A Playmaker is like a hostess-with-the-mostess. Think Julia Child. They work hard to provide the ideal conditions of play. Most important of all, they invite instead of force people to play. Those who choose to join in are welcome to bring-their-own. And it’s up to them how long they stay. People decide for themselves what they give and what they take away.
Management guru Peter Drucker once said, “Organisations form and deform individuals.” To which playmakers reply, “It takes two to tango. Individuals allow themselves to be formed and deformed.”
Playmakers treat people as adults. Adults are responsible for themselves. That means taking responsibility for our own decisions.
Playmaking is a celebration of life. It’s a carnival and everyone’s invited. There are many kinds of people, ranging from Play Seekers to Play Skeptics. They usually fall into 4 distinct categories.
- Type 1 players are those who can play and want to play.
- Type 2 players can’t play and want to play.
- Type 3 players can play and won’t play.
- Type 4 players can’t play and won’t play.
Type 1s and 3s score high in their knowhow of play, while Type 2s and 4s score low. What separates those who want to play (Play Seekers – Types 1 and 2) from those who don’t (Play Skeptics – Types 3 and 4) is the desire to play.
Like many things in life, the desire to play begins with making a choice. Which type of player do you think stands the best chance of having the time of their lives, even when they’re at work?
You have to be in it to win it. Which type of player will you choose to be?
Playmaking 