A careers boardgame? Really? How does that work?

The importance of play is a trendy topic, with advocates stating that creating fun and social experiences for adults facilitates learning, the generation of new ideas and increased follow-through on potential inspired actions.

At OneLifeTools, we have a boardgame. But we don’t always call it that. We often describe our Who You Are Matters! tool as a guided career discovery experience. Lately, we've been explaining it as a clarification experience, at the intersection of meaningful work and personal lifestyle.

4 out 5 people that walk into a room and see the WYAM game boards set up are excited and happy. They pick up the Firekeeper’s stick and start asking questions. Some people love the idea of a game. They think about their past positive experiences with friends and family, the rush of winning, the cooperation and laughter. But if it’s just a game, how do you invite people to try it and treat it as a beneficial and useful tool?

Back in the WYAM game room, you’ll notice there are other people that hang back when they see the game boards. There can be resistance to play. Some people have had negative experiences: a very competitive sibling that always cheated at games, for example, or a fear of reading aloud in front of groups. How do you overcome this apprehension and put people at ease?

Here, we let everyone know that this is a guided experience, with positive, structured peer feedback. We often let people know that if they choose not to share, that’s ok and expected, and the value of the game is not diminished if you’re not a Chatty Cathy. It’s also great to point out that the game is structured so that stories and reflections are shared in approx. 30 seconds.