From Inspiration to Integration: Embedding Play in the Workplace

"I was super inspired by your talk and workshop around design for play. I left feeling so energized, more so than I have in the last 5 years I’ve been in this organization. However, I’ve had this feeling before with speakers and workshop instructors. By Monday I’m back in the grind and I’m lost again."

Hats off to the kind soul who shared this insightful nugget after one of my workshops. Over at Stanford's d.School, where I've been dedicating part of my time as an Adjunct Professor for many years, we live for this kind of gold. We always nudge our students to share the love but also dish out the 'wish list' and the hard questions -- because that’s where the treasure lies.

This participant’s sentiment illustrates the very relatable power of an inspiring moment - it’s a fleeting firework, crucial in lighting up our creative skies. But, how do we keep that spark alive amid the daily grind - especially in the stiff-collared world of corporate giants??

Here’s a peek at a few strategies I’m tinkering with that don’t view play as the opposite of work; they view play as an antidote to boredom, and aim to embed it into the DNA of everyday workplace structures and interactions:

Meeting Makeovers: What if Quarterly Business Reviews read like stories (with data!)? Team Syncs started with silly superlatives? Idea pitches were set up Shark Tank-style? Play is a habit - we can intentionally build it.?

Culture of Levity: Do you celebrate failures with a monthly “Flop Fest” or a “Wall of Womp Womp”? Lead the way to a lighter culture through playful rituals.

Upside-Down Interactions: It’s all about adding a dash of play to the daily do’s. Have you ever received an email signed “best”? Best is the worst. Try something new for your sign off.? This is from the fantastic book “Humor Seriously” by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Baddonas.

Joy by Design: Environment is everything. What is the experience of walking into your workplace? Or sitting on video calls? Tuning into all-hands? Is it memorable? Playful? Why not?!

Cooler Evaluations: What if competency rubrics were quizzes that assigned you your growth spirit animal - and recommends learning experiences that align to how you enjoy learning? AI now makes this playful idea totally possible.?

Daily moments of inspiration happen in a workplace culture embedded with play. If anything here resonated with you, let’s talk.

Your partner in play,

Bb