power of a playful spirit at work, The

Journal for Quality and Participation, The, Jul/Aug 1995 by Berg, Deanna H

* Invent a new hobby.

* Celebrate the best mistakes you've made this week.

* Design an imaginary tree house.

* List all your imperfections and celebrate them.

* Make a list of people and activities that bring you joy and schedule at least one in the next few days.

* Slide down a banister.

* Bring a pet to work (Domino's Pizza invites employees to bring their pets to work with them every Friday.)

* Stand on your head.

* Dance.

* Do something totally outrageous or at least something you've never done before.

* Play with silly putty, crayons, Playdoh(R) or finger paints.

* Rollerblade through the hall.

* Hang an old limp sock from the ceiling to remind you to relax...or, have several socks and juggle them.

* Take a mental journey to the Greek Islands.

* Wear an unusual hat or costume.

* Keep a teddy bear or other favorite stuffed animal at work.

* Think up 25 more ways to bring more fun to work.

3. "An environment without humor invents nothing." (T. George Harris)

"The universe plays its way into existence." (Margaret Wheatley)

"Companies that create the future do more than satisfy customers, they constantly amaze them." (Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad)

"Successful collaborators take play seriously." (Michael Schrage)

4. Put the child inside of you to work...

"In a world in which communication and information are practically free, the economic system will be driven more than ever by genuine innovation and human creativity" (Don Pepper & Martha Rogers, Ph.D.)

"A person might be able to play without being creative...but sure can't be creative without playing." (Kutr Hanks & Jay Parry: Wake up your Creative Genius)

"Almost all new ideas have a certain aspect of foolishness when they are first produced." (Alfred North Whitehead)

"Any organization that is terrified of making a mistake is stagnant at best or heading out of business at worst." (Morris Shechtman)

5. Playful work environments support people using their creative skills...

"All the animals except man know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it." (Samuel Butler)

"Wouldn't we all welcome more laughter in the halls of management? I would be excited to encounter people delighted by surprises instead of the ones I now meet who are scared to death by them." (Margaret Wheatley)

References

Blissness by Allen Fahden, to be published in 1996.

Competing for the Future by Gary Hamel & C.K, Prahalad. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1994.

Leadership and the New Science by Margaret Wheatley. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 1992.

MindPlay, Newsletter of the Innovative Thinking Network, 101 E. Victoria, Suite 33, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Phone: (805) 963-9151.

The Age of Paradox by Charles Handy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1994.

The Creativity Toolbox, Jordan Ayan. Random House, 1996.

The Fifth Discipline, The Art & Practice of the The Learning Organization by Peter Senge, New York: Doubleday Currency, 1990.

The One to One Future, Building Relationships One Customer at a Time. By Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, Ph.D. New York: Currency Doubleday, 1993.