Resources
An ever evolving repository of tools, books, and blogs to support the process of living a connected life.
Dissertation
My dissertation, Integrating Play into Work, examines how play as an attitude and behavior, can strengthen work engagement. Using a mixed-methods design, I interviewed 16 organizational leaders (a top-down view) and surveyed 248 employees, combining structural equation modeling with open-ended responses (a bottom-up view). Results show that a playful attitude predicts higher engagement and helps build key resources: self-efficacy (confidence to meet challenges) and relatedness (feeling connected at work). Leaders emphasized that play is most effective when it’s psychologically safe, authentic, and supported by managers, and it can backfire when it feels forced or distracting. Leaders and employees agreed play works when voluntary, safe, and authentic it energizes rather than distracts. The result is a research-grounded approach to making work more human. It offers a clear framework for leaders and teams to use micro-moments daily of humor, games, and experimentation to restore energy, deepen connection, and improve performance without sacrificing professionalism. Download and read the full copy below:
Tools
The following AI based tools are designed to inspire curiosity, playful relating, and the adoption of perspectives that are conducive to living a fulfilling, connected life.
Play Process Coach
A customized Chat GPT built to assist in transforming everyday tasks, goals, and projects into playful endeavors. The GPT was trained on scholarly articles, books, and leaders in the field of positive psychology and human development, providing an evidence based approach to all recommendations.
Suggested Prompts
“Provide 3 evidence based recommendations for how I can experience more enjoyment from (enter task, activity or goal)”
or
“I am feeling stuck. What are 5 ways I could use play to make progress and solve (enter problem or concern”
You Are Not Your Story
We all have stories we tell ourselves. Some are more accurate, valuable, and inspiring than others. This tool uses AI to analyze patterns in how we communicate about the “story” we are choosing. In addition to identifying patterns of communication, the prompt offers a reframe of the story based on the “Hero’s Journey”, an ode to Joesph Campbell. I recommend using this tool if you are finding yourself in a pattern of negative self talk, feeling stagnation, or looking for an alternative perspective.