Releasing Childlike Creativity in Teams

How Playful Thinking Transforms Workplace Collaboration and Innovation

When Your Inner Child Comes to Work

Smiles, joy, a bit of mischievousness, maybe some games... our "child" self craves these things and puts us in a creative and open space.

Yet our adult self pushes us to look at the world in a factual way, analyzing everything through a lens of logic and reason. This tension between our playful inner child and our serious adult creates an interesting dynamic, especially in professional settings.

In reading "Games People Play," this idea of child and adult states becomes very serious, framing both how we enter conversations, how we interact with others, and what our surface level and psychological needs truly are.

Think about some of the meetings you've attended. I'm sure you can think of child-focused behaviors:

• That dude who just wants attention

• The boss who needs to make every idea their own

• The person who feels completely rejected if you judge their idea even slightly

If you step back and watch adults work on something together, these CHILD-like actions become very clear. After running over 100 workshops, I've seen these patterns so consistently that I now know certain moments to look for - like when the extrovert decides to take over the group, or my favorite, the anticipatory smile when people first get their LEGO kit.

Child-forward behavior isn't bad or good, but it's fascinating to understand. One of the reasons the rules of LEGO Serious Play include "The builder cannot be wrong" and "Everyone gets a turn" is to create an environment where the playful and creative child can emerge safely. This allows participants to create, share, and learn from each other in ways that truly reflect our much younger selves.

And to be honest, our child self is way more fun. Smiles and laughter are contagious, and we could all catch some more from the people around us.

So when you get a chance to bring your inner child out, do so, and watch how constructive it can be! The results might surprise you - not just in terms of enjoyment, but in unlocking creativity and connection that your adult self might have been keeping locked away.

Ready to transform how your teams think about their work and relationships? We have facilitators in New York City, San Francisco, Austin, Tampa Bay, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, San Diego, and more! Contact us for more information and session options.