Work and Play in Student Affairs: Are we having fun yet?

While recently interviewing a prospective graduate assistant, the subject of MBTI arose as I am a bit of a Type enthusiast on our campus. Discussion ensued on work/life balance and how work can be play. I shared that I have been known, upon occasion, to crank the tunes  and dance around our office seeking inspiration to write last minute recommendation letters. Fortunately, the poor grad was not frightened away by that admission. Let's face it folks, we don't choose a profession in Student Affairs to get rich. This profession frequently chooses us because of our ability to transfer student development facilitation into dynamic and creative outlets. 

This post by Chris Brogan got me thinking about work vs. play. Which is more important? An exercise that I use in MBTI programs demonstrates work and play attitudes in comparison to the Judging and Perceiving preferences, or how individuals organize their lives. This is a great activity with new student leaders or in any work team for understanding differing approaches to getting work done. Participants are instructed to place themselves on an imaginary line or continuum where one end is "Work Before Play" and the opposite is "Play Before Work". When asked why individuals placed themselves where they did on the line and how they feel about where they are standing, responses range from "I can't play if my work isn't done" to " I can play, regardless of my work". There is frequently admiration for the folks in the middle of the continuum who express that they can balance both or "My work is play." 

That's where I strive to be, finding balance. Making work enjoyable means that you are never left to wonder "Are we having fun yet?" Chances are that your students will know it too.

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.  ~~Plato

A Twitter note from Chris Brogan on his post above.