I’ve been doing a deep dive into the impact of play and the state of our world in researching for my book. That’s why I have become so passionate about recognizing that Play Works!

• Regular play reduces the level of cortisol ("the stress hormone") by up to 30%
• Those who play regularly are 35% more likely to bring problem-solving skills and creativity to work
• Only 20% of employees globally identify as being engaged according to Gallup polls. Once they’ve headed out the door, 90% say their boss influenced their decision to leave according to BambooHR. Those two statistics together show why the leader’s willingness to embrace play is so significant.
• Developmental neuroscience research shows that social play and exploration lead to the birth of new brain cells - important and available to us throughout our lifetimes!

Play is truly a leadership skill - for us to use as leaders of our own lives as well as in our leadership at work, school, or community life.

Think you don’t have enough time for play?

For my book, I wrote about my own experience with career change at 2 different points in my life. In one case, finding clarity took 6 months. In the other, it took 30 minutes. The difference was play.

When I interviewed Gary Ware for the podcast, he told the story of a colleague who had been planning on working all night on a project, but instead agreed to give 30 minutes to join him for an adult recess. Instead of an all-nighter, she got the job done in 3 hours.

Another guest, Alexandra Suchman shared the story of a team that played together with her for less than an hour. As a result of the change in perspectives caused by that play, the CEO estimated she got 5 to 7 hours back a week!

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Play Works.

Share this with the friend you’ve been trying to convince to do Permission to Play with you.

Mary