There is a scientific rationale for bringing play into the business world (typically referred to as gamification). This field of study is new, but there are amazing facets yet to be studied. All work and no play make every man dull. People hope to earn enough to leave room in their schedule for play.
Research has shown that the physical activities you indulge in as a child affect your mental development and cognition. Because of this, many physicians and consultants stress the need of play in an employee’s schedule and offer tailored programmes to corporations and companies. Here are five reasons to incorporate play in your office.
1. It invigorates dull chores
Work can become quite boring sometimes with the stress and pressure of meeting a deadline. All the paperwork is very monotonous and tends to ruin the mood. Try and make these laborious tasks better by involving play into them. You could play some good music in the background or even redecorate the office. Using bright colours in the office enlivens the mood as well as freshens up the mind.
2. Enhances creativity
Being in a job will make a person cautious about every possible outcome there is. They may be scared to think out of the box because of the consequences it may have. Remember being carefree as a child? Children tend to involve role play, and what-if games make them develop their imagination. Role playing games can bring fantastic benefits to your business once they’re adopted. Bringing play into the office can help develop brainstorming capabilities, better decision-making power, and team development.
3. It nurtures a sense of belonging
Involving group activities and dividing the employees into teams can help them develop a sense of belonging and connection with their peers. Utilising rough modes of play can also help. Research has shown that rough play is linked to good control of violence in adult life. When a team wins a challenge, you can easily observe the way they behave. Joint celebration creates bonding and connection between workers that can make the office a better place to work in.
For instance, flash mobs have always been popular on the internet. When a group of people have the same goal, they succeed at making something amazing. The same applies to the business world.
4. Better at solving complications
Children who get their hands dirty trying to fix things or building models are better than those who don’t. They have better problem-solving capabilities which translate into later life. Even if your employees haven’t done this as a child, there is still time to do it in the office. This can greatly enhance the way they solve daily office dilemmas.
5. Better at handling risk
With the current turbulent environment in the corporate world, there is a lot of uncertainty amongst the people who dwell in it. Change has rocked the world and continues to do so. We should be better at adapting to change and dealing with uncertainty: it is the need of the time.
When we play, we develop areas of the brain that deal with the flexibility of the situation. Thinking about the unexpected situations in play can help us do the same in our work life. Games like Dodge the Ball we used to play in our childhood allowed us to mentally prepare ourselves for what was to come and motivated us to save ourselves from being hit by the ball. It gives us a better awareness of our restrictions and strengths.