Make Work Play

Mark Twain understood that the difference between work and play is just a matter of perspective and environment. He famously quipped that "work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions."

For children, the worlds of work and play are virtually indiscernible. There is a genuine sense of curiosity and joy, of purpose and accomplishment to every activity, to every task. At some point, for adults, the conditions change - work and play diverge, becoming two very different things, and instead of fighting to keep the inner child - the "play spirit" - alive, we give into social construct and out-of-date norms, half-heartedly going to work each day. Unbelievably, this mundane march continues for thirty or forty years...

Lots of work. Very little play. 

The irony is how critical play is to our own human development and culture, let alone to our own businesses. Play fosters learning, experimentation, collaboration, innovation, problem solving, sharing and goodwill - pretty good business stuff. Play reduces stress, stimulates brain function, helps us heal, and promotes self-actualization - pretty great people stuff. Still, most companies denounce play in the workplace, deeming it unproductive and self-indulgent.  Alternatively, the best companies recognize the power of play and make a point to nourish a culture of creative playfulness.

My six year old insists he has work to do.  His work includes building race cars with Legos, completing Avengers sticker books, and rearranging Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figurines into different fighting poses.  While “at work” my son is in the zone, completely engaged in the task at hand.  For him, work and play are not mutually exclusive.  Instead, the two are inextricably tied.  

Building product, developing spreadsheets, and redeploying sales resources looks a lot like work, but these activities can also be play when approached from the right perspective. Making a radical change to the way you think about work may seem difficult, but it can be rather simple when you start with your physical space.

Space matters. Our surroundings impact the way we feel, think, learn, and act. And, since so much of our time is spent in the office, our workspace matters even more. The furniture, the decor, the lighting, the colors - they all work together to reinforce and inspire our cultural values.  The office is no longer a place defined by claustrophobic cubicles and depressing fluorescent lighting. Now, it’s easier than ever to create workspaces that encourage our primitive need for play.

We need to change the way we make work play in spaces all across the globe. It starts with a deep understanding of human architecture, a dedication to design and quality, and an unrelenting willingness to challenge the status quo. We are not just rewriting the rules of the sandbox; we are building an entirely new sandbox - one even Mark Twain would be happy to play in. 

So, let's all make work play a little bit more. If not for our jobs, at least for our humanity.