6 Ways to Create More Play at Work

Last year, on the 6th of May (the day after 5/5/05) I made a note to post something special on 6/6/06. And thanks to additional prompting from the fabulous Rosa Say, I'm sharing six ways to create more play at work.

When Rosa suggested that topic for today, I loved it. Specifically, Rosa challenges us to think of 6 ways to put more play in our lives. I've taken her good idea and extended it to work. Since we spend such a large percentage of our time doing it, we should be consciously looking for ways to make work more full of play too. It is a topic worth exploring and it is a topic I care about.

Here then are six ways to bring more playfulness into the workplace.

• Put a candy bowl on your desk.
• Place a toy on your desk, or put some toys in each of your meeting rooms.
• Put clay or playdough on the tables for the next training you attend (whether you are the trainer or not!)
• Laugh more often, and encourage laughter around you - remember that business is too important to take seriously.
• Make sure to do some of the things you are best at each day. (See this post for more thoughts on this idea.)
• Stage a monthly celebration - whether for birthdays, successes, or whatever - do something to celebrate regularly.

Some of these are easy and can be implemented by anyone, starting today. Others might take some influencing, and some while they can be introduced by anyone will need more support throughout the organization. Regardless, you can take action towards any of these today.

Take one of these ideas specifically, or do something else that you think of.

Use this day, whenever you read it, to remind to you put playfulness into your work.

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