Playfulness has long been discussed in terms of child development, documented in the 40's by Schlosberg in terms of behavior. However, Barnett's study, ''Playfulness: Definition, Design, and Measurement", published in Play & Culture, 1990,3,319-336, and others, expanded the definition of playfulness to an internal trait, rather than an action. Therefore, if playfulness is within us, as adults, we bring it to work. Think about the ways we tackle problems in the workplace. As demonstrated in myriad empirical studies-- a tendency toward creativity and playfulness is a terrific asset, both in terms of job satisfaction and performance. And that's across industries/professions. Yet, for many businesses, while well recognized as an important element of problem solving, brainstorming is the sole playfulness activity. If you would like more ideas on fostering playfulness within a professional context, you may enjoy a great little book by Arthur VanGundy,Ph.D., 101 Activities for Teaching Creativity and Problem Solving, designed to encourage creativity in generating ideas and solving problems. Here at Galley, we are big believers in the value of playfulness; and we look forward to seeing you on the playground.
