CHAPTER 1TRAPPED IN THE CYCLE: THE WOES OF ENFORCED GAMIFICATION
Work life will never return to the pre‐pandemic state.
—US Labor Secretary, Marty Walsh1
Sarah's story resonated with me when I met her. She was 27 years old and was a few years deep into her tenure at a bank, occupying the prestigious role of a venture investment analyst. Fresh from university, she had battled her way through an intense selection process, emerging victorious to the applause of envious classmates and the approving nods of relatives. Her first few exhilarating months were marked with a generous sign‐on bonus and the novelty of a coveted career.
However, as the novelty faded and the monotonous reality of the job seeped in, the thrill transformed into comfort. Around her second year, Sarah noticed a feeling of confinement creeping in, along with a rising tide of demotivation. She chose to persevere, thinking that opportunities like hers were rare. However, the longer she held on, the more drained she felt.
Pursuing a degree in financial technology to propel her career, Sarah found that things were becoming less than hunky‐dory. Negative performance reviews came her way, with her manager criticizing her work for failing to meet the bank's standards. The bank responded by enforcing a mandatory training program and setting stringent performance improvement expectations.
Even though Sarah completed the training program, she felt a significant chunk of her remaining freedom was stripped away. Her role ...
Get The Power of Play now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
