When it comes to maintaining productivity, office toys are key to creative problem-solving.

By Joanne Eglash

The developer in the cubicle by the window is envied by many in my high-tech company. Not so much for his prowess with programming (although he's a whiz at that) but for his impressive collection of games, geodesic domes, Rubik's cubes, and a toy racing track laid out on his cubicle floor. We also admire the tech-support woman who collects plastic dinosaurs, the localization expert with the dart board in her office, and the QA lead's cubicle that houses an enormous flock of wind-up gadgets.

There's even an individual known as the "marketing dude" who has what he claims are "anti-stress devices" on his desk, although they look like toys to me. But because he won't let anyone play with them, it's difficult to tell whether or not they qualify for the Coolest Office Toy award.

Different Toys for Different Folks
The heady "dot-commers-have-it-all" feeling of the doggie-daycare years has faded, in tandem with the stock market landslide. And no one's begging to work 24/7 in exchange for stock options. What hasn't changed are those ubiquitous foosball tables and ping-pong ball games that have become accepted high-tech office accessories over the last five years.

When it comes to maintaining productivity, it seems, office toys are no joking matter. A shamelessly unscientific study I conducted at the office revealed that toy preferences seem to depend on the individual's job function:

• Programmers prefer juggling balls, beanbags, and complex mathematical puzzles. The most skilled juggler in my developers group (a C++ guy) can talk while simultaneously juggling two beanbags and three balls. I once offered to trade juggling lessons with him for my Klutz Joe Bender Bendable Wire Hero, which he plays with whenever he stops by my cubicle, but he refused.



• Web developers are fond of wind-up gadgets and action figures. I own an Uncle Milton Thingamabotz, for example. For the Thingamabotz-uninitiated, this creation is a half-robot, half-insect, wind-up toy. I occasionally take my creature, named Jigglefit, to a neighboring cubicle to battle a JavaScript expert's Thingamabotzes (a Dizzygig and Bonk-O-Nok).



• Graphic designers and human factors experts resemble Web developers in their toy choices, although I know one designer who collects teddy bears. Most managers, as well as marketing and sales folks, claim they don't play with toys; they use "anti-stress gadgets." Whatever.

CEO Is a Pinball Wizard
Some managers aren't afraid of the word toy. Joanna M. Pineda is the CEO, and self-described "Chief Troublemaker," of Matrix Group International. When Joanna needs a break, she relies on her miniature pinball machine.

"It makes lots of noise, has cheesy music, and gives me a stress break," she informed me.

Joanna's office also contains a shelf full of little toys (squeeze balls, twisty things, Rubik's blocks, figurines, etc.) that she plays with when thinking or writing—or during an intense conference call.

She has no objections when others on her staff turn to office toys for relief. For example, Paul Begovich, a programmer at Matrix Group, "juggles when he's stressed or needs time to think. He'll sometimes juggle during meetings or when working a problem through in his mind."

The company's "network philosopher," Jeff Lesperance, plays pool on Matrix's purple pool table during server upgrades or when he needs to "sort out a network issue." Meanwhile, senior designer Janna Matjeka can be tracked through the halls by the sound of her paddle board.

Joanna speculated that toys actually help, rather than hurt, productivity because high-tech professionals need "to problem-solve a lot, and toys keep the left-side of your brain working—you have to hit the pool balls or keep the ball going—but only enough so that the right side of the brain can wander and relate. Notice that the games people play allow [for] chatting and/or thinking at the same time."

In addition, she said that productivity does not decrease when employees play pool or pinball during the day, because games are not lengthy. "People don't play pool for hours. The games are pretty social and they're tools and gadgets more than anything else." Intelliseek Developers Seek Intelligent Toys
Intelliseek Chief Technology Officer Sundar Kadayam told me that almost all employees at his company possess toys or anti-stress gadgets, including the systems engineers, senior programmers, Web developers, network engineers, and chief financial officer. He himself owns a Nerf gun.

Among the most popular items are Nerf balls, Rocky and Bullwinkle toys, stress balls, the eternally trendy Magic 8-Ball, and Frisbees, said Sundar. Most desks contain "some sort of toy or anti-stress device, and there are baskets of toys throughout the office."

Sundar feels that techies turn to toys because "in our environment, programming and problem-solving require extreme focus. These items allow for a break from staring at a screen and encourage interaction among team members." Rather than harm productivity, Sundar said that after his team uses office toys "to blow off a little steam or take a brain break, they are able to approach challenges with a new perspective."

Office Toys Pros and Cons
Career coach Annaliese Furnas of BalancedLifeDesign.com attributes the popularity of office toys to the fact that "work is often so focused on getting more done, getting it done faster, [and] making more money doing it, that there is no time for joy in life anymore." By taking "play breaks" at work, professionals can experience some of that joy, explained Annaliese.

In addition, these gadgets "help eliminate the overwhelming stress of normal business. It's no surprise they are very popular. No one wants to go to work every day and grind away without having some fun along the way."

Depending on the individual's personality, however, work toys can deter an employee's effectiveness on the job, according to Annaliese.

If someone is easily distracted, toys can "hinder productivity by giving the person a distraction that is all too easy to succumb to. However, for most of the focused, driven professionals I know, it's a real enhancement to productivity."

"Having toys in the office is, at a minimum, a reminder to smile, breathe, and have a sense of humor about the overwhelming amount of work you must do. And they can be a real help in getting someone to shift to right-brain, creative problem-solving," she said.

 

Resources

• Amazon.com's toys for grownups site contains a tempting variety of office toys, stress gadgets, puzzles, and games. • The Klutz Web site features their latest and greatest gadgets and gizmos, from juggling kits to the Icky Poo Toy and yo-yos. • Hasbro's site doesn't appear to cover Nerf products, but Walmart's site does. Yahoo also has a Nerf devotee lineup. • If toys don't appeal to you, try taking your next break at 9to5caf�.com. You'll find a variety of games, quizzes, and "mood rooms." • Pogo.com is a leading online games site that offers puzzles, arcade and word games, trivia contests, and the like. • "Gadgets Galore: For Nerds Who Love Nerf Balls and Jolt Cola...an Emporium of Geek Chic" article by Janelle Brown on Salon.com.