The (Work) Magic of Play

Why play at work? “Oh, I didn’t know you could do that”
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With a past in team bonding events, at Myriad we believe in the magic of play as a tool for radical employee care to transform the virtual workplace. 

Employees are the epicenter of a company’s success and health. Nurturing and valuing employees’ connections to one another and the business is essential to a thriving and desirable work culture.

1. Play is a safe place to make decisions and create strategy

When we gather in fun and surprising ways (like over a virtual board game), we have the opportunity to learn new skill sets in our colleagues that don’t come up naturally in their work routine. 

Creativity, artistry, wordsmithing skills and niche knowledge are often met with delight!

Game play is also a safe place to make decisions and create strategy, which can highlight how someone functions in a work setting. 

2. Play shows commonalities and differences

In learning new things about our coworkers, we have a chance to see what we have in common and how we differ. 

Virtual work has the potential to siloe and distance people if we don’t intentionally connect; from our individual homes, it can be easy to forget there are other ways of living, styles of communicating, and expectations for working.

Game play is an opportunity to see how these individual differences benefit a team working together to reach a common goal.

3. Play creates positive shared experiences

Shared memories, inside jokes, and opportunities to laugh connect people in a different way than working together. As we navigate all that arises in working relationships, a reminder that we have shared in positive and playful moments together is important.

A natural part of work is conflict and to remember a time that you enjoyed with your coworker can make it easier to work through the conflict.

This chance to see each other’s humanity is a step in building a culture of trust and creating a more inclusive environment where people find a sense of belonging.

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