To play, or not to play? That is the question. My answer is play. Evidence points to enormous health and professional benefits of laughter, light heartedness, and playfulness.
Humor and games are also noted to improve attitudes on the jobsite.
As a matter of fact, I used to work backstage at a theatre arts center, where staff meetings required the performers to play theater games.
Games help improve rapport, build teamwork, and enhance onstage performance.
While most of us don’t work at a theater, we can still benefit from the power of play to improve relationships, synergy, and on the job performance.
Daniel Pink, bestselling author of A Whole New Mind, shares that “…play is becoming as important as work, business, and personal well-being.” According to Pink, outdated philosophies that see work and play on opposite sides of the fence are missing the mark.
Henry Ford, father of the Ford Motor Company, was once quoted as saying, “When we are at work we ought to be at work. When we are at play we ought to be at play. There is no use trying to mix the two.” He saw his workers laughing, jesting, and sharing as an obstruction to work productivity.
Consider the opposite approach by the successful company, Southwest Airlines, whose mission statement states, “People rarely succeed at anything unless they are having fun doing it.” Southwest is not alone in its approach to employing its employees’ spirit of playfulness. Pink shares that, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, “…more than fifty European companies—including less than zany firms such as Nokia, Daimler Chrysler, and Alcatel—have brought in consultants in “Serious Play,” a technique that uses Lego building blocks to train corporate executives.”
What can you do to bring more play into your work and home life? Do you know how to skillfully engage your humor, silliness, and joy for success?
Write down a list of your top ten ways to play. Identify those things that cause you to feel joyful, happy, and blissful. These can be things such as recreational activities, favorite pastimes, personal pleasures, exciting projects, and/or fun endeavors.
Then take action on your list. Create a company picnic, play a game of charades, or get outdoors together. Spend time with your loved ones making jokes, watching comedy, or looking for humor in challenging situations.
Shifting your attitude to include humor and play is a good career move and an excellent way to improve your general overall well-being. Give it a try!
