Unlocking Teamwork Through The Power of Play
Infusing your work with a spirit of curiosity and experimentation
At work, we often become so bogged down with the weight of responsibility that our inherent playfulness gets dampened or completely disappears. But what if we told you that a more lighthearted approach is key to unlocking creativity, exploration, and a sense of adventure in your work?
Playfulness is a mindset. It's about embracing challenges with a relaxed and imaginative spirit, fostering collaboration and innovation in the process.
Importantly, playfulness doesn't require abandoning structure or goals altogether. Instead, it's about infusing your work with a spirit of curiosity and experimentation.
To help you tap into this powerful mindset, we've outlined some common workplace scenarios and playful tactics to inject a little more fun and connection into your day-to-day.
1. Daily Standup Meeting
Okay: The team gathers and each member [somewhat robotically] sharing what they did yesterday, what they're working on today, and any roadblocks they're facing.
Better:
Kickstart with a Quick Game: Start your standup with a one-minute energizer like Zip-Zap-Boing or List Circle. These quick activities get the blood pumping, improve focus, and set a more lightweight tone for the meeting.
Keep it Engaging: Instead of a predictable round-robin, use a linked-list approach where each speaker chooses the next person to share, or toss a foam ball to randomly select the next update. This keeps everyone on their toes and adds a touch of excitement.
Celebrate "Failures": Once a week, dedicate a few minutes to share something that went wrong or had an unexpected outcome. Frame it as a learning experience and celebrate the knowledge gained from this "failure”.
2. Project Kickoff
Okay: A leader gathers the team and dictates the project goals and objectives in a top-down manner.
Better:
Co-create the Mission: Involve the team in co-designing the project's mission statement and brainstorming key objectives. This fosters ownership and engagement from the outset.
Disaster Planning (the Fun Way): Play this game! Challenge the team to brainstorm what a complete project disaster would look like. Following the game, discuss the identified risks, mitigation strategies, and working agreements needed to avoid that scenario.
3. Helping Stakeholders See the Value of Design
Okay: The team presents stakeholders with mockups, data charts, and user research reports in an attempt to justify their design decisions.
Better:
Persona Roleplaying: Start by assigning each stakeholder a specific user persona based on the target audience. Provide them with "cheat sheets" outlining relevant data points and background information. The stakeholders then act as their assigned persona, advocating for their needs and wants. This interactive exercise helps stakeholders empathize with the user and understand the value of the design.
4. Building a Culture of Psychological Safety
Okay: Leaders remind the team about the importance of embracing risk and learning from mistakes.
Better:
Vulnerability is Strength: Leaders can share personal stories of their own failures and the valuable lessons learned. This vulnerability helps normalize the idea of failure and encourages open communication.
Failure Rituals: Create a team ritual specifically around celebrating failures. This could involve sharing "failure stories" with a lighthearted twist, or awarding a tongue-in-cheek "best mistake" trophy. These rituals create a safe space for open discussion and learning from missteps.
5. Enhancing Team Listening Skills
Okay: Leaders remind team members to "share the mic" or point out when someone isn't paying attention.
Better:
Acknowledge the Need for Improvement: Openly acknowledge that the team could benefit from better listening skills. Frame it as an opportunity for growth and development.
Gamify Listening: Introduce a short, fun game specifically designed to build listening muscles. This could involve activities like active listening relays or collaborative storytelling exercises. After the game, debrief as a team, sharing experiences and takeaways to improve communication going forward.
By incorporating these playful tactics into your daily routine, you can foster a more collaborative, innovative, and enjoyable work environment for yourself and your team. So next time you find yourself bogged down in the seriousness of work, remember – a little playfulness can go a long way!
For more support. We host several workshops relating to creativity and innovation. You can check them out here along with the rest of our current workshop series.