Work. For some, its joy. For others, it’s just a daily routine to survive. People who work at firms where the stakes are high to always deliver a good performance are prone to succumb to stress.
A report by CignaTTK Health Insurance says 95 per cent of Indians aged between 18-32 suffer from it, which is higher than the global average of 86 per cent. WHO says workplace stress is estimated to cost the global economy $1 trillion per year loss in productivity.
But, what if there is a way to solve this global crisis? And, what if I told you that board games are a wise choice to reduce work stress. The Board Games Co is a unique startup that addresses this issue.
Spearheaded by Mumbai based couple, Krunal and Jill Veera, the startup provides sessions to build relationships which impart experiential learning through the world of board games. Speaking to News Today, Board Games Co., co-founder, Jill talks about her venture.
The idea
“Krunal was always passionate about board games. It’s not just fun to play but there’s also a lot of mental application to it,” says Jill. The couple soon realized that they could make an impact by using board games.
“There’s a lot of mental wellness you can actually tap into. You connect with people. Now that we spend a lot of time using gadgets, people have forgotten how to talk to each other,” she said.
So, in June 2017, the couple started The Board Game Co. Jill notes that it’s not a capital-intensive business. She says, ‘We already had a lot of games which is our main asset. We just needed an additional capital of about Rs 5 lakh.”
About the startup
The Board Game Co., offers programmes in three segments: Corporates, Social and Emerge. For Corporates, they conduct board game sessions to literally detox employees of a firm from work stress and bring them together.
Jill and Krunal pitch their ideas to firms and many corporates have embraced it. “Such a move helps colleagues to blend together. The cost for a session depends on a lot of factors like the objective, duration, number of people etc. It can vary from Rs 400 to 2000 per person,” Jill says.
The Social programme is for families and friends. The Emerge programme is targetted at kids. “We bring children together and initiate problem-solving skills,” explains Jill.
“So, for a few hours, they stay away from gadgets and gain attention and listening skills. We follow a three-level curriculum that focuses on the mental well being of a child. Currently, we have about 400 children in this programme,” she says.
De-stressing workplace
Jill says that board game sessions for corporates depend on the demands of each firm. “Some companies want to bring their employees together. There are those who wish to focus on problem-solving or people management. Such sessions go longer,” says Jill.
She goes on to add that they organise several long hour sessions as a part of a packaged programme for companies. The idea is to break the stress from the workplace.
“When you play along with your boss, you get to see their other side. I am sure once people blend, the workplace conflict can be solved,” Jill believes.
How is the market for startups like The Board Game Co?
“We have a very innovative concept in hand thus it becomes easier for us,” Jill says. “However, creating awareness and culture takes time. Fortunately, India is slowly moving from a cost-driven market to value driven.”
But do corporates look into the need of improving work-place atmosphere? Jill says yes.
“Businesses today are slowly starting to understand that ‘people’ are still their biggest resource,” Jill explains positively.
“Also, as our dependence on technology is increasing, our need to socialise, build human interaction and take a break from our devices is increasing proportionally, to curb stress or mental break down. Our sessions are extremely objective driven with its underline agenda of building organic communication, building tighter relationships while being highly engaging and a ton of fun,” she says.
Future plans.
By the end of next year, The Board Game Co wishes to target about 50 Corporates, conduct 75 Emerge sessions and bring in over 1000 kids in Mumbai and Dubai. For more details visit, www.theboardgameco.com.