Boosting Stakeholder Engagement in IT Projects through Gamification

Engaging stakeholders effectively is one of the greatest predictors of IT project success. As IT projects tend to be complex and time-intensive, sustaining stakeholders' interest and participation can be challenging. Gamification, combined with team-based activities, can turn passive stakeholders into active contributors, driving higher adoption rates and smoother transitions.

Active and willing participants are more likely to share feedback, spot potential risks, and bring insights that elevate project outcomes. When engagement wanes, projects may face unanticipated barriers, delayed timelines, and decreased adoption. To build a foundation for sustained engagement and long-term success, early involvement, transparency about project goals, and clear communication are critical.

Achieving high stakeholder engagement in IT projects requires techniques that make participation rewarding and valuable. Although some of these may sound “gimmicky” and may even feel “gimmicky” to participants at first, most will feel more connected and involved after participation. It’s the reason that speed dating is simultaneously one of the most dreaded and loved dating activities of all time. And that’s the real goal, just getting people to come to the table and start talking.

Strategy Suggestions

• Early Involvement: Encouraging stakeholders to shape the project from the start fosters a sense of ownership and accountability.

• Clear Communication: Transparency about timelines, responsibilities, and benefits builds trust and helps stakeholders understand the project's value.

Gamification as a Tool for Stakeholder Engagement

Have you ever wondered how you can be playing a video game on your phone or PC or favorite console, and all of a sudden, hours have flown by? It’s because games engage our brains in ways that demand our attention and motivate us to continue playing. This is a useful hack for getting people, or keeping people, engaged with other things as well.  Gamification applies game-like elements, such as points, badges, and competition, to non-game contexts. By engaging stakeholders as they would with games, it taps into basic psychological drives like achievement, recognition, and purpose.

Why Gamification Works

• Motivation: Gamified elements make routine tasks more engaging by leveraging the desire for achievement.

• Competition and Social Validation: Leaderboards and team-based competitions create friendly rivalry, increasing investment.

• Immediate Feedback: Real-time feedback from gamified elements shows participants the results of their efforts, boosting satisfaction.

Strategy Suggestions

• Leaderboards & Badges: Recognize top performers by awarding badges for attending project meetings, providing timely feedback, or completing tasks.

• Progress Tracking: Use visual progress indicators to reinforce a sense of accomplishment and keep stakeholders motivated.

Implementing Fun Activities to Increase Participation

Team-based activities build camaraderie, simplify complex content, and encourage shared objectives. These activities can also make technical and dense projects feel more accessible and enjoyable. Collaborative, intellectually stimulating, and goal-oriented activities are particularly effective. For example, try a virtual scavenger hunt. This kind of activity can break up someone’s workday with something unexpected while motivating them to win and learn something new.  We did this with IT2025 and saw a significant uptick in the number of people who engaged and understood what was happening in the initiative.

Suggested Activities

• Team Competitions: Challenges related to project tasks foster collaboration and excitement. Rewards like virtual badges or small incentives enhance engagement.

• Workshops with Game-Based Learning: Games integrated into workshops help stakeholders apply project goals interactively, ensuring greater understanding and retention.

• Virtual Scavenger Hunts: Scavenger hunts requiring stakeholders to complete project-related tasks encourage exploration and collaboration while increasing comfort with project content.

Strategy Suggestions

• Team-Based Rewards: Reward teams that solve challenges collaboratively, fostering teamwork and friendly competition.

• Collaborative Problem-Solving Games: Strategy games where stakeholders address real project challenges build deeper engagement and satisfaction.

Boosting the Desire to Participate

Increasing intrinsic motivation through meaningful participation and personal development opportunities can ensure stakeholders want to engage, not just feel obligated to do so. Aligning activities with stakeholder values and providing professional development opportunities makes participation personally rewarding. When people understand “what’s in it for me” (WIIFM), their own personal goals will add momentum to their desire to participate in an activity.

Strategy Suggestions

• Aligning with Stakeholder Values: Integrate gamification and activities that resonate with stakeholders’ interests and values to create relevance.

• Skill-Building Opportunities: Highlight professional development benefits such as acquiring new skills or advancing career goals, deepening motivation.

Building a Long-Term Engagement Strategy

Sustained engagement requires building a culture of ongoing involvement. Milestone celebrations and consistent recognition of stakeholder contributions can keep energy up and reinforce their importance to project success.

Suggested Strategies

• Milestone Celebrations: Celebrate project achievements to remind stakeholders of progress and foster enthusiasm.

• Social Recognition: Public acknowledgment of stakeholder contributions in newsletters or meetings shows appreciation and encourages continued involvement.

By incorporating gamification, team activities, and strategic communication, IT project teams can create an environment where stakeholders feel valued, motivated, and excited to participate. Combining intrinsic motivation with social recognition builds lasting engagement and leads to greater adoption and project success. Transforming stakeholder participation into a meaningful, rewarding experience benefits not only the individuals involved but also the overall success of the project.

Sources and Further Reading

Cohen, A. R., Fink, S. L., Gadon, H., & Willits, R. M. (2017). Effective behavior in organizations: Cases, concepts, and student experiences (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Deterding, S., Dixon, D., Khaled, R., & Nacke, L. (2011). From game design elements to gamefulness: Defining "gamification." Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, 9–15. https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181040

Gartner. (2022). Gamification and the role it plays in modern business. Retrieved from https://www.gartner.com

Herzberg, F. (2003). One more time: How do you motivate employees? Harvard Business Review, 81(1), 87–96.

Huotari, K., & Hamari, J. (2017). A definition for gamification: Anchoring gamification in the service marketing literature. Electronic Markets, 27, 21–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-015-0212-z

Kapp, K. M. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction: Game-based methods and strategies for training and education. Pfeiffer.

Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard Business Review Press.

Lee, J. J., & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in education: What, how, why bother? Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15(2), 1–5.

Llopis, G. (2014). The importance of integrating diversity into the workplace. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com

Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). Free Press.

Werbach, K., & Hunter, D. (2012). For the win: How game thinking can revolutionize your business. Wharton Digital Press.