The importance of “Play” and the part it plays in high-pressure delivery environments

By Michelle Mortimer

 

We live in a fast-moving, blink and you will miss it, kind of world and software development is no different. With the constant pressure to deliver, the art of play often silently vanishes from the team culture.

Most software development teams are constantly under pressure to deliver: to ship features, fix bugs, meet client demands and stay ahead of the competition. Not to mention staying relevant skills wise in an ever-changing digital landscape.

I’m not saying the pressure itself is inherently bad, many of us thrive on the challenge it presents. I’m suggesting that it is ultimately not beneficial to long term sustainability and a happy, high performing team environment. The unrelenting pressure and no space for relief, will inevitably lead to cracks and if not addressed, eventually possible burnout. Burnout doesn’t just happen when we’re busy, it happened when we’re disconnected from purpose, creativity and each other.

 

Why play?

Play creates moments of lightness within a team. It provides a release of tension and stress, without abandoning productivity. Play can be anything from inside jokes, to challenging each other with problem-solving games, spontaneous brainstorming, funny memes or friendly competition in the break room.

By introducing and encouraging play within a team improvements will be seen in Mental well-being, teamwork and cohesion, out of the box thinking and resilience to burnout. Play does not have to be long, as little as a 15min mental break can help reset the mind. Including multiple mini breaks such as these can help prevent the slide into exhaustion and fatigue.

Laughing together allows us to connect. It builds trust and strong bonds. It provides a place where you can feel safe to contribute.

 

The cost of no play?

The “always on” mindset may produce short term wins, however long term it is not sustainable. It can lead to the eventual burnt-out engineers, decrease in quality as more mistakes are made and degrading morale leading to higher turnover of team members.

The long-term goal or prioritising delivery over the human element of sustainability is a trade-off that you cannot afford for long.

 

What can Play look like?

Play does not have to be complicated; you do not need ping-pong tables. Start small, start simple. Gamify learning with trivia, hackathons and “bug bounties”. Add humour and games to retros. Use funny gifs to mark milestones and celebrate wins. Create playful rituals like “meme challenges”. These interactions are not distractions, they are investments into your team’s health, creativity and cohesion.

 

Conclusion

If you leave a dev team, ask yourself, when last did your team laugh together? Do your engineers feel safe to take a much-needed breath, try something new or just be human?

If you’re not sure on either of the above, it might be time to bring play back. Not just as a perk but as a core part of sustainable team culture.

Always remember, play is not the opposite of work, it’s what makes work sustainable. Especially in high-pressure environments.