AME Milwaukee 2026 International Conference
Workshops
Workshop
Play to progress
Building a culture of continuous improvement
OVERVIEW
Continuous improvement isn’t a process. Nor is it simply a value included in a statement or website.
Continuous improvement (CI) a mindset that can only be fully operationalized when two conditions are present:
1. A culture focused on enhancing employee experience.
2. A widespread commitment to CI internalized by every employee, regardless of position.
Play is an excellent tool for cultivating this mindset. When colleagues play together, they gain a better understanding of how people feel and think in real time.
The ways people interact during play are very similar to real-life workplace dynamics, making play a low stakes opportunity for colleagues to experience what motivates different people and what holds them back in different situations, while also building trust and social capital. When paired with structured reflection, play generates ideas for how to work together better going forward and enhances individual commitment and accountability to behavior change.
This highly interactive session explores how leaders can incorporate play at work to maintain the conditions of continuous improvement and performance excellence for their teams. You’ll learn a few simple activities for enhancing employee experience, improving trust and accountability, and fostering innovation.
Continuous improvement (CI) a mindset that can only be fully operationalized when two conditions are present:
1. A culture focused on enhancing employee experience.
2. A widespread commitment to CI internalized by every employee, regardless of position.
Play is an excellent tool for cultivating this mindset. When colleagues play together, they gain a better understanding of how people feel and think in real time.
The ways people interact during play are very similar to real-life workplace dynamics, making play a low stakes opportunity for colleagues to experience what motivates different people and what holds them back in different situations, while also building trust and social capital. When paired with structured reflection, play generates ideas for how to work together better going forward and enhances individual commitment and accountability to behavior change.
This highly interactive session explores how leaders can incorporate play at work to maintain the conditions of continuous improvement and performance excellence for their teams. You’ll learn a few simple activities for enhancing employee experience, improving trust and accountability, and fostering innovation.
Key Learning Objectives
1. Use play to spark curiosity, reflection and a learning mindset.
2. Uncover team dynamics and blockers through game-based interactions.
3. Guide structured reflection to turn play into actionable change.
2. Uncover team dynamics and blockers through game-based interactions.
3. Guide structured reflection to turn play into actionable change.
Presenter
ALEX Suchman
CEO & Cofounder
B
Alexandra (Alex) Suchman is a sought-after speaker, facilitator and expert in workplace culture, engagement and team dynamics. As CEO and co-founder of Barometer XP, she helps organizations unlock the power of play — not just as a fun activity, but as a research-backed tool that makes teamwork effortless, strengthens psychological safety and drives performance at the individual, team and company levels.
CEO & Cofounder
B
Alexandra (Alex) Suchman is a sought-after speaker, facilitator and expert in workplace culture, engagement and team dynamics. As CEO and co-founder of Barometer XP, she helps organizations unlock the power of play — not just as a fun activity, but as a research-backed tool that makes teamwork effortless, strengthens psychological safety and drives performance at the individual, team and company levels.
Her work removes the unspoken pressures that block team cohesion, allowing people to engage naturally, be themselves and contribute their best. Suchman is a go-to speaker for major organizations like SHRM, PMI and ATD. Barometer XP was a finalist for the 2024 ATD DC awards in the category of Innovative Learning, and was named to the Story Exchange’s list of 12 Brilliant Business Ideas in 2023. Recently, she was featured in Kaizen Made Easy’s Top 9 Leadership Conversations and Forbes Media.
Suchman holds an MPP in health policy from The George Washington University, a B.A. in psychology from Colby College and certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and DISC coach. She currently serves on the boards of SEAF and NASAGA.
View on LinkedIn
Suchman holds an MPP in health policy from The George Washington University, a B.A. in psychology from Colby College and certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and DISC coach. She currently serves on the boards of SEAF and NASAGA.
View on LinkedIn
TAGS
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Click on a tag to discover more sessions with that theme, topic or level.
Commitment to learning and growth
People-centric leadership
Level: Advanced
