a game of people, psychology, deals, and money. How we all play it, especially as owners, is the key to our success.I did some work for a retail company that had an issue with employees showing up late to work. I’m not talking about 5 or 10 min late. I’m talking about 30 min late or sometimes even an hour.

This was a company that had a business model that relied heavily on customer service. The owner had tried everything, but nothing worked. I had read a book called, The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack. The company in the book had an issue with OSHA claims. Jack decided he was going to reward his employees as they minimized claims.

I took some of his ideas and modified them to fit the client’s needs. We had a company meeting, and I had all the employees decide the reward and punishment for being on-time or late. It was a huge success, and over the course of a few months the tardiness subsided down to almost nothing.

Over the years I’ve learned that employees want to be heard. They want to have a say where it’s relevant to help make a company successful. Sometimes, thinking about the problem like a game helps you to come up with more creative solutions.

What are things in your company that employees can get involved with?