Having a bad day or week? Looking for a way to relieve your frustrations and lighten things up a little? Humor may be a good antidote.
As children, we were all more spontaneous and playful. Laughter and having fun was what we did every day. What happened?
As we grew up, the pressures on us to go to college, earn good money and raise a family became all-encompassing, and many of us forgot how to laugh and have fun. Who would you rather spend time with? Someone who sees the humor in life or a pessimistic person who is always complaining? In the workplace, working with other employees who are more light-hearted makes a big difference in how we view our jobs and the quality of the work we do.
Dr. David Abramis at Cal State Long Beach has studied fun at work for years. He's discovered that people who have fun on the job are more creative, more productive, better decision-makers and get along better with co-workers.
They also have fewer absent, late and sick days than people who aren't having fun. This translates to happier workplaces where employees are more loyal and productive. As a result, overall absenteeism may decrease because people are actually looking forward to going to work.
Turnover may decrease as well, as employees feel more content and loyal to the organization. And costs associated with illness may decrease as people experience the positive physiological and psychological benefits of laughter.
Fun facts
There's a direct correlation to fun and bottom-line results. Ninety-three percent of employees at the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For say they experience a friendly workplace. These companies also experience higher bottom-line results in terms of profits and customer satisfaction than non-100 Best Companies.
For employees to have fun at work - true fun that involves a shared sense of community and an ability to relax and enjoy time with friends and co-workers - there needs to also be a high level of trust within the organization. Trust ensures that the environment is a safe place to have fun, where people can be silly or engage in activities that might be out of character for the workplace. Trust and fun are mutually beneficial experiences that reinforce each other.
Get the party started
So how can you create a work environment that facilitates fun and laughter? Here are some ideas:
* Host a sporting event. Taking time off work once in a while to play a team sport encourages fun and camaraderie among employees. Principal Financial Group, for example, sponsors an annual Family Fun Fest to entertain tens of thousands of baseball fans in 50 minor league baseball venues across the United States.
This includes a midway of baseball-related attractions and games that can be enjoyed before and during the baseball game. An interactive, minor league baseball museum is open before and during the games.
* Look to your calendar for inspiration. Organize a pumpkin-carving contest for Halloween, a cake-decorating challenge for Valentine's Day or a rib fest for the Fourth of July. Whole Foods Market tries to make employee's jobs more fun by combining work and play, and through friendly competition to improve their stores.
They host product-display competitions, Halloween costume and pumpkin-carving contests, customer-judged chili cook-offs and annual bag-off competitions, where employees are judged on their bagging speed, item arrangement, evenly weighted bags - and even style and attitude.
* Organize a movie night. Call your local movie theater and arrange for discounted tickets. Google hosts regular movie outings, closing down theatres for employees and their guests to enjoy the latest flicks.
* Take ideas from pop culture. Are your employees fans of the TV show "Dexter"? Organize a murder mystery event. Law firm Bingham McCutchen hosts such an event at one of its offices' annual holiday luncheons. The firm also holds an Amazing Race-type competition where four teams of attorneys race to complete a series of tasks around Palo Alto, Calif.
* Have bring-your-pet-to-work day. Autodesk, a 2D and 3D software design company based in California, has implemented an unusual bring-your-animal-to-work program. The organization recognizes that employees will more happily work the longer hours that are sometimes required if they have their animal friends nearby.
So what are you going to do to instill more fun and joy in your workplace? Implement a fun committee to generate ideas. Try some of their suggestions and see how they work. Make sure your CEO and executive team are involved and on board.
The ideas are endless, and the impact can be magical. This magic can make your company a great place to work and result in a more productive and financially profitable workplace environment.
Contributing Editor Cathy Leibow is a client relationship lead for the Great Place to Work Institute, a research and management consultancy based in the U.S. with international affiliate offices. Excerpts of this article were taken from an article on trust, friendships and having fun at work, written by Amy Lyman, director of corporate research at the Great Place to Work Institute. Cathy can be reached at 415-503-1234 or cleibow@greatplacetowork.com.
