Create a Fun Environment

by | Mar 26, 2019

 

Step Three: Create an Environment that Encourages Fun

“There is work that is work and there is play that is play; there is play that is work and work that is play. And in only one of these lies happiness.”

— Gelett Burgess

Don’t be afraid to let everyone find and share their mojo. It is a myth that if you have too much fun, then the work will not get done. If you have hired the right people, shared your organization’s mission, values, vision and goals and those individuals have embraced their responsibility – why not trust them to use their judgment about getting the work done well while sparking the fun in each possible situation? The culture you create supports the work you do. If that culture is positive it becomes easy to work each day with renewed energy.

  • “I love ties with animals on them. One day I was asked why I wore a whale tie last week and a penguin tie this week. Without thinking about it, I said, “It’s Aquatic Tuesday.” From that offhand comment Aquatic Tuesdays was born. Now, many folks in the office wear ocean-themed ties, blouses, pins, and blue on Tuesdays. Even members of the Pittsburgh media have joined in.” –Michael Gladysz Sport Marketing, University of Pittsburgh

 

  • “Tax season is a time of stress and long work days. In fact, we work pretty much every Saturday from January through April 15th. To lighten things up, we have Saturday Fun Days with free breakfast and themes like Alternate Profession Day, College Day, Pajama Day, Cartoon Day, and many more. People dress in theme clothing and decorate their offices to match. Every Saturday at noon we vote on the best outfit and office. We keep a leader board in the lunch room and at the end of the season, the top three scores win gift cards. Even our customers get involved, calling to see what Saturday’s theme is going to be so they can come dressed to fit in.” Alice Sande Sparatar, CPA, MBA, Horovitz, Rudoy & Roteman LLC

 

  • CXtec in Syracuse New York has its own house rock band. The CXtec Dinosaurs allows employees to pursue their personal musical interest and also to play charitable and customer events.

 

  • When Annie Cantrell opened Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store she had two underlying themes for her new venture: “Although I had a lot of good jobs before I started my own business, I hated all of them. What I loved were the people I worked with. Today, I treat all my employees as friends. They know who the boss is but they are empowered to think for themselves. In the Blue Ribbon way, of course! Secondly, I am passionate about living a fun life. And I want to help others to do the same.”

 

  • Fun grows naturally in an environment of trust, respect, and caring. Fun won’t show up in an environment of force and fear. The Center for Companies That Care lists these ten characteristics of a socially responsible employers:
  1. Sustain a work environment founded on dignity and respect for all employees.
  2. Make employees feel their jobs are important.
  3. Cultivate the full potential of all employees.
  4. Encourage individual pursuit of work/life balance.
  5. Enable the well-being of individuals and their families through compensation, benefits, policies, and practices.
  6. Develop great leaders, at all levels, who excel at managing people as well as results.
  7. Appreciate and recognizes the contributions of people who work there.
  8. Establish and communicate standards for ethical behavior and integrity.
  9. Get involved in community endeavors and/or public policy.
  10. Consider the human toll when making business decisions.

 

  • Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman’s, guides his company by “The 12 Natural Laws of Business.” Natural Law Number 12 is “Great organizations are appreciative and the people in them have more fun.” Weinzweig says that good work means doing work we love and finding the fun in each moment.” “I work hard to have as many moments in that state as I possibly can.”

 

  • The environment in which we work can have a great impact on our attitude. Choose colors that lift your spirit, use music to brighten your mood, and have toys within reach to relieve stress.

 

  • Surprise yourself and others by changing things. Give employees a positive sensory experience in their environment by hanging new art, adding plants and flowers, rearranging the furniture, altering the paint color. Do all of this with their input and spark a new energy in the environment.

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” Victor Borge

 

Leslie