I love to play! Play is a word that’s been in my vocabulary from a very early age. As kids we love to play, but as adults we sometimes forget how important play can be in our lives, especially at work. Play can be viewed as a waste of time and resources. I beg to differ. When done well, play can be very beneficial and lucrative.  Here are four tips for helping you create some structured (and fun) playtime in your office:

I love to read. I’ve been known to read two books in one day. Of course, those were fiction and I was sitting at the beach, but it tells you how much I appreciate a good book.

Fiction books aren’t the only ones on my shelf, though. I’ve read many business books over the years for professional development, to find inspiration, or, quite honestly…because I was forced to. You’ll find books about Customer Service, Sales, Marketing and Leadership in my collection. From the likes of recognized gurus Seth Godin and Ken Blanchard, as well as up-and-comers like Dale Partridge, my tastes and interest ranges based on my current experience and needs.

Earlier this month, Forbes.com published an article Top Inside Sales Challenges in 2015. In their survey of 200 companies, the third place challenge for both sales managers and inside sales representatives is motivation. The recommendation for sales managers is to focus on employee engagement, recognition, achievement and personal satisfaction. Here are three ways I’m engaging our sales team to stay on top of their game:

When I completed the registration for our internal 12 week Fitness Challenge, I had no idea what I was agreeing to when I check the box marked “YES! I’m interested in being a Team Captain.” Foolishly, I thought there would be so many volunteers that my services wouldn’t be needed. Ha! I was quickly proved wrong. Very wrong. After reading the email congratulating me on my Captain status, I immediately thought to myself, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

Taking a few deep breaths and thinking this decision through, I focused on all the positives of taking on this role. Then I reminded myself of a statement that I heard Dr. Phil make at a conference many years ago: “We all have the same amount of time. We all have 24 hours in our day.” With that in mind, I set out to not only take on this task, but to OWN it! But, how?

Every year, we celebrate the women who have made us who we are today...Moms.

This year, I think we need to celebrate the unsung hero of this special day. The one who cleans up your messes, and provides a shoulder to cry on, an ear to bend, and special ways to take care of you throughout the day.

You know who I'm talking about. It's your Office Mom.