Playwork Review

After more than 30 years in the training world, I’ve seen just about every style of learning imaginable - from slick and corporate to stiff and soulless. So when I find a company that captures what I think training should be, I take notice. PlayWork are one of those rare few.

Their philosophy is summed up perfectly in their own words:

“PlayWork specialises in the psychology of play and next-gen solutions for advanced leadership, organisational development, engagement and meaningful work.”

That’s straight from their LinkedIn page, and it captures their intent - to make work more human, creative and purposeful, while delivering business results.

And when I visited their website, I saw something that sealed it for me: a quote from Robert Frost - my favourite poet - right on the homepage. You can tell a lot about people by the quotes they choose. Frost wrote about roads less travelled, about courage, individuality and the quiet power of choosing your own path. Seeing that on their site immediately reaffirmed how connected I feel to their outlook.

PlayWork’s whole approach is about rediscovering curiosity and creating space for experimentation - what they call the psychology of play. It’s not about messing around or “gamifying” learning. It’s about helping people feel safe enough to explore, to test ideas, to fail and try again. When people engage that way, learning sticks and performance transforms.

That’s exactly how I see training. Over the years I’ve learned that the best sessions - the ones people remember months later - aren’t the ones packed with slides. They’re the ones full of energy, laughter and honesty. They’re the ones where people feel safe to be human. PlayWork build that kind of environment.

Of course, “all play and no work” is not a good thing. The sceptical part of me wondered does this translate into real improvement – simply what is the business impact ?

While PlayWork’s philosophy is rooted in creativity and play, its impact is firmly practical. They help organisations solve issues like low engagement, siloed teams and leadership fatigue — turning those challenges into opportunities

They focus on leadership, culture and organisational development, helping teams unstick unhelpful patterns and rediscover meaning at work. They talk about “turning work into play”, which I think really means creating workplaces where people want to show up, not just have to.

So teams get the best of both worlds – practical tools to help them become more effective and a “playful mindset” to help them continue improving well after the training is completed.

Everything about PlayWork suggests they think about learning the way I do: as a living, emotional process that transforms people from the inside out. It’s rare to find a company whose outlook aligns so closely with my own.

So, my verdict is simple:

If you want to ignite curiosity, build culture and help people rediscover meaning at work, PlayWork are doing it the right way. They’ve taken the road less travelled - and that, to borrow from Frost, has made all the difference.