Joy is Good Business

Q: Does “play” have a place at work?

Play or fun is a must-have in any work environment. In fact, it can be an antidote to a high-pressure workplace. Encouraging play can create benefits for both the individual AND the business.

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Play is a Good 4-Letter Word

Does “play” have a place at work?

Some leaders support play—Richard Branson. Some leaders don’t—Jeff Bezos.

Yet, play or fun is a must-have in any work environment. In fact, it can be an antidote to a high-pressure workplace. Encouraging play can create benefits for both the individual AND the business.

Play:

Increases productivity: A Brigham Young University study says when a team does something fun together, their productivity increased by as much as 20%.
Fosters innovation: Humor is the result of surprise. Surprise creates novelty in the brain, which prompts sparks for new ideas to emerge.
Unifies team members: Organized play can enable team members to share common objectives and work together to accomplish a goal.
Enables team members to build bonds: Fun activities create opportunities for colleagues to see more sides of each other than just work.
Releases stress: Fun releases dopamine (pleasure and reward) and serotonin (natural mood stabilizer), which both combat cortisol (stress hormone).

Here are a few ways to incorporate more play at work:

Celebrate events (birthdays, new babies, milestones, holidays)
Revel in small wins or accomplishments
Host a food contest, e.g. a chili cook-off
Create or host games, e.g. mini-golf in the office or a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament
Hire a comedian for a team meeting
Share favorite (work appropriate) Tik Tok videos

Now go have fun!

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