Welcome to the 55th episode of the Harmonious Workplaces podcast! Hosts Rich Cruz, Sharyl Volpe, and Ben Kleinman had the pleasure of speaking with Rachel Kaberon, a strategist who offers a unique perspective on fostering growth and innovation. Their insightful conversation explored the powerful role of intentional play in the workplace, demonstrating how it can evolve from mere fun to become a significant strategic asset.
Meet Rachel Kaberon: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Innovation
Rachel introduced herself as an interdisciplinarian with a diverse background spanning public policy, statistics, and innovation across sectors like banking. Her early experiences navigating the dynamic world of credit cards in the 1980s provided her with a strong understanding of transformational change and the critical need for organizations to adapt their structures to embrace new ideas.
The Unconscious Foundations of Successful Organizations
The discussion naturally shifted to the fundamental principles that lie at the heart of thriving organizations. Rachel emphasized that these core principles, often operating beneath the surface of conscious awareness, are more profound than mission or vision statements. They should serve as guiding lights for strategic decisions and the shaping of brand identity. These principles act as the “thread from bottom to top” of an organization, deeply influencing its values and ultimately shaping the behaviors of its people.
The Strategic Power of Intentional Play
A central focus of the episode was the concept of leveraging play intentionally to achieve strategic success. Rachel drew a key distinction between “just fun” and purposeful play, referencing James Carse’s framework of finite and infinite games.
Finite vs. Infinite Games
- Finite Games: These games, such as board games or sports matches, are characterized by defined rules and a clear endpoint with a winner.
- Infinite Games: In contrast, infinite games are played with the aim of keeping the play itself going and maintaining ongoing engagement.
In a business context, the objective isn’t necessarily to achieve a traditional “win,” but rather to cultivate continuous exploration, foster creativity, and strengthen connections among team members.
Building Trust Through Low-Stakes Engagement
Trust emerged as a critical element that is effectively nurtured through play. Rachel explained that engaging in low-pressure play, using the analogy of “playing catch,” allows individuals to connect on a human level, free from the constraints of formal organizational structures. This informal interaction builds a foundational layer of trust that significantly benefits future collaboration and teamwork. This underlying trust is essential for fostering open communication and the free exchange of ideas that are vital for driving innovation.
Addressing Concerns About Professionalism and Introducing Play
The hosts and Rachel addressed a common concern: the perception that introducing “play” into the workplace might undermine professionalism. Rachel countered this by arguing that play, when strategically framed, can be a powerful catalyst for free and uninhibited thinking, particularly in situations where traditional brainstorming sessions might feel forced or unproductive.
The Power of Childlike Thinking
Rachel shared her unique approach, which involves introducing familiar fairy tales or nursery rhyme characters into business discussions. This deliberate shift to a childlike, consequence-free realm helps individuals to quiet their internal critics and the fear of judgment from others. This allows for more uninhibited and truly creative thinking.
Discovering Hidden Assumptions and Fostering Team Cohesion
By focusing on shared, universal narratives from childhood, even in diverse multinational settings, participants can uncover hidden assumptions and tap into unexpected knowledge within their teams. This process can lead to a profound “amazement with what other people can do,” which Rachel emphasized can be incredibly valuable and “sticky” for strengthening team cohesion and mutual understanding.
Pathways to Leadership: Readiness, Resiliency, and Resourcefulness
Rachel also touched upon key pathways to leadership, highlighting readiness, resiliency, and resourcefulness as essential attributes. While acknowledging that play can be an excellent starting point for fostering these qualities, she emphasized the importance of actively cultivating them for sustained growth and high performance.
The Power of “What Else Are You Thinking?”
A particularly impactful moment involved Rachel sharing a valuable lesson she learned from her father: always ask, “What else are you thinking?”. This seemingly simple yet profound question encourages a deeper exploration of ideas and perspectives, prompting individuals to move beyond their initial thoughts and uncover richer, more nuanced insights.
Connect with Rachel Kaberon
For those interested in delving deeper into Rachel Kaberon’s work and her approach to strategically leveraging play, she can be found on LinkedIn. Her company, Arkay Solutions (R-K-A-R-K-A-Y), specializes in business strategy and focuses on developing readiness, resiliency, and resourcefulness within organizations.
Rachel Kaberon is a seasoned management consultant and strategic advisor, able builder and leader. With over 20 years of experience collecting and integrating data to drive innovation and enhance organizational performance, her results extends across diverse industries in both business and nonprofit sectors including finance, technology, healthcare, energy, and education. Now President of Arkay Solutions, she has also served as Director of Strategic Solutions at MegaJoule Ventures, Planner for the Jewish Federation, and as a VPof Consumer Credit at Chase, and also Citibank. These rich practical leadership experiences in business strategy formation, development also realized organizational process transformations. Her MA in Public Policy with a specialization in Statistical Decision-Making from the University of Chicago was later followed by doctoral work in Education led to her desire to connect the powers of immersive play and business innovation as Adjunct Faculty at the Institute of Design at IIT and the American Management Association. Whether in 1:1 leadership advisory work, training or facilitating she brings a distinctive touch to strategic planning, policy formation, communications, and project management. Also noted for facilitating community building, peer to peer learning and thought leadership. She is available for speaking, facilitated learning, leadership development and support as well as advising to develop effective strategies for a wide range of organizations. Contact her at rkaberon@arkaysolutions.com or check out her blogs at Framestretching.com, or Adjusting Sensibility undimed.wordpress.com.
Conclusion: Embracing Play for Innovation and Growth
In conclusion, this episode of Harmonious Workplaces offered a compelling and insightful perspective on the strategic power of intentional play. By understanding the fundamental differences between finite and infinite games, recognizing the crucial role of play in building trust, and creatively reframing the concept of “play” within a professional context, organizations can unlock new and exciting avenues for innovation and growth, ultimately transforming change from a source of anxiety into a valuable ally.
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