BUSINESS AND INGRESS

BUSINESS AND INGRESS

I recently attended an event for interns in the auto industry.  Some of the interns noticed the Ingress Resistance sticker on my cellphone and said they had boyfriends who played, I mentioned i had some invites and found myself suddenly flocked by students.  I talked to them for a few minutes, and we took a picture together as an event photographer came by.

I went to sit down, but was flagged by a CEO, who asked me why the interns were so interested in me.  I explained Ingress, and my own game play, then I looked around the table at the CEO and the other high-level CFOs and Executives from other companies and I told them how I had to learn how to build a team, then grow that team. I had to learn to step back and let others take the lead sometimes and help them level up.  I worked on the backstory, solving clues and codes, and met a lot of people along the way. Some those people I met I sent an invite to play the game and then I helped them build their teams all across America, then across the world.
 
I also mentioned I how i had to learn the game strategy, forming alliances, motivating people to come to portals to help me upgrade them, and negotiating temporary agreements with the enemy team. I learned to collaborate and sharpened my writing skills writing up Google+ posts about my team's accomplishments. I planned meetup events and helped plan operations that involved multiple players.  I worked with one team to drive 372 miles and take 12 hours to build a giant field.  I had to keep up on technology, and learn to use several programs quickly.

Then  I looked right at them and said that I remembered that they had said in recent interviews that their main concern was attracting good talent to their company and inspiring interns to stay on after graduation. I pointed to my phone and I said here is a tool. Have your interns play Ingress with your employees, it builds teamwork, and they form bonds as they play, i can tell you I have formed strong bonds with my team.  The type of bonds that will encourage your interns to want to stick around after graduation. Not only that, but there are mostly guys playing these games. They get to practice all those team building skills and the others i mentioned above...over and over they practice them.  Meanwhile, the girls are not.  So when female interns gathered in this room hit the workplace they can be at an immediate disadvantage over the boys, who have played games like this that require all these skills. 

The CEO said "you are absolutely right, and I'd like you to go up to that podium right now and tell the 200 female interns in this room and the Executives sitting with them what you just told me..."  

I got up and made one of the best speeches I ever made, and I had no notes or prep, but after playing Ingress all these months I didn't need notes. My passion spoke volumes.  I was thrilled when interns raised their hands when at the end I asked who was interested to play, and I have started the first corporate Ingress team for one of the CFOs that was in the audience.  I hope this is an idea that I can continue to grow.

Think about starting an Ingress team with the interns at your company, I know my own company is gearing up right now to hire the summer interns, why not make Ingress a part of the program?



#ingress   #ingresstory     #resistance     #enlightenment    
Brian Rose Brandon Badger Anne Beuttenmüller John Hanke