–By Brianna Watcher, Psychology student at San Diego State University.
Play in the Professional Context
What is play? Is it a competitive activity among individuals or a solitary activity? Does it involve deliberate thought and intention, or is it simply a mindless and fun act? Most importantly for this article, what does play mean to me? During my time as an intern here at Marinva, I have thoroughly explored these questions and gained valuable insights into the significance of play, not just in academic or professional settings but also in life. Play is often associated with childhood and education; however this article focuses on its involvement in the professional sphere, specifically in Human Resource management. Through research, reading, and personal experience, I have come to appreciate the profound impact of play, an aspect that is often overlooked.
A toxic work culture spreads like a virus throughout a business, so it is imperative to foster a positive work environment that encourages employees to stay long term. This can be achieved by promoting:
- A playful attitude that motivates colleagues to work as a team to acquire new skills and overcome challenges. This cultivates a connection between teammates, increasing one’s intrinsic motivation.
- Intrinsic motivation, in turn, improves flow, an important psychological concept that is defined as being absorbed in an activity involving intense focus and engagement. Encouraging flow is imperative to any business as it improves workplace productivity.
- Furthermore, play decreases stress by decreasing cortisol levels, which is a hormone that gets released during stress response.
- Reducing stress helps cultivate a more productive work environment which promotes emotional well-being. Taking a break from work to play can increase energy by preventing burnout, which subsequently increases engagement.
- Additionally, play helps boost creativity by releasing endorphins and dopamine, expanding the brain’s capacity to think outside the box.
- Building connections in the workplace can help mitigate perceived disadvantages of hierarchical systems that exist in a business and help people share their creative ideas more openly.
In short, by incorporating playful methodologies into the workplace, businesses can foster a more collaborative, social, and innovative work environment that prioritizes long term success and employee satisfaction.
It Pays to Play
One of my first challenges at Marinva was to reflect on the book It Pays to Play: How Play improves Business Culture by Kristi Herold. The central focus of this work is to emphasize the importance of play in business culture. The author, as Marinva, has first-hand experience in running a successful business and is knowledgeable about how play can transform any work environment. Before implementing play, her work environment was considered toxic, with a decline in employee retention and multiple reports on how negative energy and behaviors had engulfed the workplace, breaking down the communication and team dynamics. Herold began to implement play in an attempt to combat this toxic work culture that had been created. Once initiating team barbecues, friendly sport matches and awards such as “Employee of the Month,” she began to notice improvements in employee retention, health, energy, and engagement.
Herold underscores the positive impacts that play has on business culture through increasing creativity, engagement, retention, health, and energy. I found a lot of value in reading this book as I am interested in pursuing a career in Human Resources—a role that entails significant responsibility, particularly in fostering strong relationships with colleagues. Each of these main points that Herold makes in her book are ones that I will take into my future role. As a psychology student, I have learned a lot about the brain and behavior, and how it connects back to organizations through personnel psychology, organizational behavior, and workplace well-being. We learn how to mediate conflicts, foster a collaborative environment, and improve communication. This education has strengthened my ability to empathize and understand diverse perspectives.
In addition to this internship, I have worked the last year as a supervisor which has reinforced and shown me that strong connections cultivate respect and accountability. When people trust you, they are more receptive to guidance and advice or redirection from you as a leader –and now I have learned that play is a powerful tool for creating bonds between people. This understanding underscores the importance of building and maintaining trust within any team or organizational context. The hierarchy of a business or organization is inevitable; however, the important thing is maintaining mutual respect while also turning those colleagues into friends.
My Experience at Marinva
Prior to this summer internship with Marinva, I had no understanding of the potential impact of play in the workplace. Now that I have recognized the importance of play, I can integrate it into my future work in Human Resources to support team building, improve communication and staff development, leading to improved retention and job satisfaction.
As I immersed myself in this captivating book and Marinva’s projects, I could clearly see how these strategies were being applied, where play is utilized to foster a positive work environment. Many of the ideas that Herold suggested were already being implemented at Marinva. For example, a few times a month they dedicate an hour of the work day to playing a game. On my second day at Marinva, we played a game of charades –Poetry for Neanderthals by Exploding Kittens– which immediately alleviated any tension and nervousness that I had felt at the time. I immediately felt connected to everyone and was made to feel included in the team despite only knowing them for such a short period of time. They have lunch as a team twice a week where they discuss personal topics unrelated to work, getting to know each other on a deeper level. During my time here, they hosted a karaoke night, which strengthened my connections with everyone even more. Additionally, nearly every work meeting begins with a game to boost energy and engagement. Everyone here seems eager and excited to begin the workday, consistently bringing in positive energy. Marinva carries this positive energy into every project they undertake, as they offer playful ideas to clients in their strategic consulting, training and communication services. With the help of Kristi Herold and the Marinva’s team, I have learned a lot about how to construct an efficient, harmonious, and productive workplace. I will continue to implement what I have learned throughout my daily life as well as with my education and work.
Play is a subjective term with many different definitions. For me, play symbolizes unity, engagement, positivity, and creativity. It can be both solitary and sociable. It can be a competition or a cooperation between teammates. The goal is to build connections –either independently, learning more about yourself in the process, or interdependently, strengthening relationships with others. One of my professional goals is to work in Human Resources and support recruitment and retention efforts in work environments. The lessons learned throughout my internship and experience at Marinva have provided new insight in how we can implement play in a professional environment and support a healthy work culture.
