The Power of Play - Making Good Teams Great
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The Power of Play - Making Good Teams Great
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“Screw work let’s play!” Do you sometimes wish you could goof off work and play? In this interactive presentation, inspired by the theory and experience of play, we demonstrate why play isn’t just essential for creativity and innovation, but crucial to our survival and overall well-being. Portia Tung investigates the relationship of work and play and demonstrate how, instead of being mutually exclusive, both are necessary for personal and group creativity and achievement. The talk includes 7 guidelines for bringing more play into your life. And if you play your cards right, you’ll leave with plenty of ideas to achieve your recommended daily amount of play!
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The Power of Play - Making Good Teams Great
- The Power of Play Making Good Teams Great By Portia Tung
- Portia Tung Agile Coach, Storyteller, Playmaker Blog: www.selfishprogramming.org | Twitter: portiatung Email: portia@portiatung.org
- Play at Work As a play seeker/play sceptic* I need ideas on how to play at work So that we can improve individual and team performance. Success Criteria [ ] I have a working knowledge of play [ ] I can explain the importance of play at work [ ] I have one or more ideas to try back at work [ ] I’ve had fun! * You choose
- Seemingly purposeless Voluntary Inherent attraction Time flies by Play is… Reduces sense of self-consciousness Potential for improvisation Desire to keep going Stuart Brown M.D., Founder of the National Institute of Play
- The Play Manifesto “Play is when you have more fun than purpose” Everyone’s invited An option not an obligation Opportunity to give and receive Game-changing www.playmaking.org with Portia and Friends
- Common Sense Caution
- Playmaking Rules Communication Simplicity Feedback Courage Respect Based on the XP Values from Kent Beck and Cynthia Andres
- Welcome to the Play Assessment…
- “Play or Nay!”
- Play or Nay?
- Play or Nay?
- Play or Nay?
- Play or Nay?
- Play or Nay?
- Play or Nay?
- Congratulations… Computer says you have play potential
- When was the last time you played ……at work? When was the last time you played? The XP Game - Boston, Summer 2010 www.xpgame.be by Pascal Van Cauwenberghe and Vera Peeters
- Play Seeker or Play Skeptic? [3] Can play Won’t play [1] Can play Want to play [4] Can’t play Won’t play [2] Can’t play Want to play low high Knowhow low high Desire [3] Can play Won’t play [1] Can play Want to play [4] Can’t play Won’t play [2] Can’t play Want to play
- Don’t be a sea squirt, be like Nemo instead
- How many squares? Which is the correct answer? a)17 b)26 c)30 d)None of the above
- Why play? Shapes an organism’s brain Makes animals smarter and more adaptable Enables us to sustain social relationships Fuels creativity and innovation
- Life’s Creative Circle 0 – 1 Nothing 1– 3 Minimalism 3 – 5 Fantasy 5 - 10 Beginnings of Copying Play Work 10 - 15 Art becomes grown up 15 - 20 Need to change the world 20 - 25 Beginnings of political awareness 25 - 30 Maturity 30 – 40 Hell bent on success 40 – 45 Repeating success 85 – 100 Inhibitions lost. 75 - 85 Youth regained 50 - 60 re-inventing yourself 50 The Watershed 45 – 50 Trying to keep up with 25-year-olds 60 - 75 A gentle descent into senility Don’t give a damn. ME, ME, ME. “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be” By Paul Arden © 2003 Phaidon Press Limited Creativity-Play-Work Mashup by Portia Tung
- What’s the opposite of Play? Invention Growth Creativity & Innovation Play Purpose Competence Work Play as described in “Play“ by Stuart Brown, M.D, with Christopher Vaughan © 2010 Penguin Books Ltd
- SUPERHANDZ presents…
- What’s the opposite of Play? Invention Growth Creativity & Innovation Play Purpose Competence Work Play as described in “Play” by Stuart Brown, M.D, with Christopher Vaughan © 2010 Penguin Books Ltd
- The Opposite of Play Invention Growth Creativity & Innovation Play Purpose Competence Work [3] [3] Can play Won’t play Can play Won’t play [1] [1] Can play Want to play Can play Want to play [4] [4] Can’t play Won’t play Can’t play Won’t play [2] [2] Can’t play Want to play Can’t play Want to play Depression Play as described in “Play” by Stuart Brown, M.D, with Christopher Vaughan © 2010 Penguin Books Ltd Featuring Play Seeker Play Sceptic Quadrant by Portia Tung
- Your Recommended Daily Amount of Play 5 – 10 mins of play per day 1 day of play lasts up to a week Little and often
- Tell us about your favourite childhood toy
- Why should adults play? Breaks down barriers between people Opens the mind to enable learning Opens the heart to create a connection Source of joy Source of hope The XP Game – London, 22 – 23 April 2010
- Birthplace of the Agile Manifesto – Snowbird, 12 August 2011
- How can we combine work with play?
- How can you combine work with play?
- 1. Give yourself a break
- 2. Go for Social Play Savouring winter beers Copenhagen, 7 February 2011 Bowling with aspiring Agile team London, 21 March 2009
- 3. Combine breaks with Social Play The Marshmallow Challenge at Oredev in Malmö, 7 November 2011 www.marshmallowchallenge.com
- 4. Combine personal development with Social Play The Business Value Game Beta Testing at Agile 2009 in Chicago, 24 – 28 August 2009 http://www.agilebelgium.be/businessvaluegame/
- 5. Play as training The Play Process Model by Scott Eberle, VP for interpretation at the Strong Museum of Play in New York Anticipation Pleasure Surprise Understanding Mastery Poise Tribal Leadership Workshop by Portia Tung at XP Days Benelux in Mechelen, 1 - 2 December 2011 http://www.slideshare.net/portiatung/tribal-leadership-create-the-place-where-you-long-to-belong-powerpoint-version Poise picture by Menno van Eekelen
- 6. Play for process improvement The Bottleneck Game – London, 6 August 2009 www.agilecoach.net
- 7. All work and play The XP Game – Copenhagen, 6 August 2011
- How can you combine work with play?
- The Power Pose from Amy Cuddy http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are
- How can you combine work with play?
- Dear Playmaker… Isn’t it time you fulfilled your play potential?
- Your Recommended Daily Amount of Play 5 – 10 mins of play per day 1 day of play lasts up to a week Little and often
- Life’s Creative Circle 0 – 1 Nothing 1– 3 Minimalism 3 – 5 Fantasy 5 - 10 Beginnings of Copying Play Work 10 - 15 Art becomes grown up 15 - 20 Need to change the world 20 - 25 Beginnings of political awareness 25 - 30 Maturity 30 – 40 Hell bent on success 40 – 45 Repeating success 85 – 100 Inhibitions lost. 75 - 85 Youth regained 50 - 60 re-inventing yourself 50 The Watershed 45 – 50 Trying to keep up with 25-year-olds 60 - 75 A gentle descent into senility Don’t give a damn. ME, ME, ME. “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be” By Paul Arden © 2003 Phaidon Press Limited Creativity-Play-Work Mashup by Portia Tung
- Life’s Creative Circle 0 – 1 Nothing 1– 3 Minimalism 3 – 5 Fantasy 5 - 10 Beginnings of Copying Play Work 10 - 15 Art becomes grown up 15 - 20 Need to change the world 20 - 25 Beginnings of political awareness 25 - 30 Maturity 30 – 40 Hell bent on success 40 – 45 Repeating success 85 – 100 Inhibitions lost. 75 - 85 Youth regained 50 - 60 re-inventing yourself 50 The Watershed 45 – 50 Trying to keep up with 25-year-olds 60 - 75 A gentle descent into senility Don’t give a damn. ME, ME, ME. “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be” By Paul Arden © 2003 Phaidon Press Limited Creativity-Play-Work Mashup by Portia Tung
- Read Play Do! READ •“Play” by Stuart Brown M.D. – National Play Institute •“Playful Parenting” by Lawrence J. Cohen PH.D •"The Power of Play: How educational games accelerate learning and bring about enduring change" by Portia Tung @agilejournal.org •“The Power of Play” by Portia Tung on slideshare.com PLAY •www.playmaking.org •marshmallowchallenge.com •www.xpgame.be •www.agilefairytales.org •www.agilecoach.net •www.tastycupcakes.org •www.innovationgames.org DO •Emily Fox as Cupstacking Champion - http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=xNG3sgk02Lc •Daniel Wolpert – The Real Reason for Brains - Ted.com and search for “Play” •Steve Keil – A play manifesto for play, Bulgaria and beyond – Ted.com •playmanifesto.org •agilegames2011.org •play4agile.org
- Play at Work As a play seeker/play sceptic* I need ideas on how to play at work So that we can improve individual and team performance. Success Criteria [ ] I have a working knowledge of play [ ] I can explain the importance of play at work [ ] I have one or more ideas to try back at work [ ] I’ve had fun! * You choose
- The Play Manifesto “Play is when you have more fun than purpose” Everyone’s invited An option not an obligation Opportunity to give and receive Game-changing www.playmaking.org with Portia and Friends Twitter: portiatung Email: portia@portiatung.org Blog: www.selfishprogramming.org
- Don’t be a sea squirt, be like Nemo instead
Editor's Notes
- Welcome to The Power of Play - Making Good Teams Great. I’d like to dedicate this talk to the people we love. Our friends. Our families. Ourselves. EX: ICE BREAKER If you would all stand up. Introduce yourself to a neighbour and tell them about your favourite hobby. You have a total of 2 minutes between you. All play!
- I have many roles, including Agile Coach, Storyteller and Playmaker. I’m passionate about realising human potential, both among the teams I work with and of course in myself. For the past 10 years, I’ve experimented with many models, tools and techniques. While some have worked better than others, there is one that works every time. One that opens people’s hearts and minds like no other. And that is Play. My favourite hobby is what I call Playmaking, transforming work into play.
- Without a goal, it’s hard to score. Here is the goal and success criteria for today’s session. I’m counting on you all to help us reach the goal!
- How would you define play? Dr Stuart Brown defines Play as seemingly purposeless. He defines play as a set of characteristics. Play is... seemingly purposeless, voluntary, inherently attractive, time flies by when you’re having fun. When you play, you become so engrossed you feel freed from your usual inhibitions. Play offers plenty of opportunities to improvise and, once you get started, it’s hard to stop.
- Based on my own experiences and observations, I’ve come up with a definition of Play that inspires me to do things differently. To me, play is when you have more fun than purpose. Play has always had and always will have a purpose and sometimes multiple purposes. For many of us, we play to relax. That is a perfectly legitimate reason. As a facilitator and coach, I use play to help people relax by creating a safe, open and friendly place to maximise learning. I also use play to encourage our hearts, bodies and minds to open for long enough to experience the world around us anew.
- My friends call me the Playmaker because of my passion for the practice and science of Play. Rest assured, you are in safe hands but you should fasten your seatbelt. Remember, safety first when it comes to play.
- According to Dr Stuart Brown, who specialises in the science of play, True Play is about fair play, safe play and being a good sport. So during this session, I ask you to adhere to the following rules: Communicate with an open mind Keep things simple Treat feedback as the gift that just keeps giving Give things a go Be sensitive to the needs of others as well as your own.
- Are you ready for your assessment? During the the next 40 minutes, you’ll be undergoing a series of tests to measure play potential. You may feel a slight discomfort at times. If you do, I suggest applying the principle of Sustainable Pace. Let the games begin!
- EX: PLAY OR NAY Play can mean different things to different people, so let’s play a game to find out what we mean by play as a group today. You will be shown a sequence of images and your goal is to spot which one is play and which one isn’t. There are two simple rules. When you see an image that you associate with play, shout “Play!”. When you see an image and you don’t consider it play, shout “Nay!”. Ready, steady, go!
- Good news. You pass! We can continue with the presentation.
- Let’s do a quick survey. If you played in the last month at work, stand up. If you played in the last week at work, stay standing. If you played at work just before coming to this event, stay standing. Now that we’ve baselined your frequency of play at work…
- Now’s it time to identify your Play Preference. My research shows there are 4 types of people when it comes to play. Type 1: Can play, want to play Type 2: Can’t play, want to play Type 3: Can play, won’t play Type 4: Can’t play, won’t play Remember, you are among friends. All stand up. If you classify yourself as a Type 1, sit down. Type 2s, sit down. This session focuses primarily on Type 1s and 2s: To give Type 1s the data they need to convince Type 3s to play To give Type 2s ideas on how to get started. As for Type 3s and Type 4s, it’s a party and everyone’s invited. [Pass out sweets] It’s up to you to participate as much or as little as you like. It’s important to note that a person can be a range of types in different contexts. A person’s type is not fixed.
- Time for a quick splash in the sea. Who here has heard of The Sorry Tale of the Sea Squirt? Meet the humble sea squirt in its adult form. A juvenile sea squirt resembles a tadpole (much like what our ancestors would have looked like). The juvenile sea squirt spends its time swimming around looking for nourishment and avoiding being eaten. When it becomes an adult, the sea squirt implants itself on a rock or the hull of a boat. So what do you think happens next? The sea squirt eventually digests its own nervous system and brain since it no longer needs them. Some cheeky teams compare the adult sea squirt to coaches who use the same tools, in exactly the same way, constrained by the safety of their comfort zone. So what’s the sea squirt got to do with play? Neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert, believes that the brain exists for one reason alone. Action. If action is the source of the magic we see around us then I would say Play is a catalyst for action.
- Who has seen “Finding Nemo”? What are the characteristics of Nemo? Nemo is the juvenile clown fish who has to escape from a fish tank and find his way home in the sea. What we want is not to be a sea squirt, but be like Nemo instead. Interesting fact. Did you know… human beings are the biggest players among all the species? In fact, we’re built to play and built through play.
- Let’s play another game. How many squares can you see? You may consult your neighbours. You have 60 seconds to work it out. All play! If you think it’s answer a), raise your hand. 17 26 30 None of the above The “correct” answer depends on your definition of “square”. This exercise is to demonstrate creative problem-solving.
- What’s the purpose of play? According to the latest research by neuroscientists, biologists, psychologists, social scientists and many others, play serves 4 key purposes: It shapes an organism’s brain It makes animals smarter and more adaptable It enables us to sustain social relationships It fuels creativity and innovation. In an experiment involving rats, one group of rats was allowed to play and another was prevented from playing. What happens when a cat shows up? Both groups scurry into a hole for safety. What happens next? The group that played, over time, emerges from the hole, slowly and cautiously. As for the group that hadn’t played, they never set foot out of the hole. Ever again.
- This is life’s creative cycle as represented by Paul Arden, a former Creative Director of Saatchi and Saatchi, a global advertising agency. Let’s superimpose an average person’s play history onto it. How many of you remember playing from the age of 1 - 3? Then 5 - 10? Keep your hand up for as long as you remember playing... What about 15 - 20? At this age, some of us start doing something called work like a Saturday job and start earning some money. And 20 - 25? What about 25 - 30? Pretty soon, work takes over our lives and it’s not until we reach retirement age that we start playing again, then playing some more, right up to the end. Did you know that we spend around 70% of our waking hours doing work or work-related activities in a lifetime? That’s more time than you’ll ever spend with your loved ones. Does that worry anyone at all? Because it’s certainly worries me!
- Pop Quiz: What’s the opposite of play? Play leads to creativity and innovation which, in turn, result in invention and growth. What about work? How does work fit in? It turns out that work can also lead to creativity and innovation. It also provides us with a sense of purpose and develops our competence… If we choose to learn and continuously improve.
- [Show video of Emily Fox doing cupstacking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNG3sgk02Lc] Let’s see an example of play and work in action.
- [Metanote: This slide enables you to switch to the video and come back to without the Work animation so that you can go directly into revealing the depression animation in the next slide] Back to our pop quiz. If the opposite of play isn’t work, then what is?
- Imagine a life where there are no movies, no music, no jokes, no risk-taking, no games, no stories, no fantasy.
- According Dr Stuart Brown, the opposite of play is depression. So where are play seekers and play skeptics in relation to this landscape? [1] Can play, want to play – Combine work with play [2] Can’t play, want to play – Wants to address work-play imbalance; seeks out Type 1s [3] Can play, won’t play – Work, work, work – convinced themselves that work has to be serious all the time [4] Can’t play, won’t play – Work is everything – there is no room for anything else. Have forgotten how to play / may have never learned how to play. As you can see, Types 3 and 4 are much closer to the red line.
- As with most good things, you don’t need a lot of play to feel an immediate benefit. In my experience, the feel-good factor from 5 - 10 minutes of play per day is enough to keep you going for an entire day. Based on my preliminary research, the benefits of one day of play can last up to a week. One prospective study done at Albert Einstein and Syracuse universities shows that people who had the most cognitive activity (doing puzzles, reading, engaging in mentally challenging work) were 63% less likely to get Alzheimer’s than that of the general population. Playmakers say: “Play once a day to keep the doctor and priest away!”
- Playing begins shortly after we’re born. Cast your minds back to your childhood. When did you start playing? Think back to your first or favourite childhood toy. What did it feel like to play with the toy? What did you enjoy most about playing with that toy? Time to play some more! Introduce yourself to different neighbour and tell them about your first childhood toy. [Option: Draw a picture of that toy before speaking to your neighbour]
- Why should adults play? For all the same reasons children do: Breaks down barriers between people Opens the mind to enable learning (again) Opens the heart to create a connection Source of joy Source of hope De-stresses parts of the mind and body that beer cannot reach When you’re playing, you’re 100% engrossed, so there’s no time to be angry, sad, judgmental or resentful. Play drives you forward and the shared passion for play during play is what creates a shared experience. As an adult, my playmaking journey began with The XP Game back at XP Day London 2004. Back then I spent the next 2 years looking for play company at work, I didn’t find much. During that time, I fought hard against the urge to play, convincing myself that Typs 3s “Can play, won’t play” is what career-minded high-flyers do. In the end, play got the better of me (because I let it!) and I’ve been playmaking ever since from facilitating meetings to inventing learning games. I’ve experienced firsthand on numerous occasions the power of play.
- Some years ago, I made a wish to visit the Mecca of Agile, the place where the Agile Manifesto was created. After speaking a number of conferences over the years, I got the opportunity to present at Agile 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah. During that conference, I created the opportunity to visit Snowbird with my friends Carsten Ruseng and Henrik Kniberg. It was a very special experience and you can read more about it here: http://www.selfishprogramming.org/2011/08/15/myagile-pilgrimage/
- This is Marvin. I found him dangling from the ceiling in the greyest office building I’ve even seen (and I’ve seen a few having been an external consultant). It wasn’t only grey on the outside. It was grey on the inside. I took meeting Marvin as a sign. That pigs can fly. And if pigs can fly, then surely we can combine work with play!
- EX. PART 1 On your own, take an index card. Draw a line down the middle. On the top lefhand side of the card, write down “Work”. Then on the top righthand side, write down “Play”. Under the heading of “Work”, write down a few tasks that are particularly tedious, irksome or not enjoyable.
- Before you can get others to play, you need to be able to play yourself. Step 1 is to give yourself a break, both literally and metaphorically speaking. Literally: Go for recess. Take time out during the working day and play in your breaks. Go for a walk, hmm a song, do a dance, go for a run. I’ve noticed a direct correlation between actual play and the conversations we have about play. Share with others how you play. Put the topic on the table. Get the conversation started. Talking about play gets the brain at least thinking about play. Metaphorically: Type 3s “Can Plays, Won’t Plays” find this extremely difficult to do because they know how to play (they tell you how much fun they have outside of work) but have convinced themselves that there’s no place for play at work. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Once you give yourself permission to play and it’ll be like riding on your first bike again, you may wobble at first, but it’ll come back to you soon enough. As Dr Stuart Brown remarks, “the body remembers what the mind forgets”. Once the mind remembers the power of play, play will find a way.
- Social Play usually comes most naturally or at least meets with the least resistance from others. Take time out after work to socialise with your colleagues. Given you will spend more time with them in a lifetime than your loved ones, the sooner you get to know them the better you will enjoy their company both in and outside of work. Interacting socially with others often increases understanding between people because, for many, having a chat down the pub is when people feel they can step out of their stuffy suits and really be themselves. Other examples of Social Play include team lunches, team breakfasts and team ice creams and team coffees. Different people prefer different snacks – have a food rota to keep the play going!
- Trying mixing up different ways of playing. Socialise the idea of play at work by scheduling playtime towards the end of the day, right around the time most people finish work and just before they go home. This kind of activity requires a little more co-ordination than an adhoc pub visit but not much more. It will requires some organisation as people will want to know exactly the kind of activity you have planned, how long it will take, where it will take place and, most important of all, what they will get out of it. Their barrage of questions is a sign of interest, often mistaken as resistance. They’re asking questions because they’re still making their minds on whether or not they want to come. This will be your chance to practice the 3 basic skills in Playmaking: Event hosting: Selecting a popular enough play experiment to draw in a crowd - it only takes 3 to make a crowd! Marketing: Marketing makes or breaks an event. Give plenty of notice (1 – 2 weeks). Advertise using mailing lists, posters and word of mouth Merrymaking: Create a party-like atmosphere and invite everyone (in your area). Make it clear that everyone is welcome to attend!
- One of the most common observations I hear in organisations large and small is this: “Our people don’t care about improvement. They don’t want to learn.” I know what gets me learning: a solvable challenge, great company and good food. Provide all this and you’ve got yourself a party!
- Here we see the Tribal Leadership workshop I created based on “Tribal Leadership” the book by Dave Logan et al. Let’s step through the process of play. The process is very similar to the learning cycle. That’s why experiential learning, learning by doing, is so effective. Very often, people will continue to gain new insights long after the session has finished. That’s the power of learning games.
- Another way to play at work is to incorporate it into learning how to improve your processes. Participants who’ve played the Bottleneck Game often say to me after the game, “I never knew that process improvement could be fun!”
- Nowadays, I get to play a version of The XP Game at least once a month, sometimes around the world. If you play your cards right, people will start contacting you and inviting you to play. Before you know it, play will become part of what you do and how you live and work. Remember to talk about play, encourage play and remember to play yourself to stay in shape!
- EX. PART 2 Under the heading of “Play”, brainstorm ways of making those tasks more fun. Then, in threes or fours, share your ideas with each other. You have 3 minutes. Go!
- Usain Bolt does it. Oprah does it. What’s your favourite power pose? Strike your pose for 2 minutes! Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist famous for making power poses something we all do. According to Amy’s research, adopting a power pose for 2 minutes increases testosterone and reduces cortisol, resulting in improved individual performance. The power pose is proven to improve abstract thinking as well as executive function (aka decision making) and can even help when dealing with physical pain. Amy asks us to listen to our body because of the inter-relationship between our body, mind and behaviours. “Fake it until we become it”, says Amy. We say, “Try it, you might like it!”
- EX. PART 2 Under the heading of “Play”, brainstorm ways of making those tasks more fun. Then, in threes or fours, share your ideas with each other. You have 3 minutes. Go!
- Strive to fulfil your recommended daily amount of play. You don’t need a lot. 5 – 10 minutes of play a day is enough to keep the doctor and priest away!
- And remember Life’s Creative Circle?
- With a bit of effort, a splash of creative thinking and a lot fun, we can combine work with play. That way, we can play and work until our ripe old age and stay active for longer!
- Let’s so do some session user acceptance testing. If you agree with a criteria, raise your hand. [Metanote: Step through each criteria] True play is about being good sports people so thanks for playing! Turn to your neighbours and shake hands with them to thank them for playing.
- Many thanks for playing. Play once a day to keep the doctor and priest away! Happy playmaking!
- And remember, don’t be a sea squirt, be more like Nemo instead. Play to stay in shape!