Micro-Behaviors That Build Trust Through Play at Work
- Nick Lombardino
- Apr 28
- 4 min read
Written by Acey Holmes, CEO, Founder and Play Advocate at BoredLess
When I work with teams, I often hear the same thing:
“We want to be more collaborative… innovative… agile… safe.”
But when I ask what they’re actually doing to make those things real, the answers tend to be vague, aspirational, or stuck in checkbox territory.
“We did a training.”
“We added an anonymous feedback form.”
“We said we’re a psychologically safe workplace.”
Here’s the thing: psychological safety isn’t declared—it’s experienced. It’s built in the micro-moments: when someone shares a weird idea and isn’t shut down, when feedback is invited (not just accepted), and when people can make mistakes without shame or retaliation. These are bridges—not checklists—and one of the most overlooked tools for building them is play.
And no, I don’t mean traditional team-building or games or trust falls. I mean play as defined by science: joyful, seemingly purposeless, iterative, actively engaging, optional, intrinsically motivated, personal, and beneficial.
I mean play that helps people feel seen without being performative.
I mean play that invites people to lower their defenses because they know they won’t be punished for being themselves.
The Link Between Play and Psychological Safety
When people feel psychologically safe, they’re more likely to speak up, admit mistakes, ask for help, and share ideas. This is good for morale, and it’s essential for innovation, team performance, and resilience.
But here’s what many companies miss: building that kind of trust and openness isn’t just a policy or an announcement. It’s a pattern of behavior. It’s about creating frequent, low-stakes opportunities for people to test the waters and experience safety in action.
Play offers that opportunity.
Why? Because playful interactions, when done right, are:
Voluntary: Participation is always an invitation, never a requirement. That alone sends a powerful signal of respect and autonomy.
Low-risk: Play gives people permission to be imperfect. There's no “right” way to do a doodle break or a silly hand switch game. That lowers the fear of judgment.
Personal: Play taps into individuality. When someone shares a quirky hobby or draws a scribble bird, they’re revealing a bit of themselves—and if that’s met with curiosity instead of criticism, safety grows.
Iterative: Play encourages small tests and course corrections. It mirrors the psychological safety required to say, “Let’s try this idea and see where it goes.”
This kind of environment doesn’t just happen during “play breaks.” It happens when a team integrates playfulness into the culture—how meetings start, how mistakes are reframed, how feedback is delivered, and how rituals are built.
“But We’re Not a Silly Team.”
I get this pushback often. Some teams assume that play is incompatible with their serious work, or that play looks the same for everyone.
Here’s the reframe: Playfulness is not about silliness. It’s about flexibility in how we think, interact, and approach challenges.
That might look like:
Starting a tense meeting with a “reverse brag”—sharing something you failed at but learned from.
Giving people time to doodle or fidget during brainstorming (and encouraging it).
Letting someone share a win in a creative way (meme, haiku, emoji-only Slack post).
Offering “think breaks” or optional interactive moments in long meetings to invite participation without pressure.
These aren’t gimmicks. They’re deliberate, culture-shaping micro-interventions. And when done with care and consistency, they shift how people show up.
Want to Play at Work? Strategies to Try This Week
Want to build a more psychologically safe team using play? Start small. Here are a few strategies to try:
Invitation-Based Icebreakers: Skip the dreaded “Two Truths and a Lie” or fun fact. Instead, offer playful, low-pressure prompts like: “What’s a snack that would absolutely ruin your day?” Participation optional.
Scribble Breaks: Start a long meeting with a blind scribble (3 seconds, eyes closed). Turn it into something silly—a bird, a taco, a monster—and let people share if they want.
Flip the Feedback Frame: When reviewing a project, ask: “What part of this process was unexpectedly interesting or satisfying?” It redirects the brain from defense to curiosity.
Normalize Flexibility: Say out loud, “You can stretch, fidget, or turn your camera off if it helps you focus. I trust you to engage in the way that works best for you.” Then back it up by modeling that yourself.
Celebrate Micro-Risks: When someone tries something new—even if it flops—acknowledge the courage. “That was a bold move, and I loved seeing you try it.” That builds trust.
Psychological safety doesn’t happen because we talk about it. It happens because we build it, moment by moment, through behaviors that communicate: You matter. You belong. You’re safe to show up.
Play is one of the most powerful—and underutilized—tools we have for that work. Not because it’s fun. Because it’s transformational.
About the Author, Acey Holmes:
Acey Holmes is the founder of BoredLess and a leading voice in Playful Work Design: a field at the intersection of neuroscience, organizational psychology, and adult learning. With a background in speech-language pathology and brain development, Acey helps teams and leaders redesign the way they work using play as a catalyst for creativity, trust, and performance. Her IGN!Te Framework brings a fresh, actionable approach to building inclusive cultures, flexible environments, mission-driven teams, and psychological safety powered by the energy of play. She’s known for workshops that are engaging without being performative, and for challenging hustle culture in favor of authentic, resilient workplaces where people actually want to show up. Acey’s work is neurodiversity-affirming, science-backed, and radically human.
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