Ping Pong is Not Just For Silicon Valley Startups

The number is on the rise; companies adapting play in the office are skyrocketing. This is in the strong footsteps of Silicon Valley companies which have demonstrated high productivity using such distractions as colorful offices with toys, escape rooms and other playthings. But the approach has not been acceptable to all. Many companies are still skeptical about following this route and tend to lean against office toys. Nevertheless, the results from the top performing companies such as Google have continually impressed such skeptics. In fact, the trend now is in finding suitable distractions for employees. And ping pong is just one of the options.

Work & Play

A German research study showed that productivity in the workplace is completely subjective, especially in relation to age. It showed that companies, where employees had a ‘younger’ mindset, tend to have higher outputs than their counterparts with a demoralized attitude. Employees who believed to be younger than their actual age were seen to have a larger psyche and drive at work. The approach is simple – you are always competitive when young. Perhaps as you grow older you tend to have the ‘seen it all’ notion that slackens you down.

The biggest contributor to this ‘ageing-acceptance-mentality’ is work. Work tends to drain people of their energies – I know all of you can relate with what I’m saying. Especially when the work in question comes with no play, phew! Hectic is an understatement.

This has influenced certain companies to bring in some office fun all in an attempt to prevent Jack from becoming a dull boy.

Of all the games I would recommend if you should decide to incorporate this into your company is table tennis. This is a pretty simple game but still has its tactical hardness – it so happens to be advantageous to startups and companies that have been in existence. Long story short, nothing should deter you from checking this out.

Why Ping Pong

From a 10-year old to a 70-year old retiree, there’s just no limit to who can play this game and still look sexy and cool. It’s like basketball with a mixture of football and ‘eyeball’. What’s more, you can even decide to purchase different sets of tables to fit into different rooms. You can also go with a permanent one which can be fixed in your playroom. I mean, there’s only a minimal hassle with the equipment and handling – unless you get a nasty table and fail to enjoy its permanence. You can click over here for a better guide on the best tables for you.

Since the game is for everyone, it has been an easy option to attract and keep the millennial workforce in check and motivated. This has been especially hard as this lot tend to move on pretty first – they are easily bored and will detect B.S from 5 miles away and run away from it. It’s hard to find a company that doesn’t have crap. Your advantages should thus outweigh the negative vibe.

Ping pong also happens to be a mind game – from the coordination of the eye movements to the different swings as you anticipate your opponent’s next move. This has the resultant effect of boosting one’s focus and concentration which is transferred to work. Wouldn’t you want to experience a more dedicated and pumped-up workforce?

Change is as good as a rest if not better. You need to reassess your company’s deeds and practices, gauge what works and what doesn’t work and consecutively, put measures in place to eliminate what doesn’t. Also, you should think of incorporating the tried and tested methods applied by top-performing companies. You might be surprised at the outcome. Don’t get used to holding on so dearly to what you believe in. There may be flows in your beliefs preventing your company from achieving the success you’ve always imagined. You can start by cutting your employees some slack and giving them some room to breathe.