Power Tool: Play vs. Work

A Coaching Power Tool Created by Bruno Lucas
(Life Coach, URUGUAY)

The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct. –Carl Jung

Are playing and working intrinsically different?

Why is it that in general we consider play and work two different things? What is it, apart from the fact that work always comes with a salary, that makes those to dynamics so different in the way we conceive them and experience them? Is there an intrinsic difference between them? Or is it that we can actually decide how to approach them?

The way children play

When little children play, they are focused on the present moment, they enjoy the process, they are detached from results. Playing a game is in general a synonym of having fun, feeling relaxed, feeling excited, experiencing a sense of achievement, learning, developing a skill, feeling good. And of course, adults can play games with the same approach.

On the other hand, the way we think about work involves many times ideas like struggling, effort, sacrifice, boredom.

Imagine a person that approaches playing being tense, that focuses too much on the effort and too little on learning developing skills and having fun, that focuses too much on the goals and too little on all the benefits that the process brings now, that focuses too much on fear of losing and doesn´t see all the potential and opportunities. What would you tell that person? You probably would tell him things like “Relax, enjoy the game… you cannot learn, get better, connect and enjoy with other people if you don´t focus on playing and enjoying the process…”, because, it´s obvious that that is the proper way of approaching playing, right?

So, what about telling ourselves the same about the way we approach work and learning in general?

Is it possible to approach learning, work and creative processes in the same way we approach playing?

Suggested paradigm

Let´s take a look at some of the elements present in play:

There is a space (e.g. a board, a table, a field, a screen).
There are rules (they can be broken, and that would bring consequences).
There are other players (with which there could be a stimulating and enriching interaction).
There are goals.
It is possible to enjoy the process.
Doing, practicing, having fun, learning and developing skills can all be present at the same time in the same action and process of playing the game.
It is possible to enjoy this process being focused on it, instead of focusing to much on or worrying to much about the goals.
Winning or losing can be just used as some of the things that make the game fun. Possibly, what brings the highest value to the player (enjoying, connecting with others, learning and developing skills) is not winning, but the action of playing in the right way.

Now let´s see some of the elements present in work:

There is a space (e.g. work place, laptop).
There are rules (they can be broken, and that would bring consequences).
There are other workers (with which there could be a stimulating and enriching interaction).
There are goals.
It is possible to enjoy the process.
Doing, practicing, having fun, learning and developing skills can all be present at the same time in the same action and process of doing your job.
It is possible to enjoy this process being focused on it, instead of focusing too much on or worrying to much about the goals.
Winning or losing can be just used as some of the things that make work fun. Possibly, what brings the highest value to the worker (enjoying, connecting with others, learning and developing skills) is not winning, but the action of working in the right way.

After identifying a similarity between both dynamics, we can revise how we interact with each one of those elements that conform the way we work, and ask ourselves how can we do it differently, in a way that feels better, more like when we play, and also to avoid the waste of energy that comes from excessive focus on fear and stress.

Application

Through powerful question, we can invite the client to shift his perspective, in order to use the play approach when working.

Some useful questions:

The space

How well do I know my space?
Do I need or want to modify it?
Can I modify it?
Can I take any of the perceived obstacles in my space as an opportunity for experimenting, learning or developing skills?
I´m I using all the resources that the space offers me?

The rules

How do I feel about the rules?
Does any of the rules make me feel unconfortable or limited?
Do I see rules as limitation or as conditions and opportunities for me to do a great work?

The coworkers

Am I focusing on doing my job the best I can, or on other people´s behavior?
Do I accept the way of working and interacting of my coworkers?
Am I using every interaction constructively, to connect, develop and learn together?
Can I cooperate and align efforts towards shared goals?
What can I learn from my coworkers?

The goals

Are my work and personal goals clearly identified?
Can I align my work goals with my personal goals? How?
Am I taking actions that are well directed towards my goals?
Are my goals a source of inspiration and motivation or a source of fear and stress?

Enjoying the process, having fun

How much have I been enjoying the process lately?
How can I shift my focus in order to enjoy the process more?
What actions that I enjoy could be aligned with the action required when I work?
What is preventing me from enjoying my work?

Practicing, learning and developing skills

After my job is done, what can I take away with me?
What can I learn and what skills can I develop doing my job?

Modeling

In all this areas, is there anyone´s behavior, style or approach that I could take as an inspiration and model?