In times of changes such as the ones we live in today, society has to face a fast evolution in the ways we live, learn and work. In the labour market, technology has been a strong factor in convey radically new approaches to the work dimension: new professional profiles are born, as new methodologies to develop projects and products. A new mentality is also arising recently, concerning lifelong learning.
As reflection of these tendencies, among several initiatives, #Play14 affirm itself as extremely cutting edge event.
What about the fuss?
“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”
– Plato
Born in Luxembourg as no profit, in 2014, it is an unconference based on the Open Space Technology, about Serious Games. It took place at Spazio MIL in Sesto San Giovanni (Milano), two and a half days where schedule builds itself collaboratively, during a 30 minutes’ exercise in the morning called the marketplace: the participants create the contents and set up activities around the huge space, with materials (and food) provided by the organization.
No slideshows, no talks, the attendees are session contributors.
The average audience is composed by people with several different backgrounds, most are coaches, agile coaches, tutors, scrum master, UX experts, psychotherapist, actors from theatre, improvisers (in this specific case also a couple of children, as top level experts of games) and multicultural provenance. This guarantee a fertile environment, a strong cultural contamination and an interesting moment of networking.
The Game Rules
In PRSD is frequent to have activities such as workshops, focus group, tutoring or teaching to organize and share with our clients. It is needed, in these context, to create a brand new attitude to foster communications and creativity among participants: corporate hierarchy, frictions between colleagues, the formality of a company usually create barriers. In order to have a positive and cooperative mood in the air, we use games.
So, here we are all together at #Play14!
The main purpose of the event is to explore new games, icebreakers, collaborative processes, all of them with a morality, to foster activities during work.
Serious gaming can be a key element in the modus operandi of professionals in the fields of consultancy, design and education: when heterogeneous group collaborates to address a common goals, gaming can enter in the process in different phases.
The Play
Starting from icebreaking, when we need to create a more informal space of confrontation and enter much more in contact with each others, oxygenate brains and increase productivity; or to explore a new domain, asking different kind of questions, using different tools (like a deck of cards).
During brainstorming, in new ideas development, or working on a complex system, playing detach thoughts from a long session of overthinking, stimulates lateral thinking and accelerate creativity by unlocking mental processes and build up unexpected solutions.
Problem solving is another field of application: in this edition of PLAY14 we followed “Le isole delle soluzioni” proposed by Marco Matera and based on a solution focus approach which allows the subject to escape from the problem perimeters.
Matera with Fabio Gariboldi also engaged us in Storyleading, a path to help developing storytelling among a team and give more depth to a story, adding details, using cards.
Bernhard Sterchi tested two versions of a game based on the Cynefin model, to better understand and enter in the dynamic of complex system, looking for feedbacks to improve it and use it in his job.
As PRSD we developed in an open session of game creation a flash mob where people were ignoring to be pieces of domino and we studied the behavior of participants trying to figure out how to interact with each others starting from keywords insight we provided.
It made me think a lot when I had to explained to my father that three days of plays could be part of my job and I had to repeat myself more than once.
Fun and curiosity are two powerful drivers for learning, and to stick concepts in our memory long lasting. The precious know-how we shared and the human value perceived have been huge resources and inspirational example of innovative work environment. Also, having fun interaction with other people in the physical world more than in the virtual world, and going on digital diet for a couple of days was definitely regenerating for mind and body.
A Second Opinion
There is more on #PLAY14 than meets the eye. When I attended the first edition of #PLAY14 Milan I was instantaneously hooked up about 3 key element of this unconference:
- The people: facilitators, coach, mentors eager to share their skills and doubts without hesitation
- The value: an incredible 2 Days packed with a lot to learn: content, methods and activities
- The chance: to jump in to the fray and experiments iteratively without risks and get honest feedbacks
I found the event absolutely unique: not talking only about the value for money, but the ration of learning, networking and opportunities is simply terrific. This year I decided to bring the whole company and “gentle nudged” the “kids” into experimentation… and guess what? They were absolutely fantastic.
References
With a background in Environmental Engineering and Interior Design, I graduated in Product Service System Design from the Politecnico di Milano in 2016 and started the professional career as a Service Designer at PRSD. My main concern is into social innovation and environmental sustainability, trying to reconcile good practices with systems that can reassure the survival of innovative and disruptive services and products.
