What Does Play at Work Mean?
When was the last time you experimented with play at work? And what did you do?
Your answers to these questions can tell a lot about you and your work ethics. They can tell even more about the quality of your workplace: from its culture to the relationships between team members and managers, from the wellbeing of each employee to the success of your projects.
The notion of play at work has been garnering more and more interest because studies show its positive impact on aspects such as creativity and productivity.
So let's look at what it means to have fun at work! And how can we make sure to integrate it successfully in the workplace?
Why play at work?
As Ingvar Kamprad, founder of IKEA, said: “We all only have one life. A third of life is work. Without desire and fun, work becomes hell.”
The importance of having fun and play at work can't be overstated. Studies have indeed found that play is linked with:
Job satisfaction
A sense of competence (results)
Enhanced creativity
It also increases trust, bonding and social interaction between workers leading to better relationships. As results and relationships are the fundamentals of happiness at work, play is key to improving anything in the workplace. It’s actually one of the elements we measure when assessing the workplace at a client’s.
What does play at work look like?
“When you play, play hard; when you work, don't play at all.”
If this quote by Theodore Roosevelt resonates with you, the whole idea of having fun at work may make no sense. But instead of dismissing the concept, let’s look at what it entails because playfulness can come in many forms.
Play at work can be anything from having a laugh with your colleague in the kitchen to building playfulness into your workday through little games—all the way to your fully organised events like escape rooms or offsite games played together.
In my call centre days, we played a word game at work. We would choose a few words—random but not offensive— and put them on the board. You would get a point if you could fit those words into your conversation throughout the day. And if you managed to fit them all into a conversation, you won a prize!
The Do’s and Don’ts
Work should not be all about play: somewhere around 5% of time having fun or silly time is a good number. When used as a team, play is an excellent addition to your toolbox of positive workplace culture, but it should not be at the expense of all else. The real happy workplaces have a great sense of camaraderie and make progress in meaningful work—as in they like to get things done!
While there’s no hard and fast rule on when you should have fun and play at work, it’s essential to frame play correctly and follow a few principles.
Be intentional. You need to set time aside for play to make it a habit.
Don’t force people to do it. Whether people participate or not should be down to them. Enforced fun is no fun at all. Keep in mind that fun will look different to different people. So make sure that playfulness is not just an “extrovert” activity, allow choice, and give space for people to explore what play at work looks like for them.
Be respectful. For instance, there’s been a lot of talk in the UK about the parties at 10 Downing Street during the pandemic. When everybody was expected to follow safety guidelines, this wasn’t a good idea. Fun isn’t always the right thing to do, and a party isn’t always the right way to play. Use play to build something together, something that serves you and the team.
How to kick-start play in your workplace?
Workshops and retreats are a great way to implement changes in your workplace culture. That makes them a great way to start implementing play at work too. They offer a space where you and your team can define the ground rules and create the right conditions for psychological safety—which is key for both play and a happy workplace.
In our Happiness at Work workshops, we use the Uppiness game. It relies on the pillars of positive psychology and leadership and the understanding of your own strengths and the strengths of others. It encourages you to learn more about yourselves and your colleagues and how diverse perspectives can bring more solutions.
We also run retreats and workshops using Improv sessions and Lego Serious Play. These are wonderful for activating creativity and connection, communication, empathy, listening and confidence. Additionally, we have started to use Forest school concepts in our retreats and training to allow people to activate and find their inner child, thus enhancing creativity, connection and experiential learning.
All of these give individuals the chance to put down their work tools for a while, escape the mundane, the stress and the everyday, create deeper connections, and explore creativity. Research actually showed with real-time MRI images that new neuronal connections were established while utilising Lego serious play, changing brain configuration.
Should there be a Play-at-Work in Chief?
Anyone should be able to create playful moments at work. However, leaders and managers should model this behaviour to ensure that there's permission to have fun at work. People do what we do as leaders, not what we say. The more senior you are, the more you can create playful moments—moments of vulnerability where you can be a bit silly—the better.
If anything, play can help lighten things up a bit and move forward. And if by having a little more fun and laughter, you can create a more creative, more innovative, more productive workplace, why not go for it?
If you’d like to explore how play could improve the wellbeing and productivity of your workplace, email me, and we'll set up a chat. I’ll answer all your questions and give you pointers on how to introduce play with your team to achieve your business objectives.