Playing with ideas in your team
An essential part of being creative involves play, that is taking time to play with ideas and explore different scenarios. Play is a word we typically associate with children. Indeed, when I searched for pictures of play most images were of children playing, like the one above.
But play is also a mindset. The capacity to play facilitates experimentation and the exploration of ideas. It’s a perspective we can lose as we get older.
In this blog, I’m going to explore different ways you can help your team to play with ideas and things you need to consider to do this successfully. But firstly, I need to start with a definition.
Definition of Play
Play is generally considered an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. Dr Stuart Brown says that play is fun, joyful and refreshing and essential to the development of social and problem-solving skills, while David Elkind describes play as an exercise for imagination, curiosity and fantasy. He observed that in our hurried society, we have come to think of play as a luxury at best and a waste of precious time at worst. This view is supported by Sir Ken Robinson who adds that play has a deeply important role in the development of intellectual and social skills, in developing empathy, in stretching our imagination and exploring our creativity.
There’s something about the ‘not for a serious or practical purpose’ that frees our thinking. It’s a mindset where you relax ‘the rules’ around will I look silly or can we afford this. The act of playing gives you freedom to try new things in a safe space.
But it can be hard to play at work because, as Brene Brown says, ‘I feel behind if I’m not using every last moment to be productive’.
Examples of how you can play with your team
So what are examples of how you can play with your team?
Types of play
Being the Hero
Playing Superman or Superwoman and acting out what it would look like if all problems were overcome and the scenario was 100% successful
Opposite thinking
Imagining the worst-case scenario – and experiencing everything that results from this outcome. You can paint it, sculpt it or act it out.
Reframing the scenario in a metaphor
Describing the situation or desired solution as a metaphor or through a well-known fairy tale. This could be illustrated through Rich Picture or collage. Barbara Wilson and I explain how you can use these tools and processes in our book, Creativity Cycling: Help your team solve complex problems with creative tools.
Now maybe you’re thinking, my team won’t be comfortable doing this. That’s possible, particularly if you’ve not created a habit or culture for encouraging creative thinking. People need to feel safe to play and not be concerned about appearing silly. It could also be the case that members of your team have been brought up to behave in a way that is contrary to being playful. Understanding each person’s unique socialisation will give you insights into their mindset. And these mindsets are created based on beliefs, assumptions and past experiences.
Different physical spaces support play
Barbara Wilson and I recommend using a different physical space if you want to encourage play and creative thinking. A room or space should be set up to feel different to typical meeting rooms. For example, put tables against the wall and place chairs in a circle. If you can’t access a different room then take the team to a beautiful physical space outside.
How your team shows up
Remember that on any day, a person can have a lot going on in their life. A worry from home or work could be distracting them and limiting their ability to engage in play. Check in with the team at the start of the meeting to discuss how they are feeling on turning up that day. This simple acknowledgement will help to free up their thinking.
Barbara talks about the importance of paying attention to the 4 Ps including passion, playfulness, persistence and positivity as precursors for play. She talks more about playfulness here.
Setting the expectations for the exercise
Remind everyone this is a safe space. There’ll be wild thinking as a part of the play process and everyone will be asked to withhold judgement.
Key takeaways
Helping your team to play will reveal new perspectives.
If it’s not a habit – it may be harder for some than others.
There are many benefits of play including stimulating creativity, problem solving and developing empathy.
And of course, playing is fun.
References
Importance of Play – Brene Brown
Importance of playfulness – Barbara Wilson