It’s easy to lose yourself in the world of taking things too seriously, too personally. Allowing misunderstandings to get the better of your relationships. Allowing hierarchies to create suboptimal distances. What’s the solution??? Playing with your team!
1. Hierarchies break down: Hand-eye coordination, physical prowess, and a different set of skills (compared to the office) take the playground to a different level. It doesn’t matter who you are at the office; boss is no longer the boss – he/she may be led by their direct reportees.
2. Develop a sporting spirit: As adults, we don’t prioritise playing games. Yet games ensure we don’t take ourselves too seriously; you win some, you lose some. Playing teaches us to be okay with acting like a clown or being laughed at. Apart from that, the bonding, excitement and energy created on the field is incomparable!
3. Dilution of baggage and misunderstandings: On a daily basis, having to communicate with someone professionally is tedious. Over time, mood swings and miscommunication can fester into negative vibes among coworkers. The playing field quickly absorbs these negative vibes – it’s hard to be angry with a coworker who is giving you a helping hand after you slipped and fell. It’s also impossible to hold a grudge against someone while you celebrate a win!
4. Building creativity and a sense of humor: Playing games activates the right side of the brain (creative side). Along with that comes child-like humour and curiosity; making it easier to learn and unlearn. Our dormant mischievousness comes alive through playful teasing, sarcasm, taunts and a healthy dose of humour.
5. Enjoy life: Games are a great way of letting accumulated stress slip away. When we play, joke and laugh on a weekly (if not daily) basis, not just our physical stress, but our mental and emotional stress too are relieved. No point waiting for your yearly/bi-yearly vacation to download your stress.
6. Learning to lose: The more you play, the more you lose. This means, we learn to deal with losing (failure) and to come back fighting harder, stronger and faster. Essentially, we are building resilience that’s sure to lead us to greater glory.
A team that plays together, stays together!
By Dominic CostaBir
Director, Woosh Biz by HTI
