Seth Godin did it again in You can't say you can't play. He caught the essence of the high performance business mind in few words, and inspired a lifelong lesson to boot!
Seth wrote of Lenny Levine, the greatest kindergarten teacher ever, who died.
Among other amazing lessons Lenny taught kids the motto, "You can't say you can't play." It seems to me that this message is also for business leaders who demand more and more work in less time for fewer dollars and with little leisure. 
Lenny’s mantra for inclusion and Seth’s openness to play reminds me of Dr. Lenore Terr’s book, Beyond Love and Work: Why Adults Need to Play. The research in this book shows compelling evidence why play is an essential function in our adult lives, and how most organizations overlook the importance of play for the free and successful adult mind. The central idea of the book is one of rediscovering a world where work, wonder and play are not-so-distant cousins.
In similar ways, I'm often inspired by Seth's brilliant play with words, ideas, wit and wisdom. His blog and the kindergarten teacher's motto, struck gold for me at the heart of a mine we may be missing in our fast-paced schedules.
If you agree that play is essential to help people get beyond work tensions and stress, why not start a few playful trends for development of emotional and social parts of the brain, in your workplace lunchroom. For instance, you could ...
1. Set aside one table for those who like to laugh and see how many people you can entice there by the end of the week. The ticket into this table might be a good joke which can earn you a seat for all the breaks that day.
2. Paint, sketch or draw on one staff room wall, a fun mural, that captures leisure and play that would interest people where you work.
3. Post monthlu sign-up sheets for a popular sport such as golf, or tennis.
4. Arrange an area of your lunch room for games that include chess, puzzles, Quiddler or checkers and hold contests for fun.
5. Compare Brain Age scores and encourage people to reduce their age in the game.
Can you think of another way to help people catch the essence of Seth’s inspiration? What form of play could add sheer fun and a bit of health and balance to high-performance minds where you work?
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Tracked on: August 3, 2007 12:34 PM | Permalink to Trackback