Workplace Game

The Workplace Game helps organisations to utilize their work environment more effectively by making behaviour in and around the work environment open for discussion

The game consists of a deck of cards describing indistinct or tricky workplace situations relevant for working in a innovative (NWoW) office. For example: "It is 9 p.m. A client sends you a mail with an urgent question. What would you do?" Or: “In the new work organisation employees will be given more autonomy. This means your control as a manager over your staff will diminish. How do you feel about this?” The cards check for expertise and knowledge and evoke debate about office values and norms, attitude and behavior.

The game is available in four languages: English, French, German and Dutch.

Goal

The Workplace Game can be used to discuss behaviour in the work environment. By discussing behaviour inside (and outside) the office, it makes office users aware of how they and their colleagues act and interact. The game helps users to anticipate the new working environment or understand its merits better. The game may help to enlarge acceptance for the new office concept.

Getting started

The Workplace Game is played in groups of 4 to 6 people. The players move from card to card, from space to space, as through an office where all sorts of situations take place. The 120 situation cards contain questions about Expertise & Knowledge, Values & Norms and Attitude & Behaviour that you can encounter both inside and outside the office. The players are engaged in a discussion on the basis of these situations. Playing the game takes about an hour. Before starting the game, it’s rules are explained and afterwards people are asked to give feedback about the important issues and discussions that arose.

Timing

The game can be used in different phases of a (re)accommodation process:

During ideation: to gauge what the basis is in your organisation for new ways of working.
During the implementation process: How do you act around each other in a new environment?
Shortly after the introduction of the new accommodation: what are the issues with the work environment?
Some time later after the introduction: what are the issues with the work environment? Do we need a code of conduct?

Custom wishes

The original game consists of 120 cards. Since autumn 2018 there is an extension of another 134 cards available (total 254). During a one hour playing session, about 12 of them will be addressed. This gives you the opportunity to make a selection of cards that are specifically interesting for your organisation. In this way important issues within your organisation can be taken up and themes that are irrelevant can be left out. The cards are divided into four types of spaces: Work spaces, Meeting spaces, Facilities and Other locations; and three themes: Expertise & Knowledge , Values & Norms and Attitude & Behaviour. We recommend to keep a similar distribution between themes and types of spaces when selecting the cards. The Center for People and Buildings can provide you with a document to help you selecting the most relevant questions. Next to selecting the cards you can also adapt the game to your organisation by creating a board that resembles (the shape) of your work environment.

More information

Find more information about the game and experiences with the game in the following:

Flyer Workplace Game
Flyer Workplace Game Training
De Bruyne, E. & Thoolen, F. (2015). The Workplace Game. In: FMJ Magazine: IFMA, Houston USA
De Jong, A., Kouprie, M., & De Bruyne, E. (2009). Effects of the Workplace Game: A Case-Study into Anticipating Future Behaviour of Office Workers. In B.-T. Karsh (Ed.), Ergonomics and Health Aspects of Work with Computers. (Vol. 5624, pp. 3-12): Springer Berlin / Heidelberg.
De Bruyne, E., & De Jong, A. (2008). The Workplace Game: exploring end users’ new behaviour. Paper presented at the AKFEI08, Las Vegas.
De Jong, A., & De Bruyne, E. (2008). Participatory design of office spaces by game playing? Paper presented at the AKFEI08, Las Vegas

Ordering and contact

SOLD OUT!

Feb. 2023 - Unfortunately this game is sold out at the moment. We are currently developing a new game. When it is available again, we will remove this text.

Price Workplace Game (complete with the extension card set): 175 euro + VAT (within EU reverse charge, outside EU no VAT) + shipping costs (with a 10% discount for licenced facilitators of the Workplace Game).

When you already purchasedd the game in the past without the extension set, you can order this extenstion card set separately.

Do you want to order the Workplace Game or know more about the Workplace Game? Please contact us!

E-mail: info@cfpb.nl

Phone: +31 15 2781271

Contactperson

Katinka Ham-Meisner

Research assistent