Human beings are designed for play. It’s a scientific fact. Most adults, however, are too busy or serious to hurl themselves into the joy of play with great frequency, let alone daily. There is a strong business case for playing every day, as building blocks, painting and boardgames unlock our creative potential, enhance our ability to solve problems, and increase our emotional intelligence. Leadership guru Robin Sharma has been arguing that we should play like kids for years:
You see, our natural state is the way we were as children. We’re built to be curious, we’re built to be passionate, we’re built to be full of energy. We’re built to question things. You look at a little child and it’s like, “Mommy, Daddy, Why? Why?” You look at an adult and they’ve contracted their curiosity. They’ve given up on seeing the magic in the world. They no longer grow.
If you’re curious about how to be in constant-contact with your energetic and whimsical inner child then check out this article I wrote on the subject a few years ago. Here are five reasons why you should play every day.
It’s who we are
In his disruptive work, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, Anthropologist David Graeber argues that play is one of the core defining characteristics of human beings. In several of his essays, like this one in The Baffler, Graeber leverages the insights of folks like Philosopher Friedrich Schiller, who in 1795 argued that humans find self-consciousness, freedom and morality in play: “Man plays only when he is in the full sense of the word a man … and he is wholly a Man when he is playing.”
Rather than being just accumulators of things like capital, successes and stories, Graeber offers that we are, in our hearts, very playful creatures: “The most basic level of being is play rather than economics, fun rather than rules, goofing around rather than filling in forms.”
Play empowers people
People are empowered when we reflect on our experiences – this is when learning really happens. Lego empowers kids, parents and the 86-year-old company’s employees to work out problems or ideas for themselves through a process called “Serious Play”.
Play is central to Lego’s culture and the family-owned organization believes that play is essential for wellbeing and happiness. As expected, the organization cultivates play by literally having Lego blocks everywhere in their offices. Lego also unleashes Play Agents – employees who are trained to facilitate experiences through play – to create activities for their colleagues. Jacob Morgan interviewed Lego’s Loren Shuster about some of the unique ways that Lego empowers employees through play:
One example of this is what they call Play Day. Every year every single one of the 18,000 employees at Lego enjoy a day off where they play together and have fun. “We strongly believe that adding a bit of play into the work day can help nurture our innate curiosity and desire to learn, which comes naturally to children”.
Play not only empowers people to come up with novel solutions to complex problems, but it also empowers people to express themselves in unique and creative ways.
Shifting perspective enhances creativity
Part of my morning routine is playing with my kids (the Oldest Boy is pictured above). Something I struggle with is following their lead (I may or may not get carried away with the activity), but when I can focus my energy on playing in their world my perspective is wonderfully changed. This is the power of play. Actively looking for different points of view, the humour in situations or reframing our experiences enhances empathy and innovation.
Inc’s Martin Zwilling encourages anyone starting a small business or social venture to make time for play: “You can’t play or enjoy things when you are constantly rushing. Take the time to explore new ideas and have deep conversations with creative people about things you enjoy.” Embracing playful moments with my kids helps me to reframe my day with a childlike sense of wonder and contagious curiosity (they also have a lot of energy at 6AM, which is mostly contagious). However you examine the idea, play leads to breakthrough innovations over and over again.
Solve problems differently
“Better problem-solving skills, greater retention of learned information, and enhanced creativity and imaginative thinking all result from regular doses of cognitive play,” argues Inc’s Kenny Kline. Taking time at work to play boardgames or build collaboration skills by visiting an escape room are examples of how playing together can enhance engagement among colleagues and with the organization. Playing with an idea or a problem cultivates resilience, too, as kids (and adults, too) learn stick-to-itiveness by tackling challenges from multiple angles or testing different theories through play.
Social skills are future skills
Play brings to life critical human skills, such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, creativity, and learning. When we play, we usually need to learn how a game works or what rules exist. Boardgames or imaginative play with friends require skills like empathy and the ability to compromise or share (and not throwing the board). World building, as nicely evidenced in the picture of “a morning setup” that I created with my son, amplifies all kinds of creative energy. Imagination, creativity and the ability to bring strategies to life through others represent the skills we need to thrive in the fast-evolving world of work. And there is no faster way to accelerate your development of such abilities than through the art and science of play.
—
This article was originally published on February 20, 2019 (the blog and the Oldest Boy have aged very well!).
I’m all about Play, Fun At Work, Engagement as driving positive mental health.