The Serious Business of Play
Look at the business giant Google’s offices – you’ll always find some sort of play in action. Climbing walls, slides, video gaming, so why? Play is not something that loses its power to educate and stimulate. It’s been proven that play enhances our sense of well-being and continues to support our development even throughout adulthood.
Free Play: A Springboard for Ideas
Free play is the springboard for ideas and imagination; it develops curiosity and social regulation.
Watching the determination, dexterity, and ambition of a 3-year-old as to how high they can stack blocks, we can see these skills transfer to the ambition of a start-up.
The Power of Team Games
A simple team game of hide and seek builds strong relationships and alliances and becomes a platform to test decisions and consequences. Players can stay alert in the moment and become adaptable to change.
Or the more scaffolded structure of monopoly fosters negotiation and risk.
These important skill acquisitions take place in the years from birth to high school. Play is critical to developing the skills for life.
Play and Communication
Furthermore, what can play teach us about communication? Within imaginative play, we are constantly engaged in problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. If you observe an imaginary game unfold amongst children, perhaps role play or modeled storytelling from their favorite stories you might notice the creative way they flow with new ideas, demonstrating a sophisticated blend of growth mindsets – it is a purely creative process.
It can take us years to achieve this collaboration within professional environments, yet children can arrive at consensus in five minutes. The progress lies within the safety and creativity of the game. Play allows children autonomy in their world to test their ideas and insights. Helping them to make sense of the world around them.
Scientists have discovered that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain, unless it is done in play, in which case it only takes 10 to 20 repetitions.
By this account play is a superpower, it allows us to fast-track learning in ways no other technology has mastered.
The Demand for Communication Skills
In a rapidly changing professional environment, the demand for these communication skills is more than ever. Last year the World Economic Forum released statistics showing that;
Even prior to the pandemic, 87% of employees lacked cognitive, interpersonal and leadership soft skills required for the future labor market.
As adults, now a good distance from the safety of playgroups – can we re-learn how to play?
It takes a safe non-judgmental environment whereby everyone is coaxed out of ‘entrenched patterns’ and given the permission to try something new and the permission to fail. When laughter, acceptance, and fun are cultivated we can easily slip back into the rhythm of play.
NIDA Corporate and Communication Skills
At NIDA Corporate, we use theatre games and improvisation to teach and develop communication skills; how to be present in a conversation, how to remain agile in debates and how to influence an outcome. Most importantly if you can learn to access the creativity within communication, you can seize the opportunity that lies within each conversation.
If it has been a long time since you allowed yourself to play, and you are looking to uplevel your communication skills, Book your course today and discover how the serious business of play can transform your professional journey.
Be prepared to learn, explore, and laugh as NIDA brings creativity back to your conversations.