The Red Rubber Ball at Work

When was the last time you played at work? Ponder this.

"By the time we enter the workplace, we have effectively relegated play to weekends and vacations. Worse still, competition and deadlines further stifle our ability to exercise many of the productive instincts that play stimulates, such as creativity and imagination. How sad that as adults we push play to the margins of our lives, forgetting that play is not frivolous at all, but highly productive."

In Kevin Carroll's new book, The Red Rubber Ball at Work, he takes his penchant for play as a catalyst into the workplace. The five chapters in this compact, playful book are on Innovation, Results, Teamwork, Leadership and Curiosity. Far from being a how to book, Kevin engages us with real-life examples of those who have taken the lessons learned from childhood play and translated them into workplace success. From authors and engineers to actors and surgeons, he encourages us to continue to play at work in order to increase our creativity and productivity.

One of my favorite features of the book is the end of each chapter. The chapters finish with sections called Look, Read and Do. Look has various websites to check out for further ideas or inspiration. Read lists additional books that may be helpful on the topic of the chapter. Do is about taking action and doing something with the information you have gathered.

I would highly recommend The Red Rubber Ball at Work for everyone. If you are a playful, creative person, you will love it. If you are a serious, no-nonsense person, you need it.

Peace.