Purposeful Play:

Encouraging and leveraging on the principles of play within a defined framework to achieve a clearly identified outcome – playing with purpose

There is a pervasive perception amongst adults that play is the antithesis of work. A frivolous pursuit that adds little or no tangible value; particularly to ‘bottom line’ focussed organisations.

This is fundamentally wrong.

As a facilitator and instructional designer who specialises in creating purposefully playful experiences, these misconceptions present a challenge. In this article, I hope to shine a light on how purposeful play at work is anything but frivolous – and it can have a HUGE impact on the hallowed bottom line. So here it is, my business case for play.

A case for purposeful play in the ‘workplace’: What we can learn from the literature

As adults, our relationship with play is complicated. Often viewed as ‘inappropriate’ we regularly deny ourselves ‘permission to play’; both in professional and social settings (Van Leet & Feeney, 2015). Deterling (2017) suggests that, as adults, we require excuses, or “alibis” to play. These are often linked to our perceptions of when play is considered ‘socially acceptable’. This can explain why we are less self conscious about playing with our children, or engaging in social sport activities; these are deemed acceptable excuses for engaging in play.

The problem with this mindset is that, in denying ourselves permission to play in these ‘forbidden’ places – most notably work – we fail to bring our complete selves to these settings; along with all of the positive associated benefits that play brings.

There is extensive research connecting play with a whole host of benefits that would add significant value to any professional community; from an increase in intrinsic motivation (Amabile, et al., 1994) – that is taking action because you want to take action, rather than because you are told to – to an increase in a group’s collective capacity for creative thought and behaviours (Barnett, 2007).

So, given the potentially transformative influence of play in professional contexts, here is my attempt to break some social stigmas and make the case for purposeful play in the workplace.

Three reasons why you should be playing more – with purpose – at work.

A Playful Workplace is a more Engaged Workplace

Employee engagement is the involvement and enthusiasm of employees in their work and workplace – and it is one of the steepest challenges faced by organisations today. According to a recent Gallup survey, low employee engagement costs the global economy an estimated $8.9 trillion – or a whopping 9% of global GDP!

Playful experiences at work foster social interaction and active employee engagement. Combined with its joyful nature, purposeful play can positively inform employees sense of connection with their colleagues; a key contributor to the extent to which people are engaged at work.

Why should organisations care about this? An increase in employee engagement can reduce absenteeism by as much as 78%, reduce accidents and safety failures by as much as 63% and increase profitability by 23%. The net result, a happier, healthier and safer workforce – and a significantly healthier bottom line.

A Playful Workplace is a more Creative Workplace

73% of organisations surveyed in the World Economic Forum‘s ‘Future of Jobs’ survey identified creative thinking skills and problem-solving as a top priority when considering future talent, believing this skillset is increasing in relevance and importance.

I can absolutely testify to the positive effect that purposeful play can have on creativity and problem solving through my work. A playful approach fosters creative behaviours; including curiosity (Peterson & Seligman 2004). The characteristics of play serve to help people access a ‘flow state’; the optimum state for learning and ideation; completely absorbed in what they are doing and less likely to be influenced by constraining rigid hierarchies or otherwise restrictive social structures (Csikszentmihalyi, 2005).

What’s more, the iterative and socially interactive nature of play means that – when collaborating playfully – teams benefit from the multiplying effect of collective creativity; where the group’s capacity for creative thinking is magnified by their ability to share and bounce ideas off of each other in an uninhibited yet meaningful way.

A Playful Workplace is a Happier and Healthier Workplace

Many employers are still struggling with unacceptably low levels of wellbeing – with most reporting that their staff’s mental health has continued to decline since the end of the pandemic.

Planning and prioritising purposefully playful ways of working can have a positive impact on your employee’s wellbeing. People who are playfully inclined tend to be more ‘open-minded’, meaning they are likely to be aware of and try new opportunities (Masek & Stenros, 2021). This divergence of thought and experience can have a positive effect on an individual’s mental health, as well as a tangible physiological impact; even helping to lower blood pressure.

This net positive effect is compounded by the fact that a default to playfulness can help individuals to relax and entertain themselves in their leisure time. In stark contrast, those who struggle to adopt a playful mindset are more likely to experience feelings of boredom if their minds are not otherwise occupied, increasing the likelihood of dissatisfaction and negatively influencing wellbeing.

In Summary: The Benefits of Purposeful Play at Work

“Playfulness should be viewed as a skill that can be developed, harnessed and used for mindfulness”

– René Proyer

The research paints a pretty clear picture: Organisations are facing unprecedented challenges linked to employee engagement, mental health and wellbeing. These challenges are having huge implications on their bottom lines. What’s more, these same companies are scrambling for ways to build their future capacity for creativity and problem-solving; recognising that these skills will be essential for sustained future success.

Whilst these complex adaptive challenges, there is no doubt that purposeful play at work can have a marked positive impact. So why is play still so often viewed as a professional taboo?

It likely comes back to our adult need for permission to play; an alibi. In this article I have attempted to offer research-informed “excuses” for purposeful play at work; alibis that you can use in your settings next time you are making the case for more playful experiences.

So what are you waiting for? Go and play.

Want to Learn more about my work with LEGO and Purposeful Play?

Check out our various training opportunities here: LEGO® Serious Play® Facilitation Training

References:

Amabile, T. M., Hill, K. G., Hennessey, B. A. & Tighe, E. M. (1994). ‘The  Work  Preference Inventory: Assessing intrinsic and extrinsic motivational orientations’. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, pp.950-967.

Barnett, L. A. (2007).‘The nature of playfulness in young adults’. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, pp.949-958.

Csikszentmihalyi, M., Abuhamdeh, S., & Nakamura, J. (2005). Flow. Handbook of competence and motivation, 598-608.

Gallup Organization. (2002) Gallup Employee Engagement Survey. Washington, D.C.: Gallup Organization

Masek, L. and Stenros, J. (2021) “The Meaning of Playfulness: A Review of the Contemporary Definitions of the Concept across Disciplines”, Eludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture, 12(1), pp. 13–37. doi: 10.7557/23.6361.

Van Vleet, M. & Feeney, B. (2015). Play behavior and Playfulness in Adulthood. Social and Personality Psychology