Insights on Work and Play
‘You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than a year of conversation.’
– Plato, Greek Philosopher 427bc to 347bc
I often ponder on the fact that some things change over time and some things remain the same. However, knowing where that line in the sand is drawn, is a challenge of wisdom and insight.
The above quote from Plato was written nearly 2,500 years ago and one could easily dismiss this writing as ramblings from the past that bears no relevance in today’s modern world. I for one, beg to differ.
Several years ago, an inspiring client of mine preferred to start our planning meetings with a lively game of indoor cricket followed by a leisurely walk. The latter we used to call our ‘walking meeting’ where magically the thoughts and ideas seemed to flow much better than if we were sitting around a rectangular board table.
We would then retire to a park bench to plan, and problem-solve with a renewed sense of insight and vigour. It was, and still remains one of my favourite ways to have a meeting today, especially if more challenging and expansive thinking is required.
I’m also sure that through the medium of structured play and the walking meeting, my client was testing aspects of my overall capability, character, and logical thinking skills. I thought it was both smart and fun at the same time and embraced the process.
Work and Play Can Co-exist
Meetings of this type created some creative and thoughtful strategic plans. On a large Art folder, we captured concepts, visual outcomes and build a storyboard that was subsequently documented into more detailed plans, totally ready to be implemented.
Work and play can definitely co-exist, and I highly recommend that you try this strategy out and be pleasantly surprised at the breakthrough results that are possible.
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