PLAY INTEGRATED INTO THE WORKPLACE

It is quite time we take play a bit seriously. Play is often being confused with hobbies and relaxation, free time, and sometimes play is all-to-often perceived as the exact opposite of work. But it's not. Agree with me to say the opposite of play is depression! In fact, play has a lot to offer in the workplace. Play provides a means by which people explore, learn and adapt in order to deal with uncertainty.

Effective communication is the foundation of a good workplace interrelation; and a positive workforce is key to an organization's success.

Play helps encourage socialization of new employees. It serves as a platform where they get to discover each other's likes and dislikes, skills and talents. They also learn how to converse with one another. Just like children, adults can also improve their communication skills - verbal communication, body language, cooperation and teamwork skills through play. A famous philosopher, Plato, quotes "you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation".

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Play helps create stronger work relationship by strengthening bonds making it easier to resolve disagreements. Most of the hours in an adult life is spent at work with coworkers which is why I believe getting along is quite important. If people get along, they won't mind working together - play encourages teamwork.

When we are at play, we are at our maximum level of creativity, most capable to conquer problems and meet demanding situations. Whenever, there is playfulness, there is an element of surprise (the work play background).

It's not predictable or repetitive. Workplace innovation requires creative thinking and creativity requires engaging employees in play. While we play, we permit ourselves to discover some new things, and stimulate our imaginations which additionally result in higher problem fixing abilities. Innovation does not always have to be the result of some serious studies; instead, we can play as a gateway to possibility. Play boosts productivity and creativity. It also reduces employee turnover - when employees are motivated to work, they do it willingly and they become determined in reaching or accomplishing the set goal. If a person is determined in reaching a goal, he or she would be ready to give it all. Therefore, determination is key to success. Today, businesses depend upon the energy, dedication, and engagement of their workforce with a purpose to survive and thrive inside the enterprise world. Play plays an important role in improving organizational involvement.

However, there are those who question whether play is a suitable workplace activity or not. Some see it as a waste of time which affects the productivity of employees which also makes them miss deadlines. Another reason given for play not being suitable at workplace is that it can turn into competition which might result in conflict. The truth is, play has a lot of benefit than drawbacks to offer in workplace. It reduces stress and decreases sick days.

Some people think play has more of a detrimental effect than advantage in workplaces but that's not the case, play integrated into workplace has a lot more advantages than we think - it increases socialization, productivity and innovation, it also reduces stress. In conclusion, the idea of play integrated into workplaces works but can also lead to low productivity if not executed properly.