“It’s fun to have fun, but you have to know how!” – Dr Seuss

Playfully Professional

Hiring, Training & Retaining aPlayful Team

Britt Thomas Barrett LongVice President, Team & Guest Relations Senior Site Director

Patti Reiss Vito GioiaAssistant Director of Programs Director of Visitor

Experience

Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning.

But for children, play is serious learning. – Mr. Rogers

For children’s museums, play is serious business.

“Playfully Professional”

We build trust in

being the best at

the “business of play”

by being cheerful,

funny, spontaneous,

unexpected, clever and

regularly

demonstrating our

inner kid.

We build trust in our ability

to “operate the business”

by presenting a polished

presence,

positive attitude, engaged

posture, knowledgeable

vocabulary and sincere

interactions.

Playful Professional

“Children’s Museums are about

people not things.” Michael Spock

“You can discover more about a

person in an hour of play than in a

year of conversation.” Plato

Hiring the Right Fit for Your

Museum

It’s the Most Important Thing that

You’ll Do!

• The people you hire are the face of your

museum.

• Your team is a reflection of you.

• Culture is created by the personalities you

hire and the values of those team

members.

Hiring PhilosophyMike Gueringer, Co-founder, Custom Aircraft Cabinets

“Although qualified skill sets are very important, attitude is

even more important. Someone with basic skills and a great

attitude easily surpasses excellent skills with poor attitude.”

Randy Hafer, High Plains Architects

“Fit is everything. Only hire people who share the values,

passions and sense of humor of the firm.”

Barrett Long, Discovery Place

“I can take someone with a great personality and teach them

new skills, but I cannot take a skilled person and teach them

a new personality.”

Sample Traits of Playfully

Professional• Demonstrates an outwardly positive

attitude.

• Can display flexibility in an ever-changing

environment.

• Cares about the concept of “team”.

• Exhibits a can-do attitude.

• Focuses on the mission of the museum and

the lives they impact.

Tips to Making the Best Decision• Have a cultural vision.

• Look at resumes for skillsets, and interview for

team chemistry and cultural fit.

• Have casual conversations with candidates.

• Interview with other team members.

• Don’t ever rush to fill a position…be patient

and make the best choice.

Playful Staff Interviews

Patti Reiss, Mississippi Children’s Museum

Group Interviews – if you

aren’t working by yourself

why do singular

interviews

I hire very few people

during the school year. If I

see a good resume, I jump

on it.

Playful Staff InterviewsPatti Reiss

Mississippi Children’s Museum

• Take a tour!

• If I pick up things off the

floor, do they?

• Who speaks to others,

candidates and museum

guests?

• Who holds a door open?

• Who asks questions?

• Who dances and plays?

Playful Staff Interviews

Patti Reiss, Mississippi Children’s Museum

At the table interview

• Information Sheet

• Job Description

• Hands on items out

• Pens

What am I looking for

• Where do they put

personal items?

• Who brought their own

things? (occasionally

class schedules and

references)

• Body Language

• Seat Choice

Playful Staff InterviewsPatti Reiss,

Mississippi Children’s Museum

• Grab Bag Questions!

• Let them choose a question!

• Wait for an answer!

• Follow up (if needed)

• Always at the end – give them a chance to toot their own horn!

• Give them a chance to ask questions

– Dress Code

– Scheduling

Playful Staff InterviewsPatti Reiss,

Mississippi Children’s Museum

What do I do while they are

at the big table…

• Watch and Listen

• Refer to resume

• Encourage deeper

answers

• Take notes on the resume

copies

Playful Staff InterviewsPatti Reiss, Mississippi Children’s Museum

Follow up with

• An individual interview

• Practical interview

• I always call 3 references

– I need 2 positive

references

• Remind them - always

have to be able to pass a

background check!

• If I know I am not going to

hire you – rejection letter

in 3 days.

• Follow up with everyone,

no one likes to be kept

waiting.

• Keep everything for 6

months

Equipping Staff to Engage in Impactful

Interactions with Children and Youth

Staff Self-Assessment

• Staff report being most comfortable with asking

and answering questions, joining children in

play, talking with children about their

experiences and creations.

• Staff report being least comfortable with

engaging children using text, encouraging

children to play together, introducing new words

and their meanings.

O-Observe and join

• Joining in what a child is doing

P-Participate

• Connecting kids in play

T-Talk

• Commenting

• Asking open-ended questions

• Creating conversational space

• Introducing new words in play

I-Inspire

• Praising

• Thinking aloud

N-Nexit

• Nexiting – Naturally exiting

OPT-IN Strategies

• Created a series of 12 videos focused on

different techniques

• Videos include an explanation of the rationale

behind each technique, demonstration of the

technique, and a debrief

• Staff viewed a new video each week

• Museum Leads facilitate discussion, coaching

and mentoring at the beginning end of each shift

Implementation

OPT-IN Video

Results

• Staff became more comfortable and confident in

play by using the strategies

• # of play interactions

increased

• # of conversational

interactions increased

# of guests reporting interacting with staff

40% 45% 50% 55%

Play

Talk

Post OPT-IN

Pre-OPT-IN

Impact• Team members are more confident in facilitating play

interactions

• Team members exhibit the desired behaviors during

interactions

• Team members are more open to talking about

successes/challenges they experience during

interactions

• Team leads have a concrete foundation to use for

coaching team members

• The quality of guest interactions has been enhanced

• The number of guest interactions has increased

PLAY-SPIRATION

Learning Together

Families in Museums Staff Training Curriculum

Boston Children’s Museum

Chicago Children’s Museum

IMLS

2008-2012http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/Learning-Together.pdf

Staff RetentionHow do we make them stay?

1. Training!

2. Work Environment!

3. Play!

Team Marbles CultureIt’s a balancing act!

Playful Professional

Collaborate Take Action

High Impact Low cost

Think Big Picture Focus on Details

Plan Ahead Seize Opportunities

How Marbles Cooks Up Our

Culture

Our recipe for a team

1. Brand It.

2. Build It.

3. Be It.

And Be Committed to adjusting the

temperature as needed.

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

• Purpose is derived from

belonging to

something bigger than

self .

• Shared purpose builds

loyalty, support and fun.

adds Purpose.

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

• People are the brand

- dynamic and

organic.

• Sets behavioral

expectations.Playful, Creative, Diverse,

Cohesive, Knowledgeable,

Approachable,

Trustworthy…

shapes Values.

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

• Exclusive, “insider” angle

creates Pride and

Loyalty.

• Aspirational aspect aids

recruiting.

makes it Special. Marbleous – adjective; superb,

excellent; such as to cause

wonder, admiration; embodying

the mission of Marbles

Marblicious – adjective; colorful,

fun; highly pleasing to the

senses; delightful

Marbleize – verb; to enhance

something; to make the ordinary

extraordinary

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

playfully professional Policies & Plans

Business as Usual Playfully Professional

New Hire Orientation Marbles 101: “joining the team”

Organizational Policies Team Marbles Handbook

Strategic Plan Playbook

Employee Wellness Program Marbles in Motion

Employee Recognition

ProgramDishin’ the Mission

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

• Reinforces mission-based

behaviors and brand

values.

• Ties to performance

measures.

• Celebrates effort and attitude

rather than results.

• People make it what it is.

Dishin’ the Mission

Resourcefulness

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

being Committed.

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

with Guests

being Playful!

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

being Playful!with the Governor

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

being Playful!

with Donors

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

being Playful!in Board Meetings

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

with Team News

being Playful!

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

being Playful!with Team Activities

being Playful!

with the Team

BRAND. BUILD. BE.

“It’s fun to have fun, but you have to know how!” – Dr Seuss