Pharrell Williams iconic song, “Happy,” comes straight to mind as I’m writing this post. We’ve all heard the common phrase, “happy staff, happy customers,” but how do we achieve happiness at the workplace?
Rhea Blanken, FASAE, President of Blanken Consulting/Results Technology Inc., shared her answer at ASAE’s 2014 Annual Meeting in Nashville, with her presentation, “Have Fun at Work…Learn How to Play.” Here’s the session description:
“It’s time to create a workplace culture where engagement is both natural and enjoyable, and career satisfaction occurs without losing sight of our business objectives. We say we want work/life balance then downplay our human need for playtime by saying ‘play is just for kids.’ If an apple a day keeps the doctor away…playing and having fun each day will too. Interested in having your organization be a ‘Best Place to Work and Play?’ Great, then don’t let the cynical, pessimistic, skeptical, and suspicious naysayers get in your way! Come to this session and play and expect to have fun. Thomas Edison said, ‘I never did a day’s work in my life — it was all fun’.”
Rhea shared many tips and examples of how to add “fun at work” to your own association or company workplace. “Fun at work” is defined as any social, interpersonal or job-related activity of either a humorous or playful nature that a person finds enjoyable and interesting. Here are three tips from Rhea:
- Tip 1: Recognize the long-term benefits of “fun at work.” Workers who have a good time while working accomplish more, show a higher level of creativity and extend more help to coworkers. This creates an engaging, supportive environment for employees to flourish.
- Tip 2: Keep employees engaged. Some examples of employee engagement done right include:
- Understand what employees are thinking. Have a space and time for open, casual discussion amongst employees, what one company calls their “company campfire.”
- Demonstrate appreciation for contributions big and small.
- Support career path development.
- Engage in social interactions outside of work.
- Tip 3: Name a “Chief of Fun at Work Officer,” someone who’s in charge of implementing elements of fun in the workplace on a weekly or monthly basis. This could be small competitions amongst staff, offering incentives to encourage engagement, organizing a potluck or holiday party, or adding fun, positive décor to the office.
Our staff left this session inspired to start brainstorming new ideas for adding “fun at work.” Here are just a few examples of ways we’ve done this in the past, and we hope to continue adding to the list:
- Ice cream socials during the hot summer workdays. This provides a nice break to get outdoors for a bit, switch the brain from work-mode to play-mode, and socialize for a bit.
- Holiday and special occasion gatherings. This might include taking out a coworker for a birthday lunch, bringing in cake for an employee’s work anniversary, or hosting a holiday party. That last one is a big deal for the ACGI team, and definitely an opportunity to have fun. Our end-of-year holiday party would just not be complete without the very entertaining Secret Santa gift exchange. A lot of laughter is shared at this one!
- Demonstrate appreciation for contributions. At quarterly meetings, our staff submits nominations for the “Big Dog” award, the recipient being a member of staff that is recognized for their outstanding contributions to the company. Not only does this boost morale around the office, but shows our commitment and support of each other as a team.
What about your organization? Did you get a chance to attend Rhea’s session at ASAE Annual Meeting this year? What are some of your ideas or experiences for adding “fun at work?” Let us know in the comments below, or leave us a comment on Facebook or Twitter!
Photo source: blog.i2fly.com
