Quiz
Discover your Play Personality
As a free introduction to the Play Hub, we’re excited to offer access to our Play Personalities Quiz, inspired by insights from the National Institute for Play (NIFP). This scientifically-backed quiz identifies the unique ways individuals and teams engage with play. The quiz highlights eight distinct play personalities, including the Explorer, Creator, Joker, and Caregiver, each with specific traits and strengths.
Understanding your team’s play personalities can:
- Elevate Collaboration: Teams with insight into each member’s play style can foster more meaningful and effective interactions.
- Customise Activities: Tailor team-building exercises to align with the dominant play styles, maximizing engagement and impact.
- Celebrate Diversity: Recognize and appreciate the unique contributions each play personality brings to the table.
Taking the quiz together as a team not only sparks insightful discussions but also strengthens bonds and provides a roadmap for using play as a strategic advantage.
Play
Personalities Quiz
The NIFP report identifies various “play personalities” that reflect how individuals uniquely express themselves through play. This simple 20-question quiz should take about 5-10 minutes to complete.
Understanding these personalities can help teams recognise and embrace different strengths within the group, fostering a more dynamic and inclusive environment. Simply choose the answer that best reflects your preferences or behaviors in each scenario to discover your play personality.
Play
Personalities
Each of us approaches fun and play in unique ways, which is where the concept of play personalities comes in. While most people embody a mix of these traits, the quiz is designed to reveal the personality that stands out most in you—the one that drives how you naturally engage with leisure and connection. It’s important to remember that no single personality fully defines you; instead, you’re likely to identify with a blend of these styles. Keep reading to discover all eight play personalities below and learn more about their distinctive characteristics—you might even spot a bit of yourself in many of them!
1. The Joker:
The Joker loves humour and light-heartedness. They’re the life of the party, always ready with a joke or a funny story. If this is you, consider bringing more humour into your work. It could be as simple as sharing a funny meme with your team or brainstorming creative, out-of-the-box ideas.
2. The Kinesthete:
The Kinesthete loves to move. They might be an athlete or dancer, or simply someone who thinks better while pacing. If you’re a Kinesthete, try incorporating more movement into your workday. Stand while you work, take walking meetings, or introduce team-building activities that get everyone up and moving.
3. The Explorer:
The Explorer is driven by curiosity. They love to learn, whether that’s new skills, ideas, cultures, or environments. If you’re an Explorer, seek out opportunities for learning and growth at work. Attend workshops, take on challenging projects, or propose a ‘learning lunch’ where team members share their knowledge.
4. The Competitor:
The Competitor is motivated by challenges. They thrive on competition and love to win. If you’re a Competitor, set challenging goals for yourself and celebrate when you achieve them. You might also enjoy roles that involve negotiation or strategic thinking.
5. The Director:
The Director enjoys planning and executing scenes. They’re often organised, detail-oriented, and great at delegating tasks. If you’re a Director, look for opportunities to lead projects or initiatives at work.
6. The Collector:
The Collector loves to gather information or things. They might be the person with the most books in their office or the one who knows the most industry trivia. If this applies to you; your love for collecting and organising can translate well into maintaining and updating records, creating efficient systems, and ensuring important information is easily accessible to all team members.
7. The Artist/Creator:
The Artist/Creator enjoys making things. They might be a writer, painter, musician, designer, or coder. If you’re an Artist/Creator, find ways to incorporate creativity into your work. Your ability to think outside the box can lead to fresh solutions that others might overlook.
8. The Storyteller:
The Storyteller has a rich imagination and loves narratives. They might be drawn to roles like marketing, public relations, or content creation. If you’re a Storyteller, use your skills to create compelling brand stories or to make presentations more engaging.
Applying Play Personalities to Teamwork
Now that you’ve discovered your play personality (or personalities – because who says you can only have one?), let’s delve into how this can transform your work life.
Understanding your play personality can also help you navigate teamwork more effectively. Imagine being part of a team where everyone understands each other’s play personalities. The Joker brings levity and creativity, the Competitor drives everyone to perform their best, the Director ensures everything runs smoothly, and the Storyteller makes sure everyone stays engaged and informed. By acknowledging and valuing the different play personalities in a team, we can foster a more harmonious, collaborative, and productive work environment.
If you’re looking to inject some fun into your team dynamics and make your workdays more enjoyable, here’s a lively exercise that could just do the trick:
Step 1: Discover Your Play Personalities
Start by encouraging each team member to identify their play personality. This could be done through an engaging workshop or interactive session where everyone completes the quiz above and takes part in different activities that allow their play personalities to shine through. Remember to keep the atmosphere light and enjoyable – after all, play is all about having fun!
Step 2: Share and Celebrate Your Play Personalities
Once everyone has identified their play personalities, create a platform for sharing these discoveries. This could be a team meeting where everyone presents their play personality, explaining what it means to them and how it influences their work style. Encourage team members to share personal anecdotes or experiences that highlight their play personality. This not only fosters a deeper understanding of each other but also builds a culture of appreciation and respect for individual differences.
Step 3: Harness Your Play Personalities for Better Performance
Now comes the exciting part – leveraging these insights to become a better performing team. Here are some strategies:
- Create Balanced Teams: When forming project teams or committees, consider the play personalities of the members. A balanced mix can lead to a more dynamic, effective team.
- Tailor Communication and Motivation Strategies: Understanding a team member’s play personality can help in tailoring communication and motivation strategies. For instance, a ‘Competitor’ might be motivated by targets and leaderboards, while a ‘Storyteller’ might respond well to narrative-based feedback.
- Enhance Problem-Solving: Different play personalities can bring unique perspectives to problem-solving. Encourage ‘Director’-type personalities to structure brainstorming sessions, while ‘Jokers’ can infuse creativity into the process.
- Foster a Playful Culture: Embrace a culture that celebrates play. This could include incorporating playful elements into the workday – think team-building games that cater to different play personalities, or ‘play breaks’ to recharge and boost creativity.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, remember that the magic of play isn’t just for the playground – it holds the power to transform our workplace culture, too. When we bring our play personalities into the light and celebrate them, we’re not just building stronger, more effective teams. We’re also creating a work environment that is engaging, vibrant, and deeply fulfilling. So, let’s embrace the power of play and watch as your team reaches new heights of success, all while having a whole lot of fun!
At Corporate Challenge Events, we’ve seen the positive effects of play for over 30 years, and we’re committed to spreading its benefits through our Play Philosophy.
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