Many of you who have been to the Ranch know that one of the key components of the design is the toys. The toys are provided for a variety of reasons. They remind people of their childhood – either a toy they enjoyed playing with or a toy that they wanted to play with, but never had the opportunity – and thus tap into a wealth of memories of that carefree time in their lives. And, one motivation for reminding you of your childhood is to also remind you what you were like when your imagination ran wild. Playing allowed you to let your imagination jump from idea to idea, and didn’t require that the physical properties of the toy itself actually determine the form of play in which it was involved.

Play may not seem very businesslike and is considered by most not to be appropriate for the workplace. However, as I’ve seen here over the last 7 years, play can lead to innovative new products, marketing tactics, strategies and ventures. Now I finally have scientific proof! Here are four scientists who were inspired by toys – the Etch-A-Sketch, Legos, Shrinky Dinks and a Balloon within a Balloon. And, they applied their play to develop tiny transistors, study particle separation, make microfluidics devices, and fight cancer. Their work is documented in a recent issue of Scientific American. To read the article, click here.

If you’d like to know more about how play can be incorporated into the work environment in highly productive ways, join us here at Catalyst Ranch today, Thursday, April 1st to take part in some lively discussion and exercises led by Pamela Meyer as part of our Match Book series. Pamela just published her newest book called “From Workplace to Playspace” and will be here to share some of her findings and remind us how to play productively.

If you’ve been inspired by a toy that’s led to some sort of breakthrough, we’d love to hear about it. Or, if playing at work has been productive in some aspect of your work, please share that with us too!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

One of the common misconceptions about play is that it is necessarily purposeless, and therefore can’t possibly have any place in business. Harvard scholar and jazz pianist (and mentor) Frank Barrett calls improvised play a form of “disciplined imagination” reminding us that play can also be wildly productive and innovative.

Pamela Meyer wrote a new book, “From Workplace To Playspace” about purposeful play also…

What does purposeful play require?

Naming the Purpose: Whether the purpose is to play a game, energize a team, or create space to generate new product ideas, naming the purpose of the play is essential for engaging and aligning the passion and energy of all collaborators.

Making Space for the Play of New Ideas: This means valuing the space and its necessity for ideas to play within it enough to: Not check email, answer the phone, and engage in distractions, as well as fostering the relational, generative, safe, timeful and provocative dynamics necessary for engaged creative collaboration.

The Discipline of Playing Time: Star athletes and breakout artists mature their talent by dedicating hours and hours of playing time—not now and then, but routinely, with dedication and commitment that values both the process and product of their play.

Curiosity: Approaching the playing space with an attitude of inquiry, rather than a singular focus on perfection. Playspace is space for experimentation and exploration. People who play with purpose are always looking for a better, more interesting, and innovative way.

Persistence and Perseverance: People who are fully engaged are much more likely to persevere through the inevitable twists and turns of innovating, learning and changing. Returning to the essential core that sparked your passion for playing in the first place can regenerate the motivation and commitment to forge ahead and engage the discipline that allows the imagination to flow again.

Purposeful play transcends the work-play dualism that leads many to dismiss play as inappropriate for serious endeavors. What could be more serious for business than a commitment to making space for innovating, learning and changing?

To find our more about Pamela Meyer or to read more of her blog visit her website here!

And don’t miss her book launch here at the Ranch April 1st!  Go to our Happenings page for all the info!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Name:
Pamela Meyer

Title of Book:
From Workplace to Playspace: Innovating, Learning and Changing Through Dynamic Engagement

What are some of the main themes of your book?

The main theme of the book is reflected in its title; From Workplace to Playspace is about a shift in mindset. The book focuses on the everyday space we create to foster innovating, learning and changing. It is about the present moment interactions, conversations and collaborations in which people and organizations are thriving by their ability to consistently create playspace. This is more specific than culture. Playspace is the space we create for the play of new ideas, to play new roles and develop new capacities, for more play in the system, and, of course, for improvised play. I also focus on what leaders, facilitators and participants at all levels can do to bring playspace to life in their organization.

What prompted you to write the book?

The book grew out of in-depth research I conducted during my doctoral studies. After years of hearing anecdotal reports of people’s experiences of transformation learning improvisation, I was curious to know just what they were experiencing and what contributed to their descriptions of transformation. More than the skills and knowledge associated with improvisation, they attributed the space they co-created with their colleagues as the most important to enable them to step out of their comfort zone, experiment with new ways of thinking and being. I came to call this playspace, as it reflects the space for the play of new possibilities to emerge. I didn’t have to look far to find these spaces in thriving organizations, and soon my research expanded to playspace work settings. The book is a tribute to the people who create playspace each day in their organizations, and provides specific practices and ideas for others to do the same.

What sparks your creativity?

My own creativity is most sparked in lively collaboration—often with a healthy dose of silliness mixed in. When I am truly “playing around” with an idea with friends and colleagues, it always evolves into something richer and more interesting. I choose my fellow players very carefully for this reason. They have to be able to get silly, even (and especially) when we are tackling “serious” and complex issues. This along with ample time to stare off into space and give ideas time to incubate and evolve on their own, for me, is the ideal spark for new ideas to take shape.

What’s one big thing you want people to take away from your book?

I hope people will be inspired to create playspace for innovating, learning and changing in their own life and work.

Check out “From Workplace to Playspace” on Amazon!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.