Infusiong Play Into Our Professions

"The opposite of work isn't play. It's depression.”
​-Brian Sutton-Smith.

According to Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Play Institute, there are 8 different "play personalities" that we can engage in, and over time, we home in on a couple as adults.

They are:

• The Joker
• The Kinesthete
• The Competitor
• The Explorer
• The Collector
• The Director
• The Creator/Artist
• The Storyteller

Yesterday, as part of a book circle for Hidden Potential by Adam Grant, I introduced these play personalities to a group of structural and mechanical engineers, and invited them into a friendly competition.

Each person wrote down one boring or mundane task that is part of their job.

Then, in partners, they were tasked with coming up with ways to inject play into these tasks from the perspective of each of these personalities.

2 tasks x 8 personalities = 16 redesigns for optimal play

I gave them 10 minutes (not enough time.)

The winning team was the one with the most redesigns. (Using "The competitor" personality to my advantage.)

Once they came back from breakouts and announced their scores, I played a short snippet of "We are the Champions" for the winners.

It proved to be a playful way to bring our reading to life, and engage in the book's ideas in a new way.

Which of these play personalities most resonates with you?
How could you bring it into your professional life?

Originally posted on LinkedIn with comments.
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