I wanted to title this post 10 ways to have fun at work to help your team be more productive and why you should, but WordPress informed me it was too long for a blog post title. So, here’s my point, the reason to promote fun at work isn’t only to have a good time, it’s to improve teamwork by showing appreciation which leads to increased performance  and higher retention while positively impacting the bottom line. So, there it is, besides all the positive things fun at work adds to any organization, it will help your business be more profitable. How does it improve the profit margin you may ask?

Why to Promote Fun at Work

  • Happy employees are less like to leave, lowering turnover, therefore reducing the cost of recruiting and training replacements.
  • Employees who enjoy coming to work get more done. Most of us have had jobs we dreaded going to. They weren’t our most productive positions. A fun environment is the opposite. It inspires greater performance and production.
  • Fun can be used to break down silos and develop teamwork. Too many departments in too many organizations work against each other or at least ignore the needs of others. Teams that play together learn to work together.
  • When you promote fun at work it shows appreciation and appreciated employees get more done.

All the above, when done properly, will help an organization be more efficient and more profitable.

10 Ways to Promote Fun at Work

When I say have fun at work, I’m not suggesting goofing off. Fun can be getting the job done. Some of the most fun I’ve ever had at work was fun competition between teammates based on completing the best, most, or fastest work. Here are 10 ways to have fun at work and help the team do better.

  1. Non-work Meetings

Once a month or quarter hold a meeting that doesn’t directly tie back to your industry. For example, hire a comedian to hold an improvisation class with your sales team. It’s fun, will bring the team together, and give them some ideas to improve sales presentations.

  1. Create a Fun Committee

Bring in a few team members from different departments to develop a fun committee. Give them the goal of implementing fun initiatives in the workplace that aren’t disruptive or counterproductive. You’ll be surprised what they come up with.

  1. Celebrate

Celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, holidays, promotions, and milestones. Take the time every day to recognize what went right and celebrate your victories.

  1. Tell a Joke

Share an appropriate for the workplace joke of the day

  1. Hold a Contest

A company I work with  held a department vs department penny war. Each department decorated a penny box, which was a contest of its own. Then, for a month loose change was collected in the boxes. The company matched the collection and they donated more than 3,000 dollars to a local charity. It was a lot of fun.

  1. Decorate

Allow employees to decorate their workspace. Bring photos of family, knick knacks, and certificates. Decorate work areas for holidays, Halloween, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

  1. Casual days

Another group I work with allows sports attire from their favorite team every Friday!

  1. Game it

At TKO Graphix the CSR’s took on the challenge of increasing Google reviews. They did so by asking happy customers to leave a review. The new reviews were copied, printed, and placed on a window. Then the CSR’s name was put in a jar for a monthly gift certificate drawing. The reviews went from less than ten to more than 60 in three months with a 4.8 rating. Yea, that was fun.

  1. Get Involved with the community

Create a volunteer committee that looks for ways to involve your team in giving back to the community. At TKO the company promotes monthly initiatives, such as, a Blood Drive and a Holiday Toy Collection. The thing is, they tell me they get more out of it then they give, and if you want to find a way to break down interdepartmental silos – this is it.

  1. Wellness Initiative

A wellness committee can sponsor weight loss contests, smoking cessation drives, and more healthy actions. It works because it’s another great way to bring people together and that’s fun.

Have Some Fun – Pick One!

There you have it 10 ways to have fun at work, 10 ways to help build a better team that has fun while getting more done. I have a challenge for you. It’s simple. Pick one fun action and get it done. Are you up for having fun?

How Can I help? 

I like to help people and organizations, but I have three criteria I consider before taking an assignment – I believe in what the organization stands for, I know I can help, and it looks like fun. If you have any questions, Contact Me. 

So, does your business have a  management training plan? Many organizations, large and small, use my book, The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course im effective management, as the basis for their leadership development program.