Building better connections through PLAY.

It’s that time of year again. There’s a chill in the air. Puffy jackets, hats and scarves are on. Your morning coffee is dressed up in a holiday cup. And your company holiday party is just around the corner.

Topics: Holiday traditions, Holiday, Tips, Fun, Activities, company holiday party

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, Play at Work, Soccer, Interview, Leaders In Play, Fun, women in business

Okay, so it’s late October, and you’re getting down to brass tacks on your company holiday party. You want it to feel special. You want your employees to be excited about it. You want to celebrate a great year with a night that is memorable and fun to keep them feeling engaged and valued.

Topics: Play, Holiday Party, company events, Games, Fun, Activities, Venues, company holiday party, company party, bowling

A venue sets the stage for what kind of party you’re going to have and the variables when choosing one can make anyone’s head spin. Before you decide on the place, it’s helpful to know roughly how many people will be attending, what activities will be planned, and, of course, what budget you have to work with. Even with this information, though, wading through the options and finding a venue that checks every box on your criteria can be quite the challenge.

Topics: Play, Event Planning, Corporate Event Planning, Holiday, Holiday Party, Ideas, Tips, company events, Games, Fun, Venues

You’ve nailed down the date for your next company party. You’ve arranged the time and place, and you know who will be showing up. Those are the first steps but now you must answer the most important question that will determine whether your party is successful—how will you entertain your guests? Specifically, what will engage your employees beyond drinking and conversation to make your event memorable?

Topics: CSR, Corporate Event Planning, Holiday Party, Ideas, Tips, company events, Fun, Play Personalities, Activities

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

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

Let’s get one thing straight right from the gate—general “aptitude” tests are kind of the worst. They ask a few multiple choice questions that attempt to boil down your personality and talents into a Bucket O’ Traits that apparently make you the right fit for a career path you may or may not be interested in.

Topics: Play, Team, Football, Reflections, Soccer, Lifestyle, Sports, Tips, Basketball, Skills, Baseball, Hockey, Careers, Softball, Fun