The Value of Play in the Workplace
- Victoria Hogg
- Oct 16, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 23, 2024
That's the question. Is it a frivolous, embarrassing waste of time, or a vital part of every positive human interaction?
To Play or Not to Play? Enhancing Mental Agility and Interpersonal Connections
The concept of [forced] play at work can be cringe. It’s arguably, at best, a bit try-hard and basic. Some might say:
• It’s an annoying distraction.
• It feels unserious and pointless.
• It makes us look silly.
But incorporating play at work is, in reality, increasingly valuable, as studies prove.
”Play is training for the unexpected" Marc Bekoff, behaviouralist expert
Far from being a distraction, play is linked to significant benefits: enhanced professional performance, personal job satisfaction, increased creativity, more team fun - even greater well-being.
Why Play Matters Play is, essentially, how humans mostly communicate. As such, it’s a proven, powerful tool for learning and adaptation that goes way beyond childhood tropes. In the workplace, it serves several critical functions:
Creativity and Innovation: Playful activities allow employees to think outside the [sand]box and approach problems from new angles. Google famously allows its engineers to spend 20 percent work time on pet projects. More creative freedom = more imaginative output.
Interpersonal Connection: Play fosters stronger social connections in teams, enhancing communication, collaboration and trust. Shoe retailers Zappos incorporates play into its corporate culture and consistently ranks high in employee satisfaction surveys.
Positive Mental Health: Regular playful interactions mitigate stress and prevent burnout, contributing to mental well-being (crucial in pressured environments where stress is rife). The Journal of Creativity and Innovation Management found Pixar’s emphasis on playful creativity meant happier staff who stay put.
What if you don’t work at any of these (large, US-based) companies? No worries: the same principles apply! Importantly, it’s all up for discussion at our IMPROV Breakfast. Sign up with the QR code.
It’s worth checking in to see if we feel weird about feeling ‘playful’ at work, whatever that means to you. If so, is it because PLAY gets filed under ‘FRIVOLOUS NONSENSE’ or ‘WASTE OF TIME’ or ‘I LOOK SILLY’? Perhaps we’ve simply forgotten how to be playful and lighthearted, even when the stakes are high.
Rest assured: the way we deliver it, play is not frivolous - it’s profoundly important for agility, resilience and raising Adaptability Quotient. Ultimately, if it makes us feel awkward, maybe it’s time to retrain that ‘muscle’ and strengthen that side of us.
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