Getting Serious About Play: Learn the Art of Play Facilitation at NASAGA 2025
Those of us who are already plugged into the NASAGA-verse know that games are about so much more than fun. Games help us think in new ways. They let us practice communication and critical thinking skills. They teach us about our hidden talents and strengths.
Sadly, the rest of the world is still catching up, especially when it comes to games in the workplace. There is a lot of skepticism around bringing play into work, much of it due to well intentioned, yet poorly executed, team building exercises in which we’ve all had to partake.
Play requires a certain level of vulnerability that many people don’t usually display at work. This vulnerability is essential to learning and development, though. In order for us to grow and improve at anything, we must first acknowledge that we don’t already know all the answers and that we have room for improvement!
When used well, play is one of the most effective tools for driving real learning and change, especially when it comes to employee performance, leadership development, and team culture.
At NASAGA 2025, I’ll be leading a 1-day preconference all about incorporating play into learning, development, and change initiatives for outcomes, such as:
Enhancing clarity and communication
Fostering collaboration
Catalyzing creativity and innovation
Boosting accountability
The preconference is a condensed version of the Play Facilitator Certification program, which breaks down every step of the process, from design to facilitation to debrief in order to make sure that it’s a transformative experience for everyone. Here are some of the topics the program covers:
Assessing a team’s strengths, pain points, key dynamics, and needs.
Using game mechanics and dynamics to select the right game(s) for the desired outcomes.
Designing experiences that combined games with more traditional learning and development content.
Crafting the most effective reflection and debrief questions.
Following up for max impact.
And we practice what we preach: the whole program is delivered experientially, as we play and reflect on all kinds of games!
The program is designed so that by the end, you feel confident and excited about leading play in your work environment. Following a recent cohort, program alum Mandy likened play facilitation to “a superpower, generating an adaptive, participatory, and purposeful activity aligned with learning outcomes and team development goals.“
Another recent alum said that “From day one, I was ready to run with BXP’s philosophy and infuse play more intentionally into my facilitation toolbox. Inspired by the cohort and the game database, I immediately envisioned new approaches within my team and across … projects.”
Are you ready to add play to your toolbox?
Find out more information about the preconference and register HERE.
Alex Suchman is CEO and Cofounder of Barometer XP. Her mission is to foster thriving teams, so work can be a source of genuine meaning and connection for everyone. She uses games and play with her clients toward various learning and development outcomes in order to build stronger workplace cultures. You can connect with Alex via email at alex@barometerxp.com or via LinkedIn.