Building better connections through PLAY.

We often hear from our clients that the most difficult part of planning a company event is the work that goes into getting people excited for it. We get it and we’re here to help. Here are five ways to build up anticipation and have employees ready to fully enjoy the festivities once the day arrives.

Topics: Office Culture, Play, Event Planning, Corporate Event Planning, Ideas, Employee Engagement, Culture, Employee Experience, Company, Company Culture, Tips, company events, Employee Appreciation, Fun

The World Cup is back in full-swing--this time, women are taking the global stage. As the tournament kicks off tomorrow, that doesn’t have to mean complete madness in the office. You can turn this into a real opportunity to connect with coworkers.

Topics: Play at Work, Productivity, Soccer, World Cup, Work Culture, Company Culture, Sports, Women, Fun, Women's World Cup, USWNT

When all 25 New York City-based team members of the ZogLife office worked remotely for nearly two months while their workspace underwent a refresh, the team used it as an opportunity to experiment.

Topics: Office Culture, Play, Team, Team Building, Productivity, Ideas, Employee Engagement, Connection, Employee Experience, Company Culture, Leadership, Goals, Tips, Fun, Working Remotely

Welcome to Leaders In Play! We interview people who take having FUN at work very seriously. We know, it seems like a crazy concept, but incorporating Play At Work has been proven to improve employee engagement, creativity, recruitment, retention, and provide countless other benefits that help create healthy company culture. Read on to learn more about our featured leader and their definition of Play, both in and out of the workplace.

Topics: Play, Nonprofit, Charity, Play at Work, Work Life Balance, Values, Soccer, Culture, Company Culture, Leadership, Sports, Empowerment, Leaders In Play, Careers

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?

Topics: Office Culture, Play, Team Building, Event Planning, Play at Work, Corporate Event Planning, Company Retreats, Ideas, Employee Engagement, Fun at Work, Connection, Culture, Employee Experience, Company Culture, Tips, Human Resources, diversity and inclusion, company events, Employee Appreciation, Fun, Play Personalities, Stuart Brown

Let’s get one thing straight: Play isn’t just kid stuff. There’s a science to how we play, and it affects our lives in important ways—from how we work to what we find fulfilling. In fact, some social scientists suggest play might be the most important work we do.

Topics: Office Culture, Play, Play at Work, Reflections, Fun at Work, Connection, Culture, Company Culture, Skills, Fun, Play Personalities, Stuart Brown

Don’t run from it. Don’t fight it. Don’t ignore it. Lean into it.

Topics: Office Culture, Play, Team, Play at Work, Work Life Balance, Fun at Work, Work Culture, Connection, Culture, Employee Experience, Community, Company, Company Culture, Sports, Tips, Games, March Madness, Basketball, NCAA Tournament

Welcome to Leaders In Play! We interview people who take having FUN at work very seriously. We know, it seems like a crazy concept, but incorporating Play At Work has been proven to improve employee engagement, creativity, recruitment, retention, and provide countless other benefits that help create healthy company culture. Read on to learn more about our featured leader and their definition of Play, both in and out of the workplace.

Topics: Office Culture, Event Planning, Play at Work, Work Culture, Connection, Culture, Employee Experience, Company, Company Culture, Leadership, Human Resources, company events, Employee Recognition, Games, Interview, Leaders In Play

Welcome to Leaders In Play! We interview people who take having FUN at work very seriously. We know, it seems like a crazy concept, but incorporating Play At Work has been proven to improve employee engagement, creativity, recruitment, retention, and provide countless other benefits that help create healthy company culture. Read on to learn more about our featured leader and their definition of Play, both in and out of the workplace.

Topics: Office Culture, Play, Play at Work, Gratitude, Culture, NYC, Company Culture, Core Values, Human Resources, Employee Recognition, Interview, Leaders In Play, Employee Appreciation, Employee Appreciation Day

Welcome to Leaders In Play! We interview people who take having FUN at work very seriously. We know, it seems like a crazy concept, but incorporating Play At Work has been proven to improve employee engagement, creativity, recruitment, retention, and provide countless other benefits that help create healthy company culture. So, without further ado, enjoy our first installment of this interview series!

Topics: Office Culture, Play, Play at Work, Fun at Work, Work Culture, Gratitude, Culture, Company, Company Culture, Leadership, Core Values, Goals, Women, Interview, Leaders In Play

As a kid, did you buy those pharmacy-branded Valentine’s Day Cards with cheesy sayings like “Just speeding by with Valentine 'Hi'”?

Topics: Office Culture, Team Building, Holiday, Gratitude, Connection, Culture, Employee Experience, Company, Company Culture, Core Values, Tips, Human Resources, Games, Valentine's Day, Love

It’s that time of the year when renowned artists and entertainment industry titans come together to recognize the best of the best—it’s award season. The Grammys came and went, and the Academy Awards are around the corner, but award ceremonies don’t have to be limited to Hollywood. 

What if your office had its own fun way to recognize the stars who made significant contributions to the company’s success all year?

Topics: Office Culture, Employee Engagement, Work Culture, Gratitude, Culture, Company, Company Culture, Core Values, Human Resources, Empowerment, Employee Recognition, Awards

Right now, there’s a buzz of excitement around the entire company—every office, every city, every single person is pumped. And I’m not just saying that. It’s REAL. You can feel the energy in every meeting, message, and email.

Topics: Team Building, Company Retreats, Employee Experience, Company Culture, Goals

Do you ever feel like you can’t get your events strategy right? Ever feel like you don't have the answers on how to make an event inclusive and still deliver an experience that is fun AND helps your team connect?

Topics: Employee Engagement, Company Culture, diversity and inclusion, company events

I’m the CEO, so if I don’t live our company’s core values then who will? Since the Zog brand was founded in 2002, there have been multiple iterations of our core values. Over time they have become our vernacular, our vocabulary for giving feedback, as well as our guidelines for making decisions and guiding daily behavior. We have put considerable thought into the Zog core values, so it’s no coincidence that my company’s core values are not so different from my personal core values.

FUN

Company Definition: We facilitate other people’s fun and have fun making it happen.

Personal Definition: Life is too short to not have fun. If not now, when?

TEAM PLAYER

Company Definition: Through the spirit of camaraderie, we share ideas, efforts and resources to accomplish our goals.

Personal Definition: Sometimes you need to lead and sometimes you need to play your role on the team.

CARING

Company Definition: We care about the company, each other and the work we do. We care about our customers, their experience and the communities in which we play.

Personal Definition: We treat each other with respect.

RELIABLE

Company Definition: We do what we say, meet our commitments and provide a consistent customer experience with relentless organization.

Personal Definition: We do what we say and keep our word especially when it’s hard.

OWN IT

Company Definition: We take ownership and do whatever it takes. We are go getters who identify and creatively solve problems.

Personal Definition: We take initiative to solve the problem.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Company Definition: We are committed to getting better every day in everything we do both as individuals and as a company.

Personal Definition: We keep doing our best and trying to get better each day.

These personal core values have not been formally imposed upon my family. (I’m not that awkward, though some may disagree.) They’re not written on a wall or explicitly incorporated into family dinners. Rather, I use them as guiding principles for how I want to live, how and when I feel the need to provide constructive feedback and how I want members of my family to treat one another.

Here are three ways I incorporate core values into my personal life:

1. Youth sports. I coach six teams each season for my two super active boys (see photo above). I create a positive experience for every player so that they learn to love team sports and the process of getting better. And it works! My retention rate is > 95% over the past seven years.

• Listen to your coach (Caring, Team Player, Continuous Improvement): This is about respecting your coach/teacher/elders and allowing others to learn, as well.
• Try your hardest (Reliable, Caring, Own It): Whatever you do, whether it’s sports, music, acting, school, volunteer work, relationships or your job, don’t mail it in! If you’re going to show up, give it your all.
• Have Fun (Fun!): No one I coach is a professional athlete. Let’s enjoy the experience.

2. Our language and actions

• That’s not the way we speak to XYZ (Caring): Caring about each other includes using caring language to speak with one another.
• We do what we say (Reliable): We stand by the commitments we make explicitly or implicitly (e.g., school assignments, commitments to other people).

3. General parenting

• We’re not helicopter parents (Own It): My wife and I know that we need to teach our kids resilience and resourcefulness, so we let the kids solve many of their own problems. For example, one month after our then fifth grader chose French as his foreign language, he came to say that he hated French and wanted to switch to Spanish. While we easily could have contacted the school for him, we didn’t. Instead, we asked him why he wanted to switch and asked what he thought he should do to make it happen. He went to his house advisor and middle school director and made the switch happen himself!
• Everyone in the family has a job to help us become a successful team (Team Player): This is especially true for the mundane like chores, helping each other when not asked, taking care of your own responsibilities, etc.
• Family traditions are created together (Fun): We discuss what each of us think would be fun to do together and vote. We’ve organized game night, card games, traveling to watch March Madness in another city every year, letting the kids plan family vacations, and more.

If you have comments or questions, please leave them below.

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Join Us

If you believe that what we believe and want to join us, check out our career and part-time opportunities at https://www.zogsports.com/join-the-team.aspx

About the Author

Robert Herzog, Founder and CEO, ZogCulture and ZogSports

I believe life is better with real personal connections, caring communities and a sense of play. I founded ZogSports after my close call on 9/11. In 2012, we launched ZogCulture to help create playful experiences at work so that employees can connect, be part of a community, and infuse play into the DNA of their company’s culture. We are directly impacting over 150,000 people per year across the country and have donated over $3.4M to charity. In 2017, Zog made the Crain’s Best Places to Work list (again!) and earned the prestigious B Corporation “Best For the World — Community” award.

If you’re interested in this sort of stuff, I have an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management from Wharton and a BA in Economics (which I rarely use) from Brown. I live and play in NYC with my awesome wife of 15+ years and two super active, sporty boys.

Interested in playing in a ZogSports league? ZogSports is America’s most popular social sports community, with over 125,000 players forming millions of new friendships every year. Sign up here to play.

Interested in bringing play to your company? ZogCulture creates playful employee experiences that create connections and builds community at work. Learn more by visiting our site or email Danny@ZogSports.com to inquire about bringing Zog to your office.

Topics: Work Life Balance, Values, About, Company Culture, Leadership