Amy’s Ice Creams’ workforce is made up primarily of millennials, most of which are seasonal employees. In the short time these younger workers are with Amy's, this Great Game All-Star company maximizes engagement in order to make a lasting impact on employees' futures, as well as the success of the business. Take a look at what Marketing and Communications Director, Aaron Clay, has to say about the company's fun, fast-paced and positive Huddles combined with open-book management, and his four guidelines for enhancing engagement in your team's Huddles.

Fear. It can control any situation, including situations in the workplace. Fear of making mistakes, fear of criticism, fear of losing credibility to your peers and superiors, fear of feeling unprepared.... these all inhibit creativity and prevent what Dallan Guzinski calls "psychological safety," a feeling of safety allowing individuals to be comfortable contributing ideas and feedback. Based on his experience working as Director of Culture and Engagement at The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO), Dallan introduces ways to build trust among your team and and more effectively solve serious workplace problems through classic improv techniques.

MiniGames™ are a fun, engaging way to correct a weakness or pursue an opportunity in your business. They get teams focused on the same goal and moving in the right direction, while also reinforcing business education, building teamwork, and creating a culture of winning. Great Game practitioner Qualbe Marketing Group started playing MiniGames two years ago, and their award-winning team has experienced impressive operational and cultural improvements as a result. Qualbe, a digital marketing, sales and technology firm based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is the home of the national 1Dental brand, a top dental insurance alternative. They credit the principles of the Great Game of Business with helping them achieve their goal of outstanding organizational growth. Along the way, their MiniGame successes and challenges have provided them with several practical lessons from the field any Great Game practitioner can benefit from.

What if you could open your books tomorrow without worry or fear? What would it take? In this blog, Great Game of Business Vice President, Steve Baker, addresses common concerns when opening the books and how employee misunderstandings and assumptions can be far more dangerous than business transparency.

When you hear the words “cheap and easy”, you might not automatically think of rewarding and recognizing the folks on your team. However, that’s exactly what your employee recognition program should be: an affordable, habitual pattern. While there is value to an occasional blow-out celebration, your employees will feel just as appreciated with frequent, small reminders that they are important. Take a look at some of these super-simple ways to show appreciation to your employees and improve workplace culture.

In an open-book company, we keep score in order to simply and consistently inform the players if they are winning or losing, and who is accountable. Check out these tips from Great Game Coach, Dave Scholten, for measuring the right results to maximize The Game at your business.

“My business is unique. I’m not sure Great Game® will work here.” For-profit businesses of every size, shape, and industry have embraced the Great Game of Business over the past 35 years. Now, lessons learned by SRC have spread into the nonprofit and social sectors in a program called the Great Game for Social Sectors. In recent years, leading organizations such as Missouri Southern State University (MSSU), Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks (BBBSO) and Greene County, Missouri have embraced the open-book management principles taught by the Great Game as a way to improve their financial sustainability. Since the launch of the Great Game for Social Sectors in February 2017, 24 organizations have adopted the proven principles of the Great Game to transform their not-for-profit organizations.

The Huddle cycle consists of a series of meetings where financial and operational numbers are shared and forecasted. These meetings include a Pre-Huddle, Main-Huddle and Post-Huddle, all with different focuses and objectives. When performed properly, the Huddle Cycle saves time despite the additional meetings by providing improved communication within your company, better execution of your tasks and strategies, and a clear understanding of how each employee affects the success of the company.

In this blog series written by Great Game™ employees, we will highlight some of the highest rated sessions at the 2018 Gathering of Games conference. Account manager Dan Heisler covers the session "Begin with the Right Leadership: The Essentials of Leadership in a Great Game Company" led by certified Great Game Coach Kevin Walter. Based on his years working with Great Game companies, Kevin defines what it takes to become an effective leader in a Great Game and open-book environment. Here, he highlights the difference between traditional leadership styles and the most effective approach for Great Game companies, emphasizing the impact of having the right leadership in an organization.

Creating an informed and engaged workforce doesn't happen overnight...and isn't sustainable without the dedication and focus of the whole team. To help get your Game off on the right foot in the new year, here's a list of must-know tips from our best blogs to help The Game excel at your company.