Image credit: KrakenImages.com
"We need more innovation, but we don't have time for games."
I've watched leaders say this while their teams sit in meetings looking like extras from The Walking Dead. (Spoiler alert: Zombies aren't known for breakthrough thinking.)
They want creative solutions. They demand innovation. They push for "thinking outside the box"... while keeping everyone trapped inside a very boring, very serious box.
It's like demanding someone bake you a cake while forbidding them from using the oven. Good luck with that raw egg situation!
After 30 years of teaching improv and watching corporate teams, I've discovered something hilarious: The companies desperately seeking innovation are usually allergic to the very thing that creates it:
Play.
The Innovation Paradox That Makes Me Want to Throw Rubber Chickens
Picture this: A CEO stands before their team. "We need breakthrough ideas! Revolutionary thinking! Game-changing innovation!"
Then: "But keep it professional. Stay focused. No time for silliness."
(This is when I start stress-eating the conference room mints.)
Question: when do you get your BEST idea? If you’re like the hundreds of audiences I have asked this question, you would probably say:
In the shower.
On a walk.
At the gym.
Right before falling asleep.
Playing with your kids.
Basically anywhere EXCEPT staring at a spreadsheet while someone drones on about KPIs.
There's a reason for this, but I'll spare you the neuroscience lecture. (You're welcome.)
Why Play Works (And Being Serious Doesn't)
Play does three magical things:
1. It makes being wrong fun instead of fatal
In my improv games, people fail spectacularly. And laugh about it. That opens up their creativity and encourages them to try again. Try that in your average brainstorming session.
"Sorry, Bob, your idea is terrible," is the best way to make sure Bob never speaks up again.
2. It creates emotional bubble wrap
When you're playing, problems feel less threatening. This lowers stress which increases creativity. It's why I can write about serious leadership challenges while making fun of my solo board gaming habit. Distance = perspective.
3. It rewires brains faster than a caffeinated electrician
Watch kids play. The couch becomes a spaceship, then a restaurant, then a dragon. Their brains are constantly creating new neural pathways. Adults? We strive to put everything we come across into already existing boxes and categories in our minds. We've worn grooves so deep we can't see over the edges.
The Two-Word Story That Changed My Entire Approach
For years, I'd wait until halfway through my keynotes to play our first improv game - "Two-Word Story." Partners alternate telling a story two words at a time.
"Once upon" / "a time" / "there was" / "a purple" / "banana who" / "loved jazz..."
(It gets weird. It always gets weird. That's the point.)
The energy shift was instant. Suddenly, the room came alive. People leaned in. Ideas flowed.
I remember starting my keynote thinking, “just get to that exercise and everything after that will be great…”
It took me more time than I like to admit to say to myself, “hey dummy! If everything after that game is great, why not move that game to the beginning of the program?!”
So I moved it to the beginning. Now, within 10 minutes, we're playing.
The result? Everything after that is better. They're more receptive, more creative, more willing to share "crazy" ideas.
Because here's the secret:
Play doesn't waste time. It creates the conditions that make time productive.
The "Worst Ideas First" Strategy (aka How to Get Genius from Garbage)
I stole this from strategic planning expert Robert Bradford, and it's genius. He asks:
“What’s the dumbest thing we could do right now?”
Start with terrible ideas. On purpose.
Then watch what happens:
• People relax (because there's no pressure to be brilliant)
• Laughter breaks down walls
• Bad ideas spark good ones
• Sometimes the "terrible" idea has a kernel of genius
Why Starting with Business Scenarios Kills Everything
A pretty common suggestion I get when talking to a client before an event is, “can you do the improv, but can we use real world scenarios in the improv games?”
And I can just hear the creativity dying.
It seems to make sense on the surface. You want real, tangible ROI, so why not combine the improv with real business problems to accelerate the whole process?
Here’s why:
The moment you say, "Let's brainstorm solutions to our Q4 revenue challenge," everyone's brain shifts to self-preservation mode. They're thinking about budgets, politics, and whether their idea will make them look stupid in front of the boss.
This completely takes play off the table, shuts down creativity, and makes everyone miss the skills and techniques they are supposed to be learning.
Start ridiculous. Stay ridiculous. THEN apply the lessons.
So I will work in the business scenarios, but only later, after we’ve unlocked the creativity and learned the techniques.
The Language Hack That Changes Everything
Want instant culture change? Replace one question:
Instead of: "Why did you do that?" (Sounds like my mom when I put dish soap in the dishwasher. Bubbles. Everywhere.)
Ask: "What did we learn?" (Sounds like someone who actually wants to improve.)
This isn't feel-good fluff. It's the difference between a culture where people hide mistakes and one where they mine them for gold.
The Joy-Innovation Connection Nobody Talks About
There's this myth that innovation comes from struggle. We worship the tortured genius. The stressed-out visionary. The entrepreneur surviving on coffee and desperation.
Bullcookies.
Real innovation happens in joy. When you're happy, your brain makes connections it misses when stressed. It's why eureka moments happen in the shower, rather than the conference room.
The most innovative companies aren't the most serious ones. They're the ones where people actually enjoy Mondays. (Weird concept, I know.)
Your "Am I Killing Innovation?" Audit
Ask yourself:
• When did I last laugh at work? (Nervous laughter during layoffs doesn't count.)
• How often does my team play together? (Fantasy football doesn't count either.)
• What would happen if we started our next meeting with something silly?
• Do I inspire through my ideas or help others discover theirs?
If you can't remember the last time you had fun at work, congratulations! You've identified why innovation is harder than teaching cats to juggle. (I have two cats. They cannot juggle.)
The Bottom Line (Now With 73% More Play)
You don't need another innovation consultant.
You don't need a bigger budget.
You don't need to hire a "Chief Innovation Officer." (Though "Chief Play Officer" has a nice ring to it.)
You need permission to not take everything so seriously.
Start tomorrow. Begin one meeting with a two-minute game. Ask for the worst ideas first. Let someone tell a joke without checking your watch.
Because innovation doesn't happen in spite of joy - it happens because of it.
The companies that will own the future aren't grinding themselves to dust. They're the ones who remember that all great breakthroughs started with someone saying, "Hey, what if we tried something crazy?"
Your 3-Step Playbook for Immediate Innovation
Ready to transform your team's creativity starting tomorrow?
Step 1: Start Every Meeting with 2 Minutes of Play
Before diving into agenda items, play one quick game. Try "Two-Word Story" - partners alternate telling a story two words at a time. Yes, it will involve purple bananas. No, that's not a problem.
Why it works: It shifts brains from self-preservation mode to creative mode before the "real" work begins. Everything that follows will be more productive.
Step 2: Always Ask for the Worst Ideas First
Beginning any brainstorming session with: "What's the dumbest thing we could do right now?" or "How could we guarantee failure?"
Why it works: It removes the pressure to be brilliant, gets people laughing, and often reveals surprising insights. Plus, bad ideas frequently spark great ones.
Step 3: Replace "Why Did You Do That?" with "What Did We Learn?"
This single language shift transforms your culture from blame to experimentation. Make it your default response to mistakes, failures, and unexpected outcomes.
Why it works: It turns every setback into data and gives people permission to try things that might not work - which is where innovation lives.
The Bottom Line: You don't need a culture transformation committee or a six-month rollout plan. You need to start playing, celebrating terrible ideas, and learning from everything.
Pick one. Try it tomorrow. Watch what happens.
Then blame me when your next meeting involves an animated discussion about waterproof tuxedos for penguins that somehow leads to your next breakthrough product.
You're welcome.
-Avish
___
Ready to unlock your team's creative genius through the power of play? I help leaders transform their cultures from "serious business" to "seriously innovative" through keynotes that prove laughter and learning aren't opposites - they're partners.
Let's talk about bringing more play (and breakthrough thinking) to your next event.
Set up a call now:
https://bookme.name/avishp/lite/keynote-discussion-with-avish-parashar