What is Playful Work Design?
Playful work design is an innovative concept that empowers employees to proactively inject elements of fun and challenge into their work tasks, without changing the fundamental nature of their jobs. Introduced by researchers Arnold B. Bakker, Yuri S. Scharp, Kimberley Breevaart, and Juriena D. de Vries, playful work design is rooted in the principles of play theory and proactive work behaviour.
At its core, playful work design is about creating conditions within work activities that foster enjoyment, motivation, and engagement. It recognises that play is not just for children, but can also be a powerful tool for adult professionals to find more meaning and satisfaction in their work.
Two Dimensions of Playful Work Design
- Designing Fun: This dimension involves incorporating humour, imagination, and lighthearted interactions into work tasks. For example, an employee might create a fun narrative around a routine task, use friendly competition with colleagues, or find ways to make meetings more entertaining. By designing fun, employees can make their work more enjoyable and engaging.
- Designing Competition: This dimension focuses on introducing challenges and game-like elements into work activities. Employees might set personal goals, compete against their own previous performance, or try to complete tasks within self-imposed time limits. Designing competition taps into the human desire for achievement and mastery, making work feel more rewarding and motivating.
The Benefits of Playful Work Design
Research has shown that playful work design can have numerous positive effects on employee well-being and performance. When employees engage in playful work design, they tend to experience:
- Higher levels of work engagement
- Increased creativity and innovation
- Improved job performance
- Greater resilience in the face of challenging or mundane tasks
- Enhanced sense of meaning and purpose in their work
Playful work design is particularly beneficial for individuals with open and playful personalities, as it allows them to express their natural tendencies and strengths in the workplace.
Implementing Playful Work Design in Your Organisation
To reap the benefits of playful work design, organisations can take several steps to create a culture that supports and encourages this behaviour:
- Provide training and coaching to help employees understand the concept of playful work design and identify opportunities to incorporate play into their work.
- Encourage managers to model playful work design and create an environment where it is safe and acceptable to experiment with new approaches.
- Recognise and reward employees who successfully use playful work design to boost their engagement and performance.
- Regularly assess the prevalence of playful work design in your organisation using measurement tools like the one developed by Bakker and colleagues.
By embracing playful work design, organisations can tap into a powerful source of employee motivation and engagement. In a world where many employees feel disconnected and uninspired by their work, playful work design offers a refreshing and practical solution.
