What do play and work have in common? As you might imagine, that’s something we think about at Playworks.
In the workplace, play can be a tool that smart leaders use to bring out the best in people. Playing together builds trust. It’s an opportunity to see our co-workers in a different setting, a more human light. When we support each other at play, we’re really saying to our colleagues, “Hey we are on the same team, not just in our work but as regular people too. Now give me the ball back.”
Once again, Playworks is looking for the Most Playful CEO . We’re looking nationally for CEOs, executive directors and other organizational leaders who exemplify how play supports success.
By choosing to create opportunities to play with other staffers, what we’re really doing is creating a platform to demonstrate that we are more than just a CEO, a senior analyst, a project manager or the director of IT or marketing or HR. We are whole persons, with interests and abilities in addition to our professional skills. And that can improve our ability to empathize and understand our colleagues, which improves our ability to work together. That’s what team building is all about.
We don’t get a lot of opportunities to openly cheer, support or even simply acknowledge our colleagues’ efforts; playing together is a great opportunity to do all that. If you find yourself routinely walking into the accounting department and shouting “Loved those Q3 financial summaries! WAY TO GO! Woo, woo-woo!“ then good for you. That’s a big part of having a playful workplace. If you’d like to create more of these opportunities, consider adding more play.
Do you know a leader who energizes the work environment, one who brings a playful and innovative style to encourage collaboration and teamwork? The deadline to nominate him or her for the Most Playful CEO is March 3. Let the games begin!
