IF YOU’RE NOT HAVING FUN, YOU’RE DOING IT WRONGMaryJo Burchard, PhD

ARMA International Tidewater Chapter Meeting – September 19, 2017

LET’S GET STARTED!

Tips:

• Pay close attention to the

instructions

• Don’t start until we’re all ready.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

WE PLAYED.

• We dropped our guard

• We stopped to observe

• We took a risk

• We got creative

• We laughed – maybe had some fun

• …and we LEARNED about each

other!

WE PLAYED.

Why does this get

harder as we get older?

OF HEIGHTS AND LAUGHTER

OF HEIGHTS AND LAUGHTER

• Why was the climb DOWN possible?

75% OF ALL PREDICTORS FOR TOP PERFORMANCE:

Social support Raised optimism Stress: threat to challenge

(Source: Shawn Achor: “Happy Secret to Better Work”)

75% OF ALL PREDICTORS FOR TOP PERFORMANCE:

Social support Raised optimism Stress: threat to challenge

THIS CAN HAPPEN THROUGH PLAY!

THE ALTERED STATE OF PLAY

Source: TED Talk - Stuart Brown: “Play is More than Fun”

Overrides nature of predator and prey

Overrides fight-or-flight

Reframes reality to consider new possibilities

THE ALTERED STATE OF PLAY

Source: TED Talk - Stuart Brown: “Play is More than Fun”

Overrides nature of predator and prey

Overrides fight-or-flight

Reframes reality to consider new possibilities

THE ALTERED STATE OF PLAY

Sources: TED Talk - Stuart Brown: “Play is More than Fun” “The Importance of Play” by John Cohn – TEDxTalk

The opposite of play is not WORK.

The opposite of PLAY is DEPRESSION.

The harder it gets – the harder you need to play.

WHAT DOES PLAY DO?

Source: Fran Kick – “Fun, Good Work”; John Cohn, “The Importance of Play”

• Increases creativity

• Increases boldness

• Builds safety and welcome, and a sense of belonging

• Bond socially

• Increases the learning process

• Liberates the imagination

• Can help people to grieve and grow

• WE DON’T GROW OUT OF OUR NEED TO PLAY!

HOW DO WE BRING THE PLAYFUL SPIRITINTO WORK AND LIFE?

FLIP THE SWITCH:• Build 1,000 tiny ways to switch into spurts

of play

• WHAT ARE YOUR “just in case” switches?

The opposite of play is not WORK.

The opposite of PLAY is DEPRESSION.

The harder it gets –

the harder you need to play.

PLAY IN ACTION

WHAT: COMPLETE YOUR TEAM’S PLAY MISSION

TIMER: WALL CLIMBER

GUIDELINES:YOU ARE NOT COMPETING

YOU ARE NOT BEING GRADED(1) LET IT BE MESSY/RAW

(2) LET IT BE FAST(3) LET IT BE FUN

SHOWTIME!

REMEMBER:YOU ARE NOT COMPETING

YOU ARE NOT BEING GRADED(1) LET IT BE MESSY/RAW

(2) LET IT BE FAST(3) LET IT BE FUN

THANK YOU!DON’T FORGET TO PLAY!

SOURCES:

Source: Fran Kick – “Fun, Good Work”

“The Importance of Play” by John Cohn – TEDxTalk

“Play is more than fun” by Stuart Brown – TED Talk

Fran Kick – “Fun, Good, Work”

Shawn Achor: “Happy Secret to Better Work” TED Talk

Tim Brown: “Tales of Creativity & Play” TED Talk

Jill Vialet – “What Play Can Teach Us” TED Talk