Project Management through Incentivization: Interview with RedCritter CEO, Mike Beaty
Imagine you're a business who's product delivery requires a whole lot of timely coordination between different functional groups. "Hey, that sounds like me," you might be saying. It sounds like a lot of industry whose challenge is the coordination, motivation, and processes around project management.
Eight years ago a saving grace came in the form of a handy product called Basecamp. We could share documents, capture topic strands, manage revisions. It was great at first. Then business really got going, things like social media came into form, and solutions like Basecamp were suddenly more burdensome than facilitating.
Speaking at this week's Gamification Summit in San Francisco was RedCritter, a company committed to changing the value and usability of project management software solutions. Before anyone gets caught up in the "G-word," as it's been called by analysts, critics, and proponents alike, let's level set. What we're really talking about is incentives. Incentivizing behavior, sharing, accomplishment, even failure that is thereafter learned from.
I call it "incentivization" and that's what this is truly about.
The company's product, RedCritter Tracker, is a project management solution for both individuals and teams to manage multiple projects at the same time. One of the biggest differences between RedCritter Tracker and other project management applications is its reward system. Employees can unlock badges and earn points for accomplishing goals and tasks. Each task includes a timer that lets the user monitor hours for billing purposes. The application also offers a rewards store, focusing on meaningful, positive reinforcement for hard work.
The way it works, points can be saved up and spent in the company store. The store is stocked by the employer and can contain anything from a catered lunch to event tickets or gifts. Explains RedCritter CEO, Mike Beaty, "This gives employers a fun, encouraging way to keep employees interested while maintaining morale."
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