Embracing Playfulness Part 2: Pathway to a Culture of Joy

Have you ever considered that a burst of laughter or a moment of shared creativity could be the secret ingredient to a thriving workplace culture? In this episode, we dive into a world where joy is not an afterthought but a vital pulse that energizes our staff and uplifts our patients. Alongside Sarah Purdy and Sara Pittman, we reveal the enchanting effects of embracing a playful spirit, from Halloween festivities that transform the hospital into a vibrant hub of imagination to gingerbread house contests that sweeten our daily grind.

What happens when you say "yes" to the extraordinary, to the whimsical moments that bring out the best in people? This episode is a testament to that very philosophy, showcasing how our hospital goes beyond the call of duty.  Tune in, and let's celebrate the unstoppable spirit of Craig Hospital, where finding joy in the everyday isn't just an aspiration—it's our way of life. 

For more information, transcriptions and behind-the-scene photos, visit https://craighospital.org/unstoppable

Craig Hospital is a nationally recognized neurorehabilitation hospital and research center specialized in the care of individuals who have sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) and/or a brain injury (BI). Located in Denver, Colorado, Craig Hospital is an independent, not-for-profit, 93-bed national center of excellence that has treated thousands of people with SCI and BI since 1956. Learn more: https://craighospital.org

Transcript

Jandel Allen-Davis 0:03

Welcome to Unstoppable at Craig, where we pull back the curtain on what makes healthy workplace cultures click and what happens when people are empowered to expand the boundaries of what is possible. We'll explore the perspectives of employees and leaders who have carte blanche to speak their truths, tell their stories and unlock uncommon ways of approaching challenges. I'm Dr Jandel Allen- Davis, ceo and president of Craig Hospital, a world-renowned rehabilitation hospital that exclusively specializes in the neurorehabilitation and research of patients with spinal cord and brain injury. Join me as we learn from people who love what they do and what happens when fear doesn't stifle innovation. Earlier this week I had a chance to talk with Joe Fangman from our team, as well as Tom Carr, about the research benefits of play, as well as how they bring play into their work as leaders and into their work as team members.

Jandel Allen-Davis 1:02

And today we get to talk to I love this phrase two culture champions at Craig. Maybe I should call the two culture champions at Craig. You know Fred Rogers, who we know Mr Rogers' Neighborhood, who has was just chock full of so much wisdom that you know, we say is, you know, sort of owned by children. But my firm belief is, if we adults listened deeply to Mr Rogers, we would be a much better place and in a much better world and much better people. And what Fred Rogers said is it's the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives. And you two are the folks who help us play. I get to be here today with Sarah Pittman, who works in our Craig Foundation as the digital philanthropy specialist, and Sarah Purdy, who, most of the time anytime I see her there's something she says that makes me laugh.

Jandel Allen-Davis 1:56

I know that who actually works with our spinal cord injury and brain injury inpatients as a clinical care manager, but together they're the masterminds behind Halloween, which is only one of the things we'll explore today at Craig in recent years. I want to just start by having you all answer a really big question around this idea of the various ways stepping back from how you stepped in to do this work and just talk a little bit about how we play at Craig, because Mr Rogers would be very proud of Craig, I think, in terms of how we show up. I would agree with that.

Sara Pittman 2:29

I think play is ingrained in us in every single day, every single task we do, whether it's obvious or not. To me, play at Craig is. It means that we care. It means that we're willing to make ourselves look silly for the benefit of someone else, potentially break out of that shell and really try something new. Or get back in touch with the child in us and just let go for a minute and if we're too serious, all the time, like nobody's going to want to be here and you see that in how long, honestly, how long staff works here. I've been here six and a half years and I'm still considered new. If it was too serious, I don't think that would be the case.

Jandel Allen-Davis 3:10

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Thanks for sharing that, and I love that, that we bring out the child in each other. I love that, which isn't hard for some of us. That's what.

Sarah Purdy 3:18

I'd say and that wasn't an introduction to you, sarah, that's okay. I love being known as the one that brings out the child in people. Absolutely, how do?

Jandel Allen-Davis 3:25

you think about how Craig plays?

Sarah Purdy 3:27

Yeah, kind of piggybacking on what Sarah said, that we just kind of bring it out with everything we can. Halloween is, you know. I'll start with that, since that's kind of our bread and butter.

Sara Pittman 3:38

We may or may not have our theme already. Not to interrupt you. I mean, people come up with their themes so early.

Sarah Purdy 3:43

They start planning OTs and PTs start working with the patients that we know are going to be here for it. It's such a fun event and people know about it and we have a reputation for it. And you know, at the holiday time we, you know, we weren't sure if we should do a gingerbread house competition and now it's like. It's a monstrous like their mansion's being made. They're horror With like stained glass windows and moving pieces and you know, and song, and song.

Sarah Purdy 4:12

And the first time we recommended it we thought I don't know, do you think people will get? We might have one or two people do it. Now it's like I feel like we could have one of those shows on the Food Network where it's like professional pastry chefs doing it because they're so good. It shows how much talent's at Craig and how much we like to play.

Jandel Allen-Davis 4:29

We like to play and we add a little healthy dose of competition. Oh, always.

Sara Pittman 4:34

The competition of us players.

Jandel Allen-Davis 4:36

It's healthy.

Sara Pittman 4:37

It's healthy oh it's in good spirit always. But yeah, halloween with the golden pumpkin trike, races with the golden trike, and then the departments proudly display them.

Jandel Allen-Davis 4:47

Unless I steal them, unless you steal, I mean, which I'm known to do.

Sarah Purdy 4:54

It's so hilarious when people who don't know and I had several patients this year say, sarah, you told me this was a big deal at Craig and I believed you. I believe you, but, like whoa, I mentioned that at every new employee orientation pretty much, there's not one that goes by.

Jandel Allen-Davis 5:12

That I don't say, wait till Halloween.

Sara Pittman 5:15

We do the same honestly in a lot of our interviews. We'll find a way to kind of sneak it in there and kind of test, are they playful? To kind of see the culture fit there. We definitely bring up Halloween and we've definitely then had staff who have joined the team after seeing Halloween for the first time. They're like I get it now. I understand I didn't think it was going to be what it was, but my goodness, that was special.

Jandel Allen-Davis 5:38

What I find and I'd be curious, sarah, what you think about this is here I can bring my whole self to work. I'm silly at home sometime, absolutely, I trip over the furniture at home sometime or, you know, I laugh like a hyena all the time. But this ability to bring your whole self to work is a unique thing 100%, 100%.

Sara Pittman 6:00

And I do see that and I kind of see the light that comes in someone's eyes when they are a new hire and they may be a little hesitant at first. I mean I was when I first started. I was thinking OK, you know, I come to work, I do my job, I go home, I come to work, I do my job, you know the routine of it. But the more I was here, the more I realized oh my gosh, wait a minute. People A enjoy each other's company. We are here for the mission and that's a uniting factor. But then again, when I see a new hire who's like, wait a minute, it's I can be me in the simplest form of hey, we each have our version of a candy dish on our desk right and we share that with each other. And it's like come over and see what I brought today, like little tiny things and then that morphs into big. That gives people the confidence to kind of break out of their shell and not just be an employee but be part of the family.

Sarah Purdy 6:53

And I think too, it's not only recommended that you have fun here, it's encouraged. And that's another thing. I mean, I remember one time at a previous job we were given coloring books you know the adult coloring books that when they first came out, and some colored pencils and it was kind of like here, this is for self-care, take it home.

Jandel Allen-Davis 7:15

You know, kind of like that kind of a feeling, you know, when we had our coloring pages Go care for yourself at home. Yeah, make sure you do that when you're off time Work here.

Sarah Purdy 7:23

Go care for yourself at home. Yeah, make sure you do that on your off time Work here. And you know, when we had the coloring sheets here it was like and then turn in what you do and we'll put it up on the wall. And you know, you go up to fourth floor, near fourth floor nursing, and there was all the pictures that people had colored and you'd go by and when nurses had a little bit of downtime you'd see them coloring on their coloring sheets with their little Craig pillared pencils that we had gotten through culture committee and seeing the different departments working on their gingerbread houses. I mean.

Jandel Allen-Davis 7:55

I'm all over this hospital seeing patients, and so I'd be like, oh, what's, what are you doing over?

Sarah Purdy 7:57

there you can see people are engaging in that play. They're engaging in the fun there. It's encouraged. You know what's interesting about that?

Jandel Allen-Davis 8:05

and and for those who might be listening to this, you might wonder well, when do they work? And I'm going to once again reinforce a couple things play is work, and there's something about the ability to have moments that are I'd go even farther than encourage, but are actually expected.

Jandel Allen-Davis 8:25

This is part of what makes this culture as strong as it is is that play isn't something that sits over here on the side or, as you said, you color when you go home, exactly, but there's this recognition that being able to engage all your senses, being able to engage both your right-oriented thinking as well as your left-oriented thinking, creates different and better outcomes, and Craig has the outcomes to prove it both in terms of the patient and the family experience here, as well as us as employees.

Jandel Allen-Davis 8:56

So that's a little bit about some of the many ways we play, both large and small. We've talked a touch about this, but I'd love for both of you to talk about. Why does Craig play? Because some people might argue that play can be a distraction. It's why I felt it really important as part of this conversation to say trust me, it has done nothing but improve our outcomes. It is not in terms of what we see, the numbers of people who go home from here, the folks who get back to school from here, back to work. So some would argue that's a distraction. How would you counter that perspective?

Sarah Purdy 9:35

I think it's intertwined so much in our culture and in our therapy and just in who we are. I don't think it's a distraction. I think it's such an asset and people are going through such a hard time. They've just experienced this huge traumatic injury. That's life-changing and you know, then they were in you know ICU or wherever they were for a while before they came to us and they usually say that that was really somber and serious. And then they get to us and they can start thinking about okay, what's my new normal going to look like?

Sarah Purdy 10:03

And I just think, showing that there can be joy and play and fun in it. There's no way that that could be a distraction. So I think it's also meeting people where they're at that not everybody wants to do like the big Halloween thing and the big thing whatever, but they can still have that play and that joy and doing you know other little things that are fun and bring them happiness. And people can find ways to do that creativity and I think it helps them to also deal with what has happened to them in the way that they need to.

Jandel Allen-Davis 10:35

One of the things I've wondered about, with just for a minute to go back to one of the big things that insane trike race that we have in the summer, with all of us dressed in themed costumes and the whole bit.

Jandel Allen-Davis 10:47

I'd wonder what is going through the minds of patients, because it's at noon and patients and families are out there watching us make fools of ourselves as well. My answer to the question and I'd love your perspective, sarah is that it humanizes us. There's this concept of cultural humility, this idea that we sit at the feet of our patients. We sit at the feet of those we serve, and yet we've got these. We don't wear them here, but white coats and stethoscopes and degrees and all the things but us doing being that we're eye to eye with our patients, if not frankly, sitting down at their knees and looking up at them in terms of, oh boy, did she just spin out? They gave her. She's a CEO. She's got to learn how to drive that thing better Now the truth comes out.

Jandel Allen-Davis 11:34

You know just this whole idea. What do you think is the impact on patients of watching us play?

Sara Pittman 11:41

I kind of think it shows them that we believe in Craig to go all out to come up with your team name, to come up with your costume, to show up. Take time out of your day and sign up ahead of time. Say you're going to be in the track races. That, to me, says to the patients we're here for a purpose, we believe in our purpose. And it doesn't matter necessarily the format per se. It can be fun, it can be serious, there's time for both. But hey, let's all come together and remember like we can have fun.

Jandel Allen-Davis 12:11

You know, I remember, sarah, when we were prepping for this, you said something that I think would be really important for those out there listening to have some conversation about, and that is that when you all are preparing for things whether it's culture committee big projects or the Halloween big project that you sometimes feel like guilty about the work that goes into prepping for this. And then I sounded like a mom when I said what are you talking about? This is work, but talk about that, you know, and even that conversation, and even if you think about the conversation, but how you've thought about it since.

The Importance of Play in Workplace

Sara Pittman 12:50

And I haven't. No, that was good. I actually I'm glad we said that before, because I needed to hear that I have the we'll call them Jiminy Cricket sitting on my shoulder with a little conscience of like, you're here for your work, your work is important. Your work comes in different forms, right? So I'm blessed that I get to design, and so to me that's a form of play. But then to take it one step further and design a gingerbread house in the middle of the day don't get me wrong. That is a blessing and I'm so grateful for it. But yeah, it crossed my mind. I'm like we should set a distinct amount of time and not take too long to do it. But we need to show up, we need to represent the foundation and we need to participate in this competition because it's important. But, oh, I feel a little bit guilty sitting here putting a gumdrop on a piece of gingerbread.

Sara Pittman 13:36

But after this conversation and kind of reflecting, I think I'm wrong now, to be perfectly honest, because it is important. It is it's showing up for Craig, it's showing up for my teammates and being part of something that has become very quickly so important to the culture here, and that's why I joined Culture Committee way back when in the beginning. I see the value in having that fun thread being woven throughout everything we do. It makes it feel family. It makes it feel it makes me look forward to coming in every day to know that hey, if I want to do this, we're going to make it happen. And same goes for the patients If they want to do something, we're going to make it happen. We're not going to say no, we're going to find a way to do it. And that's just really inspiring to me.

Jandel Allen-Davis 14:21

You know that's so cool to know that that conversation was helpful to you to realize that this is work and it's a element of craig that was built in. I'll say from the beginning, relative to denny o'malley's time, which goes back over 40 years ago now that he was here. He was here for 35. So actually, oh my gosh, it's like 50 years ago. He started, as I do ago now that he was here. He was here for 35. So actually, oh my gosh, it's like 50 years ago he started as I do the math Because Mike was here 10, I've been here five and he was here 35.

Jandel Allen-Davis 14:46

Yeah, that's a lot of numbers. Time flies and part of what he built in here was a profound sense of the importance of joy manifest through play, or play manifest through the ways that we do it from a therapeutic perspective, because it is a heavy place. I mean this is heavy. I talk to patients all the time. Nobody wants to come to Craig and I'm glad we're here, and I'm glad we're here in the way we are, where birthdays matter, where the fact that you're here on the 4th of July doesn't mean that you're missing out there are ways we're going to celebrate it, you know, both through food and through I.

Jandel Allen-Davis 15:23

Come over and give out tchotchkes which is such a wonderful thing to get to do. What are outcomes that ladder up to and support the importance of strong cultures that have as many of the things that are in it, this notion of play and fun and joy? Forbes just recently named Craig the ninth best small employer in the country, and they looked at 10,000, ranked 300, and we were number nine. And so one of the things I was thinking about as you were talking is yeah, and we've got the engagement scores to show it.

Sara Pittman 15:58

Yeah, absolutely In your minds, what does engagement mean, and how good does it feel to know that you're part of that in some ways it takes it one step further than the simple act of coming in and doing your job as it's written on your job description. Right, you take it a step further. You invest your time in a meaningful way to me. You don't find that very often you don't find the desire to take it that step further, or that 10 steps further, frankly, when we're here and you feel good about that. To me it's an honor to be part of something like that here. Yeah.

Sarah Purdy 16:36

It's being told yes instead of no to lots and lots of things. I had a patient once who was in the hospital on the day that they were going to get married.

Sara Pittman 16:46

Oh my.

Sarah Purdy 16:47

God and they had made it official in the previous hospital for legal insurance and medical proxy and things. But the actual day came around and they were having a hard time, things. But the actual day came around and they were having a hard time and we went out and got the flowers that they wanted and gave them to him and we set up one of the conference rooms because he couldn't leave the hospital yet he wasn't cleared medically to do that, and so we decorated that room and the colors that they'd wanted and she gave us some pictures and we put them in little frames for them and got them a Grubhub gift card so that they could order what they wanted in. And I got them the pretend champagne things and sparkling juice and we let them have an evening, a date night, away in one of our conference rooms and I just I don't know of a lot of places where you could do things like that. So when something is important to our patients and important to the staff, we just we figure out a way.

Jandel Allen-Davis 17:51

My suspicion is celebration happens in pockets. What I think distinguishes Craig is that it happens everywhere. It's not in pockets. There's not a department that in some way doesn't have the opportunity to kind of do this. And I loved what you said about yes. I mean that was like one of my epiphanies last year, thinking about actually not just what we do because of the power of healthcare coverage that is, insurance, but what we're able to do because of the foundation and the generosity of donors. I just went, oh my gosh, I am working in a place where we get to say yes. Craig gets to say yes on so many fronts, not just in terms of meeting the direct and obviously physical needs you know, sort of home-based needs, equipment needs of patients but also the mind and the spirit needs, not just the body or physical needs, in some really cool ways.

Sarah Purdy 18:45

That's one of my favorite things about working here and a huge amount of my job satisfaction, because I can actually. We can actually make a difference in someone's life in a way that you know just isn't an option in a lot of other systems, you know, just isn't an option in a lot of other systems.

Jandel Allen-Davis 19:06

It's amazing what a difference that makes. And, as we wrap up, what recommendations would you give to organizations looking to integrate more play into their workplace cultures?

The Role of Play in Work

Sarah Purdy 19:11

I guess just how important it is. You know we've talked about ways that we've integrated it, but it also it's the culture of it too. Like understanding. I would recommend to other organizations like understand that this will help. It's not going to hinder when you do things like bring fun into the workplace. It helps to build connections. It helps to make people feel more a part of the family when you have that play and I think when people feel more invested, that's when they stay longer term with an organization. I mean, there's a reason that Sarah at six years feels like a newbie still and I'm at eight years and sometimes I'm like, okay, I guess I've been here for a blink of an eye, because it's true, people stay here a long time because it's a great place to work.

Jandel Allen-Davis 20:04

Yeah, and you know what. Back to data again, our retention numbers are unrivaled.

Sara Pittman 20:06

They really are. Yeah, how about you? What recommendations would you give to organizations? I mean similar to what Sarah said. I think happiness is going to stimulate productivity. Like no question, I always say and actually a lot of us in the foundation, since we are across the street we'll come up when we need that little boost sometimes. Walk through the halls, grab something in the gift shop, just honestly, anywhere you go, and then I'll come back to my desk and be like that's why I'm here and I'm invigorated and re-inspired and I see us as stewards of the mission every day.

Jandel Allen-Davis 20:36

Well, thank you both for this. It was a real pleasure and privilege to get to sit with you all, and next time there's one of these big events, I'll know who the real oomph behind it is. Putting them on in a way that makes sure that we don't trip over the furniture, we don't burn anything down and that friendly competition doesn't turn into fights.

Sarah Purdy 20:57

Oh gosh, no, yes, never you too. Well, thank you for the time today, thank you, thank you.

Jandel Allen-Davis 21:07

We've had the opportunity to record a number of these podcasts over the last year or so. I was thinking about these two that are part of this series on play and the importance of play in the workspace, and I hope that one of the things that you heard more than typically you hear was laughter I've laughed so much this week but the opportunity to sit with these great professionals and great human beings and give them the time and the space to reflect on the importance of play and how they've integrated it into not just their work life but their home life, it was remarkable and it was such fun and I think one of the things that makes Craig special and I think makes workplaces and there are many of those that have these cultures out there that are, you know, sort of known for that what makes these cultures so remarkable? Actually, sarah, I think, said it when she talked about how eyes light up. Well, you can see people's, our employees', eyes light up at what is possible here. We can see it in our outcomes and our results. Do not think and I certainly don't believe this, don't think for a moment that part of the magic of low turnover, high retention, high employee engagement top small business rankings, one of the best rehab hospitals in America on the US News ranking is simply about the tools that we can see, touch and feel, but recognize also that one of the really important tools if I can use that word in terms of building great cultures that get the kinds of outcomes we get, is the ability of each of us to bring our entire self into a place to be vulnerable we heard about that To make yourself look silly in front of your patients, families and your team members from different vantage points. To risk it all and get on an adult tricycle and go around a circle. To spend months dreaming and planning the competitions around gingerbread houses or the insane thing around here which is Halloween.

Jandel Allen-Davis 23:26

To integrate play in some of the most tiny but for patients and families, impactful ways in the therapeutic process that happens here daily. To know that I get to work in a place and get to come to a place where, in answer to the question that I asked all four of the folks that we had a chance to chat with, is there ever a day at Craig that play isn't happening? Is there ever a place at Craig that play isn't happening? And, to get pretty straight up. No, chaser. No, there isn't.

Jandel Allen-Davis 24:00

Speaks volumes about some things. I think it speaks volumes about our team members agency to do what's best for themselves and for their team members and for patients. So that's something to think about as you think about the agency, through the experience of, and the execution of, moments of play and creativity to have your employees give even more than they would have in other places. The importance of showing your whole self through the lens of vulnerability and in the work we do, having that give license to freedom, to patience, to try things and to push beyond what can sometimes be some real limiting beliefs about ourselves that live in our brains. To be able to tie this in meaningful ways through the comments that you will see on the family's experience or the patient's experience of care here, or our employees' experience of their work life here, that this play, this notion of play, comes out as well. That this play, this notion of play, comes out as well.

Jandel Allen-Davis 25:01

And to know personally, there's this excitement, five plus years now in this role of CEO and president of Craig.

Jandel Allen-Davis 25:10

There's an excitement that happens as I pull into the parking garage and park and pull all the things together and jump out and hit the button that locks the door and I start the trek into the building to know it's another day and heaven only knows what'll happen.

Jandel Allen-Davis 25:25

But what I do know is that even in the toughest times, there will be several times during the day where I smile brightly, I laugh loud and I am once again grateful for the opportunity to be part of and do my part to contribute to great cultures, and I'd encourage you to try it. I'd encourage you to not look at this as extra or as a waste of time, but actually as an opportunity as leaders for you even to be that kid again that lives inside of all of us and that sometimes we actually express at home. It can work wonders on your culture and on the people you serve if you bring that kid into work. So thank you for listening again to Unstoppable at Craig, and you can certainly access this particular podcast on any one of your channels that you use to access podcasts. And thanks for listening.