Well, it's been far too long since I've posted - let us resolve that situation.
In order to engage in my topic for today, I direct you to a 10m video by Dan Pink and RSA Animate.
Now that you've viewed that, I would like to argue that the three factors which Dan links to better performance in business are also highly applicable to those who are part of a group outside of companies - specifically, guilds.
Some may argue against this idea of mine because, theoretically, people play games (even MMO's) for recreational enjoyment - there is no 'goal' as the objective similar to how we need a job in order to acquire the goal of money. I agree that this is a key difference, but we can liken the rewards of character advancement to monetary rewards in some ways. We don't necessarily need money as a reward in order to enjoy a job, as Dan's video shows. Likewise, we do not need character advancement (or similar mechanic) in order to enjoy a game, but in the case of games which emphasize long-term groups these goals are an integral part of the machine.
So how do guilds, like a company, manage to draw in members (employees) and retain membership? What incentives do they use to motivate their guild members? The most widely used function is any of the various points-based loot systems. These take on many forms, such as the many variations of DKP, or the alternative which is gaining popularity EPGP. We also have systems which do not use points but work in a highly similar method, where once you gain your incentive reward you are placed closer to the bottom of the priority list for the next incentive reward (see: Suicide Kings) - but you can move up the priority list more quickly by putting more work in.
My argument is that all of these reward systems mentioned above, and by association the guilds which rely on them to dole out loot in an MMO environment, have the exact same flaws which monetary rewards in a business environment have. The guild leaders who use these loot systems have the same theory as those economists, company owners, managers, etc which rely on monetary rewards to get better performance out of their employees.
So how do we use Dan's three factors of autonomy, mastery, and purpose in order to motivate a guild membership? The solution is actually quite simple. The first method I have used in my guild is to get rid of any type of points or priority-based loot system. We simply use the in-game Group Loot system to roll for dropped items, with the threshold set appropriately for the content we're participating in. For instance, in a raid environment we set the threshold to Epic. If the person needs the item for their main equipment set, they click the dice button, and if they desire it for a non-main equipment set (off-set) or as a side-grade, they click the coin button and pass if they do not desire it at all. We have no restrictions on how much a person can win in one night, but instead rely on our recruitment procedures (and the guild leadership's watchful eyes) to filter out anyone who is extremely greedy.
Using this loot system, instead of a points-based system, already opens the doors for many incentives I could offer to my guild for better performance, utilizing those three factors mentioned above. For instance, someone could take a night off raiding to relax or do some other activity without feeling like they have dropped far in the priority list due to missed points - because there aren't any. This allows for some autonomy, letting guild members not feel pressured to always, always, always be scheduling around guild raids.
Altering our loot system is far from the only way we motivate our guild members though. Many of the top-guilds will argue that people should always use certain add-ons and should theorycraft or at least follow the most-regarded theorycrafters in order to always be playing and gearing their character the most optimally. This can be a turn off to many prospective, skilled members and can also be a source of stress as it requires even more time be put into research in order to play the game. While those of us leading the guild, and the majority of our members, do discuss various playstyles, blogs, theorycrafting websites, and general experiences we don't require any particular talent specs, gearing, or add-ons from our members. This increases autonomy in our members even more, as well as providing a means for individual mastery rather than following the flavor of the week "top spec".
Allowing for autonomy and mastery will in turn, along with stated guild goals from the leadership, drive us along to the motivator of purpose. Our guild leadership emphasizes that the point of playing a game is fun, and thusly we hold this true in declaring our guild's purpose as well. But fun in an MMO, or any game, can come in many varieties - exploration of the world, finding out about the lore and story of the game and its characters, crushing opponents in player vs player game modes, or conquering the dungeons created by the developers. While we are not a player vs player guild by any means, we try to encourage our members to do what they want in the game, with other guild members. This creates room for the fulfillment of all of the motivating factors Dan Pink mentions, and is facilitated by the guild leadership and its core, veteran members taking part in and discussing the various activities which members of the guild are doing.
Just like in a company, it is the leaders which form the outer shape of the group and decide on what incentives they will use to gain, retain, and motivate members - but it is the members themselves who really drive the company or group. All it takes is utilizing the correct motivating factors so that those members are driven to provide the best results.
