Business Productivity

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and according to author Stuart Brown, it saps his productivity, too.

How's that? The new book Play offers the paradoxical thesis is that "play" is a "basic, biological drive as integral to existence as eating or sleeping." Just as you wouldn't forbid your staff from eating lunch, Brown argues, you shouldn't try to prevent downtime on the company's dime.

Play is not specifically about business, but it touches on employee motivation and office morale in a way that any manager would find eye-opening. Primarily, the book tells managers that to understand the worker, they must first understand human nature.

Play goes all the way down to the biological roots of the animal kingdom's family tree. Brown explains that all animals--not just dogs and cats--spend the bulk of their youth in "play" mode. Even the lowly sea squirt spends time exploring the sea floor before it "settles down" to the business of reproduction.

But aren't humans more evolved than non-sentient sea dwellers? For some, playtime might seem to have little value for adults. In fact, by definition play is "purposeless," as Brown explains. Unstructured time is good for the mind, however. Of course, this notion forms the core idea of those child-rearing philosophies that urge parents to let children roam free without adult guidance.

What happens if kids are not able to play? Well, according to Brown, they're more likely to grow up to be antisocial criminals. Brown details chilling examples of such people and their sad upbringings, devoid of the play he recommends.

Turning to the work environment, Brown explains that playtime isn't just a good motivator, it's essential for running a productive business. He doesn't mean just sticking a foosball table in the corner, mind you. He wants your staff to look forward to their workday. Without fun on the job, says Brown, workers inevitably reach the point where they wonder why they're doing the work they're doing, thinking, "Is this all there is?"

In difficult economic times (like these), play is even more important, Brown claims. He describes how one morbid meeting was turned around when a CEO announcing terrible results to the staff invited the audience to pelt him with foam darts shot from toy guns he'd passed out. The catharsis and "fun" worked, turning the tone of the meeting from one of grim hopelessness to one of renewal and looking forward.

Although he doesn't detail all the business implications of such policies, there are implications for hiring practices in his recommendations, too. Prioritizing hires with strong "downtime" interests outside of the daily grind might lead to well-balanced, internally motivated workers. The more creative the job you're hiring for, it seems, the more "playful" the worker ought to be.

Often, attempts to create fun artificially fall flat in the workplace, highlighting the difficulties of figuring out exactly what works as playtime. Take gardening as an example, Brown notes: some find it a thrill, but others find it miserable, dirty work. Determining what type of play works for what type of person is hard work indeed.

Ultimately, the argument for play comes full circle, as Brown returns to the biological argument for letting people cut loose a little bit. When animals stop playing, they know they're nearing the sunset of their lives. Same goes for us, says Brown: "When we stop playing, we start dying."