The P wer of Play

four-letter word. Apparently, someone has decided that if employ- ees are being spontaneous, creative, even playful, the real business at hand must not be getting accomplished. We see things a little differently. There is a growing mountain of evidence characterizing people who have fun at work as: more productive more creative healthier

A

more motivated more fl exible and resilient better able to meet job demands

A major benefi t of teambuilding play is learning to tap into

the brain’s right hemisphere, which is often underutilized in the workplace. This is the cerebral real estate that hosts imagination, creativity and intuition. Long thought to be useful only to artists, writers and musicians, we now understand that right-brain think- ing also plays a vital role in the business world.

“ You learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a lifetime of conversation.” - Plato

So why is “play” such a wonderful learning tool?

56

reality in the time-crunched, chaotic world known as modern business - especially in the US - is that some- where along the way, “fun” seems to have become a

1. Involving

The best way to learn new skills is through action - actually do-

ing things. Research shows that subjects who just sit and listen to a teacher retain only 20% of what they hear. But participants in- volved in active learning (doing a real job, a simulation, a training game, etc.) retain 90% of the information.

2. Low Risk

Play offers participants a safe environment in which to explore,

risk, try new ideas and make mistakes. Edison discovered over 1,800 ways not to build a lightbulb. One of Madame Curie’s “failures” gave us radium. Columbus was looking for India when he found America. Mistakes are simply an integral part of innovation.

3. Team Dynamics

Team play allows a group’s dynamics to be examined and evalu-

ated under controlled conditions. Every group develops a distinct personality of its own. How does your team function, breathe, eat, produce, communicate and plan? How does it make decisions? What are its unique weaknesses and strengths? How does the group adapt to change? Play gives us these answers.

4. Self-Awareness

Just as a team can be evaluated in a controlled play environ-

ment, so can the team’s individual members. New experiences and new ideas set the stage for moments of self-examination and aware-

MIDWEST MEETINGS SPRING 2010 Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116