Zog Blog - Experts in Play at Work.

It’s Not Magic: Tips to Get EVERYONE Playing at your next company event!

Written by Natalie Simmons | May 1, 2019 1:15:00 PM

The experts have spoken: Play is more than just fun and games. But as HR professionals and people leaders, how can we be strategic in using play to engage your coworkers? How can we design experiences that make employees excited to raise their hand and jump in the game?

Earlier last month, we shared how one of our favorite experts in play, Dr. Stuart Brown, uncovered eight distinct play personalities, backed by research and science. Today, we are going to draw back the curtain and share a sneak peek of how we design events that get the whole office out on the playing field—from your introverted engineers to your competitive salespeople! (Hint: Dr. Stuart Brown has a tip or two.)

By getting to know the companies we work with and the employees who will be playing, we are able to customize events that will appeal to each specific group. And you can too! Here are some of our favorite games to engage the inner-child in each of us.

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1. The Director

Personality recap:

The Director feels real joy from bringing people together and directing experiences beginning to end.

Recommended activity:

For Director-types, we recommend the Trust Me Maze. This blindfolded obstacle course challenges Directors to lead the pack with only their words, instructing a co-worker (probably someone like the Kinesthete!) from point A to B without their eyesight!

2. The Artist/Creator

Personality recap:

The Artist/Creator plays by turning ideas into tangible things whether through arts or crafts, tinkering, or building something new and inventive.

Recommended activity:

Pisa or Giza gets The Artist/Creator’s creative juices flowing as they are given a collection of materials, a set time and the tall task of creating the highest standing structure.

3. The Kinesthete

Personality recap:

The Kinesthete is always in motion; movement is their play.

Recommended activity:

So we like to say, “on your marks, get set, go!” and get The Kinesthete playing in any one of our zany relay races.

4. The Joker

Personality recap:

The Joker can be found cracking jokes and making people laugh.

Recommended activity:

No game is funnier than the wacky Hippity Hop Polo. Mount your blow-up, bouncy pony and face off in the silliest polo game you’ve ever seen.

5. The Competitor

Personality recap:

The Competitor loves to win. A natural on any playing field, there isn’t a competition you can put in front of them that they’ll turn down.

Recommended activity:

One of our classic favorites is volleyball. Let’s see you spike it!

6. The Collector

Personality recap:

The Collector gets joy from finding, gathering, sorting, and collecting things.

Recommended activity:

You’ll likely find them making a flower crown or building a succulent at one of our luxury field day craft stations.

7. The Storyteller

Personality recap:

The Storyteller is extremely imaginative and creative. They love weaving a great story, and will be the first ones to recap the great event you ran.

Recommended activity:

Play is a mysterious game of Mafia - who is the murderer? Who is innocent? Let The Storyteller narrate the twists and turns.

8. The Explorer

Personality recap:

The Explorer loves to see new places, people, and things throughout the world.

Recommended activity:

Typically extroverted, this person seeks newness and is quick to hop into our fan favorite connection game, Human Bingo. Walk around the room, chatting with different people and identifying unique traits about them to complete your bingo board.

Interested in learning even more about how we use Dr. Stuart Brown’s 8 Play Personalities to create customized playful events for you and your team? Join us for a FREE event on May 7th at Post’d, where we’ll be exploring how to engage all personalities in the workplace.

Don’t miss your chance. Sign up now!