Here are our top Badging Do's and Don'ts to drive a meaningful culture of learning through achievement and recognition.
What use is a badge if everyone has one?
That single question outlines the heart of our philosophy on when, where, why, and how to use Badges in the Bright platform.
First, let's start with the basics of Badge creation.
Creating a Badge is simple: name it, describe it, add an icon. You can see a sample Badge record below from the Bright Admin panel.
Once the badge is created, it will become available to add under an Assignment Path.
The more thoughtful question is where/why to use a badge. As a quick primer, here are few core principles we try to follow when designing programs:
- Not Every Path Needs a Badge: There's a dropdown field in the Assignment Path record. But that doesn't mean you *have* to use it. Before you start, take a step back and develop a broader badge and recognition strategy. How many badges will there be? How do they relate to one another? Why should your associates care about them? Thinking through questions like these will help you answer all the tactical questions related to setting up the badge in the system.
- It Should Be Hard to Get a Badge: Our experience training millions of learners around the globe has helped us appreciate that when it comes to badging and recognition, scarcity is king. Think about it... how valuable is a badge if anyone can get one? The simulations and performance criteria for earning a badge should be demanding, such that when a learner *finally* gets one, it means something. The fewer the badges, and the more rigorous the criteria to earn them, the better.
- Stack Badges to Create Momentum: Using the 'Badge Searchable' feature in our Explore Path assignment path criteria (noted in THIS article), you can 'stack' badges in Bright. This means that the next badge or badges available to a learner won't appear as an option until they earn the pre-requisite badge. Thoughtful badge stacking design can create a sense of momentum for the learner - especially if you...
- Talk About Badges OUTSIDE the Platform: If the only place learners hear about badges is while they're in Bright, that's ok. But it's better if the story and message about badge achievement extends to team meetings, promotions, and other engagements outside the platform. Give thought to how you can reinforce the value of brands in live settings.
- Use the Badge Creation Toolkit: We've compiled a set of 25 customizable Badges + a Photoshop template as one of the elements of the Bright Image Library HERE. We hope this helps you create a brand that looks sharp and meaningful in the platform.
If you'd like to give more thought to how to structure your Badging program, we are big fans of the thoughts outlined by the badging company, Accredible, here: https://www.accredible.com/blog/different-types-of-badging-pathways