Can playing Warcraft make you a better boss?

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Kaos36

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

#63556 29-Jun-2010 19:40

HOW did Stephen Gillett go from college graduate to the youngest ever chief information officer of a Fortune 500 company in less than six years?
By playing World of Warcraft, says the Silicon Valley guru who gave him his first job.

Less than half a dozen years after being hired by John Hagel III for a hi-tech startup, Gillett became a senior vice-president and chief information officer for Starbucks.

Hagel says Gillett learned everything he needed to know for a career in business by corralling and directing people as a guild leader in the popular online multiplayer game Warcraft.

At the Wharton Leadership Conference in Philadelphia, Hagel said that Gillett — like other top players of the game, which has an estimated 8 million participants — reached out independently to build a large team of allies and solve complex problems.

Guild leaders in Warcraft "require a high degree of influence" said Hagel, the co-chairman of a strategy centre for financial and consulting firm Deloitte.

"You have to be able to influence and persuade people — not order them to do things. Ordering people in most of these guilds doesn't get you far," he said.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/biz/can-playing-warcraft-make-you-a-better-boss/story-fn5lic6c-1225885620043

Worst Response To A Crisis:
From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

rossmnz

507 posts

Ultimate Geek

#346498 29-Jun-2010 21:41

I find it helps me enormously in my corporate role.

When my underlings make a mistake I yell : "zomg you freaking noob. GTFO".

This makes them strive ever harder to avoid being the office noob.

If they do something good I say: "FTW. You will get the next epic that drops!"

They are then happy.

Obviously im sitting in my underwear speaking to them over ventrillo, but you know, this makes me relate to them better than IRL.

It allows me to keep a "Charlie from Charlies Angels" type of mystique.

The force is strong with this one!

Kaos36

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

#346746 30-Jun-2010 18:38

rossmnz: I find it helps me enormously in my corporate role.

When my underlings make a mistake I yell : "zomg you freaking noob. GTFO".

This makes them strive ever harder to avoid being the office noob.

If they do something good I say: "FTW. You will get the next epic that drops!"

They are then happy.

Obviously im sitting in my underwear speaking to them over ventrillo, but you know, this makes me relate to them better than IRL.

It allows me to keep a "Charlie from Charlies Angels" type of mystique.

hahaha! :)

Worst Response To A Crisis:
From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

jacli

32 posts

Geek

#347012 1-Jul-2010 15:34

ahahaha nice

byteshertz

8 posts

Wannabe Geek

#347086 1-Jul-2010 20:17

I myself do not play warcraft as I consider it the virtual form of crack and know i already have enough other virtual addictions!

Being a clan leader myself, I would have to say that indeed fundamental leadership skills that are essential for being in management possitions can definitly be taught through managing a clan.

However to go as far as saying warcraft can make you a better boss - I could perhaps agree if half the people I know that play the game actually left their house once and a while :P