Ep. 8 – Redefining Play at Work Without the Forced Fun – with Acey Holmes

from Level Up HR [EN] · host James Weier / Acey Holmes

If “fun at work” makes you roll your eyes, you’re just using the wrong definition.Host James Weier speaks with Acey Holmes, Founder and CEO of BoredLess and an expert in Playful Work Design, about why play has become one of the most misunderstood ideas in today’s workplaces.Acey challenges the assumption that play is about games or team events. Instead, she reframes it as a way of working that changes how people engage with serious, demanding work. She breaks down the four pillars of playful work design and explains why playfulness shows up not in activities, but in how work is designed, led, and experienced day to day.Grounded in neuroscience and real organizational examples, the conversation connects play to cognitive function, creativity, and sustained productivity, and explores why getting play wrong often leads to burnout and surface-level culture initiatives.You’ll learn:1. Why play at work fails when it’s treated as forced fun2. The four pillars of playful work design and what they unlock3. How play supports focus, creativity, and brain health4. Why culture doesn’t change through events, but through behavior5. What signals show that play is working inside an organization___________Get in touch with Acey Holmes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aceym/Acey's book recommendations:Chief Joy Officer by Richard Sheridan | https://www.amazon.com/dp/0735218226Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull | https://www.amazon.com/dp/0812993012Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBNDFMJJ Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi | https://www.amazon.com/dp/0061339202 Playful Rebellion: by Gary Ware | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4K1BXJW Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity by Cas Holman | https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593713400 The Fun Habit by Mike Rucker | https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982159065 ___________About the host James Weier:James is Director, US at EGYM Wellpass and President of the Denver chapter of the Level Up HR Community. With 10 years of experience and a degree from the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign, James brings a collaborative, community‑focused approach to his work. When he’s not elevating employee experience or strengthening HR leadership, James enjoys spending time with his wife and their two young boys in Colorado’s great outdoors.Get in touch with James Weier on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesweier/

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Ep. 8 – Redefining Play at Work Without the Forced Fun – with Acey Holmes

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