Jamie was quiet for a minute. Then, she slowly repeated herself. “In the mind of my son, he is part of something bigger than himself, trying to achieve certain levels in the game. As he makes progress, he gets real-time feedback (automatically), so he can adjust his play. When he makes the level, there is a small electronic celebration on the screen.”

“And, how does your son feel about himself when he is playing this computer game?” I asked.

“It must feel good. As silly as it may seem, he has a sense of accomplishment.”

“Is there any time when he feels frustrated or challenged?”

“Oh, yes, sometimes he won’t even come down for dinner, because he is working through something so intently. He has to try and try and try until he finally gets it.”

“And then he comes to dinner?”

Jamie smiled. “Yes, then he comes to dinner. He says it’s okay, now. He has reached a certain level in the game and he can take a breather. Sometimes, he will stay away from the game for a couple of days.”

“Jamie, I want you to think about your son and his motivation and see how you could apply that at work, with your team. I want you to think about challenge, real time feedback, personal control and correction, achievement of goals, competence and mastery. Let’s meet tomorrow and talk about your ideas.” -TF