Minimal Viable Structure: The Secret to Leading With Playfulness, Not Chaos
In Episode 2 of Being Playful, therapist and songwriter Bill O’Hanlon offered a deceptively simple insight: “I always master the structure. Then I play.” At first glance, it sounds familiar. A cousin of “learn the rules before you break them.” But for leaders navigating pressure, complexity, or ambiguity, this principle is something far more strategic—and […]
Playfulness: A Signalling Theory Perspective
What are you really signalling? Picture this. A senior leader cracks a light, well-timed joke just before a high-stakes strategy session. Laughter ripples across the room. Shoulders drop. Someone who’s usually quiet speaks up more openly. The energy shifts. Something loosens. What just happened? Was it just a joke? A social lubricant? A fleeting moment […]
If Your Team’s Stuck, It Might Be the Room, Not the People
We’ve all walked into rooms that felt heavy before a word was spoken. And others that felt alive with possibility. Same people. Same agenda. Different vibe. The space we work in – physically, emotionally, relationally – isn’t neutral. It shapes the way we think, engage, and make decisions. If we want better thinking, more inclusive […]
Why We Built the Team Climate Pulse
The invisible stuff is what gets you. Ask any founder or team leader what’s slowing them down, and they probably won’t say “skills.”They’ll say things like: “We don’t challenge each other enough.”“People are tired — and playing it safe.”“No one wants to be the one to speak up.”“We’re just trying to hold it together.” On […]
No, Playful Leaders Don’t Wear Rose-Tinted Glasses
The fear is understandable. When we talk about playful leadership, most managers picture chaos. Jokes instead of judgment. A team high on silliness and low on results. Or worse — a sugar-coated culture where no one’s allowed to be real. But here’s what the science says: that’s not what playfulness is. In a 2025 study […]
You Don’t Need Another Team Building Day
Why most efforts to bring joy into work fail — and what to do instead. A few years ago, a group of researchers ran the numbers on decades of team-building exercises. The away days. The workshops. The offsites. All the things companies do to boost morale, bond teams, and lift performance. The result? Objectively — […]
How Playfulness Fuels High-Pressure Performance
Turning Stress into Focus, Creativity, and Better Decisions When the stakes are sky-high, most people think the answer is to “get serious” and grit their teeth. We hear phrases like “Dig deep,” “Stay strong,” and “Push through.” The problem? Under extreme stress, your brain isn’t inspired by motivational slogans—it’s bracing for survival. Leaders, athletes, surgeons, […]
The Serious Business of Playfulness
Why the most adaptable, high-performing teams aren’t the most serious ones Seriousness gets mistaken for competence all the time. We straighten our posture, drop our voices a tone lower, and wear our “I’m across it” face. But here’s the paradox: the teams that thrive in uncertainty aren’t the ones who look the most serious – […]
Playfulness and Crisis: Turning Dangerous Moments into Growth Opportunities
Playfulness and crisis? Really? At the Playfulness Lab, we’re obsessed with rethinking the moments that shape us. Crisis is one of them. Not just the big, catastrophic ones, but the slow-burn crises too—the ones that creep into our teams, our cultures, and our internal landscapes. If we zoom out, there’s a fascinating concept embedded in […]
Why We Ask Leaders to Write Down 3 Playful Things a Day
(And why it works better than you’d expect.) Most adults treat play like a childhood relic.Something we were meant to grow out of.Like nap time. Or glitter. But at The Playfulness Lab, we see something different—especially when it comes to leadership. We see playfulness not as an escape from work, but as a way of […]