Want a High-Performing Team? Let Them Play (Strategically)
Want a High-Performing Team? Let Them Play (Strategically)
Want a High-Performing Team? Let Them Play (Strategically)
Laura Khalil
December, 15, 2025
Summary
After 15 years in top companies, the author observed that team failures were rarely about strategy but about trust—unspoken concerns, siloed work, and avoided conflict. Traditional workshops and assessments failed to build real trust because teams lacked safe spaces to practice difficult conversations and collaboration. She founded Once Upon a Roll, using simplified tabletop role-playing games like “Granny D&D” to create low-stakes environments for practicing communication, adaptability, and psychological safety. Through playful role immersion, teams organically develop decision-making, creativity, and empathy. Strategic play works because it builds behavioral muscle memory, helping teams translate practiced trust and collaboration into real-world performance.
Reference
Khalil, L. (2025, December 15). Want a high-performing team? Let them play (strategically). North American Simulation and Gaming Association. https://www.nasaga.org/blog/want-a-high-performing-team-let-them-play-strategically