You don’t get to decide what feels like play for someone else. I see this all the time in team building exercises or team happy hours, the leaders walk away from it thinking, “Yes, we rocked that!” only to later find out others on the team felt drained or annoyed by the whole event. That’s where knowing your team members’ play styles really helps.

In this conversation, Shelby and I discussed how play shows up at work (and home) and how being able to fully engage boosts productivity and joy. We talked about those “forced fun” events, how employers can make their everyday work more playful and how allowing toxic behavior can ruin the whole thing.

This months focus on play was timely. With never ending snow days, lots of tense feelings on social media, and even some shift in my personal life and business… reminding me that play and boundaries go hand in hand helped me navigate forward. Tune in and let me know what stood out to you. I’d love to hear what your play style is and how it shows up at work.

Here’s what we talked about:

02:50 Half play vs full play

07:22 Play should be a choice

08:50 Making mistakes exciting and invited into work

15:30 Why respecting other play styles boosts productivity

20:35 How rules and roles influence success

26:00 Our culture is only as good as the worst behavior we tolerate

29:10 Setting boundaries and rules for ourselves and our team

Links/ Resources:

The Free 99 Step:

Play Personality Quiz https://jennwhitmer.com/play-quiz There are eight play personalities. Find your main play style and discover how to use your style to be a better leader, collaborate more efficiently, and have more joy at work.

Ready to Make a Plan:

Joyosity Jumpstart

If you’re ready to stop leading from survival mode and lead with connection and joy, the Joyosity™ Jumpstart Session is for you. Clarify what you want, where you are, and what’s getting in the way so you can make a real plan.

Starting the Journey:

Enneagram Navigator

Walk through the process to identify your Enneagram type — accurately! But then also know what does that mean in your every day life.

Ready to Dive In:

1:1 Joyosity Leadership Intensive

http://jennwhitmer.com/intensive

Work on your leadership stories, mindset, values, and alignment with Jenn 1:1 when it fits your schedule.

Ep. 78 ICYMI Half-Play or Full-Play: Joy and Productivity at Work