From the NBMBAA Leadership Institute®: Adding Fun Into Teamwork With "The Go Game"
What is the fastest way to build a team of strangers into a cohesive unit? Give them fun games to play that require creativity, vulnerability, collaboration and innovation. About 50 participants learned that lesson at Wednesday's NBMBAA Leadership Institute® during a two-part interactive session aptly titled, "The Go Game: Play Like It’s Your Job." Organizers formed six teams to tackle challenges designed to teach the role fun has in building employee engagement and emotional capital for leaders. The 90-minute morning session challenged teams to leave their comfort zones as they scored points by figuring out riddles, interacting with strangers and creating animated videos. Oddball antics included singing to an actor dressed as Bono, figuring out how to build a free-standing 36-inch tall structure using uncooked spaghetti and solving a timed-word challenge. "Fun is seen as an extra in the corporate world, but it is essential. Fun is the fastest way to trust," said Summer Thommen, an organizational development consultant who led the 90-minute afternoon session. The afternoon debriefing session focused on how playing together allowed each team member to feel appreciated, vulnerable and connected – employee engagement ingredients – that improve productivity and profitability. When business leaders sprinkle fun into the workplace, more than the employees benefit. Leaders who play are viewed as more relatable, Thommen said. Several participants shared personal examples, including one man who said an executive allowed employees to throw pies in his face. "The place where you spend the most time with the most people has to be fun," Thommen said. Participants said the gameplay made them feel attached to each other and proud of their accomplishments. There were also moments when team members had to take risks and be silly or uncomfortable. "The hardest piece to build and the most important is vulnerability," said Thommen. "You have to speak to your imperfections." During the afternoon session, Thommen had each team sit together to reflect on and talk about their morning challenges. After a few minutes she disbanded each team and instructed members to sit at different tables. Many of the participants did not want to leave their teammates, which illustrated the bonds formed while playing games a few hours earlier. "If this can happen in two hours with a group of people, imagine what can happen when you are working with people on a [regular] basis," Thommen said. |
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