Play brings much more than fun. For children, it is an important tool to learn and grow. But what we tend to forget is that play is beneficial for adults as well. At UNGA, we believe in the power of play. We use it in the concepts and campaigns we create for retailers and families as well as within our work environment.

Naturally, our daily responsibilities and priorities often take over, and it is easy to forget how play can help in vaious situations, especially when working from a distance. So, a couple of weeks ago, we aimed to connect with each other in a “Play to Perform” workshop, an online event organized by our partner Right To Play, together with Lifeguard.

Play to Perform: A workshop designed around the power of play

Right To Play, our partner NGO, protects, educates, and empowers children in some of the most difficult places on Earth through play-based programs. With many different kinds of games, sports, and activities, these programs enable children to learn and rise above the many challenges that they face worldwide.

To raise awareness about the power of play, Right To Play and Lifeguard co-developed “Play to Perform”. They designed this workshop as a way for employees, teams, leaders, and organizations to gain vitality and perform better and in a sustainable way through play—just like how kids learn in Right To Play’s programs.

Re-discovering the importance of play at work

Play is part of UNGA’s DNA. Take one look at our office and you’ll understand that we not only use the power of play not only in our loyalty campaigns but also in our work environment. Ping pong, foosball, video games, board games… we are surrounded by play, and that makes UNGA a very special place for our team. But now, we find it important to incorporate play into our work itself and use games and playful techniques to perform better.

With the Play to Perform digital workshop, Martin Pet from Lifeguard and Right To Play inspired us through the various games that children in Right To Play’s programs are introduced to. This workshop was a great opportunity for UNGA employees to learn more about Right To Play’s programs. Above all, it was a fun experience. We connected and re-discovered the importance of play at work, albeit from a distance.

In smaller groups or all together, we experienced the relevance of play as a way to learn important skills, such as:
• cooperation
• focus
• psychological flexibility
• goal-orientation
• acceptance
• leadership (“leading” vs. “being led”), and
• creativity.

We realized how playing can help us manage our energy, relax, and recharge (“recovery” vs. “performance”). Ultimately, the workshop provided us with a series of tips, ideas, and inspiration to apply more playful methods in our daily work and in meetings.

Interested in using the power of play at work to boost your performance? Please contact Right To Play.