Ways to Integrate Fun into Innovation Workshops

I used to think "serious teams" didn't have time to play. Until I watched our most stressed team transform into our highest performer. The secret? They mastered the art of strategic play. Not the "waste time" kind of play. The kind that fuels energy, trust, and breakthrough ideas. Here are 9 play styles that transformed our team (and can transform yours): 1️⃣ Celebration Play → Start every meeting with a 2-minute win share → Watch how small victories fuel bigger ones 2️⃣ Challenge Play → Turn quarterly goals into weekly competitions → Keep scores visible, stakes friendly 3️⃣ Collaboration Play → Replace solo grinding with "pair hours" → Watch solutions emerge from collective energy 4️⃣ Connection Play → Trade conference rooms for walking meetings → Build trust between deadlines, not just during them 5️⃣ Creativity Play → Give permission to build "crazy ideas" → Some of our best solutions started as "what if" moments 6️⃣ Curiosity Play → Reward questions more than answers → Create space for "I wonder if..." conversations 7️⃣ Exploration Play → Let people test-drive different roles → Innovation lives outside comfort zones 8️⃣ Improv Play → Welcome the unexpected → Some of our best wins came from "failed" plans 9️⃣ Story Play → Share the journey, not just the metrics → Stories stick longer than statistics The math is simple: Play drives energy. Energy builds trust. Trust delivers results. Our team's performance jumped 47% in 90 days. Not from working harder. From playing smarter. 💭 Which play style could transform your team? Share below 👇 ➕ Follow for more leadership insights that actually work

Hack Your Team's Mindset: 5 Unconventional Warmups for Innovation Workshops 🧠⚡ Ever run an innovation workshop that felt like trying to start a car with a dead battery? That first 30 minutes determines whether you'll get breakthrough ideas or recycled thinking. Something that I call getting into the “psychology of innovation”. After facilitating several sessions, I've discovered something surprising: the traditional "let's go around and introduce ourselves" kills creative energy before it starts. Your team's brains are still in operational mode—not possibility mode. Here are five unconventional warmups I've tested that rewire neural pathways for innovation in under 20 minutes: 1. The Impossible Question Challenge 🔥 Start by asking questions that have no "correct" answers: "How would you design a restaurant on Mars?" or "What if sleep became optional?" This immediately signals we're breaking free from conventional thinking. 2. The Reality Bending Exercise ✨ Have everyone write down three "unchangeable facts" about your industry. Then challenge teams to imagine a world where each "fact" is no longer true. As Steve Jobs said, "Reality can be distorted"—this exercise trains that muscle. 3. The Reverse Assumptions Game 🔄 List 5-10 core assumptions about your business. Then systematically reverse each one: "What if we charged more for less?" or "What if our customers became our employees?" This shatters mental models almost instantly. 4. The "Yes, And..." Chain Reaction ⛓️ One person proposes a wild idea. Instead of evaluating it, the next person must say "Yes, and..." adding something to evolve it further. Continue for 3-5 minutes. This dismantles our innate criticism reflex. 5. Two-Minute Futures ⏱️ Give everyone two minutes to draw what your industry will look like in 2040. The time constraint bypasses the analytical brain and accesses the intuitive one. The crude drawings often reveal surprising insights about shared hopes and fears. Remember: Innovation doesn't need fancy frameworks—it needs minds free from invisible constraints. These warmups aren't just games; they're pattern-disruptors that help your team escape their mental programming. What's your go-to innovation warmup? Have you tried activities that break conventional thinking patterns? #InnovationWorkshops #CreativeThinking #DesignThinking #TeamFacilitation #Creativity #TransformativeMindset

I asked this group at The Aerospace Corporation to share their 'worst ideas ever' to tackle a specific challenge we were working on. Why? Because often, people hold back from sharing ideas due to fear of being 'wrong'. This process allows us to be playful while problem solving, eliminating the fear of presenting a 'bad' idea. By putting all the worst ideas on the table, we can use them as inspiration to generate better ideas by asking, "What is a literal or figurative idea that is opposite of that worst idea?" Try this creative problem solving tool with your teams and see how it creates an environment of play, creativity and idea sharing! #Creativity #Innovation #ProblemSolving #Teamwork

Companies that hire me to jumpstart collaboration are usually struggling with low engagement, isolated teams, and a lack of unity. To fix it, I suggest focusing on 1 simple thing to start → strengthening team connections. Good collaboration isn’t enough to create real change anymore. You need: • Teams united by a common purpose • Active engagement that builds trust and drives innovation Here are 6 Simple (And Fun) Ways To Quickly Strengthen The Unity Of Your Team: 1. Organize team outings like escape rooms to encourage problem-solving together 2. Set up "office Olympics" for friendly competition and unity 3. Create food-focused events that bring teams together over shared meals 4. Schedule weekly mindfulness sessions to reduce stress and foster focus 5. Start group storytelling sessions to boost creativity and teamwork 6. Establish "Fun Fridays" to ensure consistent bonding and relaxation This approach works because it actively creates opportunities for teams to connect every single week. Think about it... More collaboration → better communication and innovation. Creating stronger, more cohesive teams every single day. This isn’t just about fun activities—it’s about building lasting connections that fuel growth. More team unity → better results. Simple, but it works! #TeamBuilding #Collaboration #Culture #Leadership #Innovation #EmployeeEngagement #VestedWay #KeynoteSpeaker