? Thoughts of Workplace Empathy on Labor Day President Obama and Effective Change Leadership ?
Should Fun be Mandated at Work?
September 29, 2010 by Mark Craemer Leave a Comment Fun activities in the workplace can often improve employee engagement. When these are mandated or poorly concocted, however, the fun can actually be counterproductive and reduce overall morale. Some companies have used fun activities as a way to recruit new employees. It is used to increase customer engagement and even to help leverage social media opportunities. But is this fun really effective if it is mandated rather than grown more spontaneously? Some examples of the fun activities I‘m speaking of include:
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TD Bank, the American arm of Canada‘s Toronto Dominion, has a ?Wow!? department that sends out teams in costumes to ?surprise and delight? successful workers. Google offers employees volleyball courts, roller hockey and bicycle paths to encourage hanging out longer in the workplace. The London branch of Red Bull recently installed a slide in its office. Acclaris, an IT company, has a ?chief fun officer.? Twitter claims one of its core values as creating ?fun and a little weirdness.? Zappos encourages workers to form noisy conga lines and then single out an individual colleague for praise, whereupon the person must wear a silly hat for a week.
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What is it about fun that makes it necessary for employers to create it for us? Is this due to much of the younger workforce having had so many structured fun activities as children: heavily scheduled playdates by helicopter mothers, overly supervised slumber parties, too little downtime between extracurricular activities? Encouraging employees to have fun while at work is all well and good, but this shouldn‘t be a requirement. And what that fun looks like should not be decided by public relations or human resources departments in isolation of rank and file employees. There are many ways employees can find more joy in their work. The most basic are not so much fun and games, as they are simply more supportive of the workers. Fostering an environment where people feel empowered to do their best work should be executed long before efforts on creating fun. These can include such sensible things as:
Safe Environment – Ensure that every employee feels physically and emotionally safe to execute his or her job function. If employees are more concerned about their personal safety, they are not going to be able to enjoy any fun activities. Open Communication – Provide the opportunity for every employee to feel free to speak with others throughout the organization. Keep an open door policy so that all ideas and concerns—both positive and not so positive can be heard. Meaningful Values – Netflix includes nine behaviors and skills that they value in all employees: judgment, communication, impact, curiosity, innovation, courage, passion, honesty, selflessness. Working around people that embody these nine values would trump all fun activities for me. Team Building – Provide opportunities where people can bond on topics outside the work they do. This can often be loads of fun with extremely powerful benefit of building trust and teamwork. Advancement Opportunities – Ensure there is a career path for every employee so that expectations can be met and incentives exist to encourage moving up in the organization. Flex Time – Perhaps the most fun employees can have is in first ensuring that their personal lives and families are taken into consideration. This could ultimately mean that an employee does not want to have fun at work if it means additional time away from his or her family. These things will certainly help employees feel more joy in the workplace, which can result in higher employee engagement. They are also likely to improve productivity and that‘s the kind of fun we could all use in this economy
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08/18/2011
Behold the Power of Play at Work (and Pikes Place Market Fun with Fish)!
Have you Heard the Saying, "Happy People are Productive People?"
Well according to economists it has been proven through research that there are clear links between a worker’s happiness and their productivity.
Fun at work does indeed matter! When employees are happy, they are at their best, and will lean towards positive attitudes. This in turn will lead to a happier environment, creativity, relationship building, and the time will seem to pass by faster. When there is joy among employees, the environment at work becomes healthy. During work hours my optimism puts a smile on others’ faces, which in turn creates a very productive relationship between my coworkers and me. Happy employees tend to make the best of things, boosting motivation and goal setting. An open environment at work will also boost the ability to innovate and create new ideas, which will contribute to efficiency throughout any workplace. Building relationships at work can vary, whether it’s by having coffee with co-workers, asking questions, or telling jokes. The important thing is to create a positive attitude among others. Try it out! You will soon look forward to coming into work because the time will pass you by. Believe it or not, workplace fun tells a lot about where you work. Fun in the workplace helps develop a positive staff culture, strong client relationships, and a boost in morale and motivation, all of which are key factors to any corporation. It means that the people within a business have positive attitudes governing their everyday work ethic and progress. By allowing fun to happen, whether it’s by planning a birthday party or having a spontaneous root beer day, employees will look forward to coming to work and getting their job done. Clients will soon notice this type of environment and will want to build a relationship with your company. In turn, such an environment will retain and attract employees. Thanks to our President John Heaton’s dedication to making Pay Plus Benefits a fun workplace the environment, staff, and unconditional support from all our clients could not be any better!
How is Fun at Work Related to Pikes Place Market?
What comes to mind after watching this video? Fun? Entertainment? Turns out, the fish throwing was actually an act of creativity. Their vision of the workplace was to bring a little fun and not necessarily to improve business and become famous for their entertainment of throwing fish around. It was this small idea that brought about innovative thinking. Having fun at work tells a lot about a business and the people working within. The employees at Pikes Place Market did not just fill orders; they filled people with happiness, friendliness, and enthusiasm. Despite the hard work and long hours, these employees chose to bring amazing passion, fun and commitment to work every day, which in turn increased the productivity and customer rate. There are some misconceptions; however, about "play at work". Many people believe that having fun at work is absolutely unacceptable and would most likely interfere with the productivity rate among employees. I think these people miss the main idea of “fun”. Having fun does not necessarily mean goofing off. It’s about staying positive, boosting motivation, and relieving stress. For example, Pikes Place Market’s positive attitude and fish throwing entertainment attract many customers and creates a fun environment for anyone who sets foot in the market. These employees are motivated each day by fulfilling customers with fun and laughter and in turn
alleviate their own stress levels. If kids learn and concentrate more when they are having fun, why can’t adults? Make a class topic fun and interesting and you have fully engaged and attentive students. Similarly, if you have a fun environment then you have fully productive and focused employees. Makes sense, no?
Ideas to Help You Get Started Having More Fun
These are some things we do for fun that you might like to try out!
Events:
? Birthdays - Do you exist? Pay Plus Benefits celebrates that! At the beginning of each year we draw names for birthday buddies and take 20-30 minutes out of the day to celebrate our co-workers date of birth! In my opinion, we put Red Robin to shame! Baby showers – Expecting a little one? Pay Plus Benefits loves babies! Go cart-racing – Love a little excitement and full adrenaline rush? The employees here love to race and show our competitiveness out at the race track. Potlucks – Do you love to play kickball? At our company picnics we love to run around with our kids and co-workers. Ice-Cream fire drill – Do you love surprises? Well we do, especially when it means pulling a fake fire alarm to send employees outside for ice cream. What a great treat for a very hot day!
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Decorate the Office: ? Want your station looking like a Mexican Fiesta? We bring office humor and positive attitudes to the office and one another by doing just this and other decorative themes.
Listen to Music: ? Do you concentrate with old classics like Johnny Cash? Pay Plus Benefits allows you to listen to music if it improves your focus in projects.
Personalize Work Stations: ? Do you like to make your office a home away from home? Pay Plus Benefits loves to see fun pictures and more!
At Pay Plus Benefits having fun is not an option, it’s a necessity!
We would love to hear some of the things your company does to have a little fun.
... put a smile on the face of all your staff. Ideas from the weird and wacky, through to the active, competitive, cerebral and cultural. It's been well accepted that there is a direct relationship between 'fun at work' and employee motivation, productivity, creativity, satisfaction and retention.
A planned programme of occasional and surprise activities at your workplace will bring staff, at all levels, to work with a smile, never knowing what might happen today. Humor is in the unexpected and it is well known to help relieve stress and improve health, there is little else that will make a person feel as good as a laugh
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should managers organize “fun” at work?
January 22, 2009 A reader writes: Obviously with these difficult economic times, employees are feeling stressed, burned out, and anxious, among other things. Being fairly new to the HR industry, I think that more fun activities (such as cook-offs, cookie decorating for V-Day, and maybe even a corn-hole tournament in the summer) should be introduced to the staff to help relieve some of the tension. I was thinking about having at least one fun activity every other month. Shouldn’t employees be able to have fun at work? Do you think this could be an effective way to improve morale? Is there such a thing as scheduling too many activities that it could actually take away from productivity? The reason why I ask the last question is because I’m thinking about maybe showing a short movie at lunch time in a week, then another employee is scheduling an activity two weeks after that and then Valentine’s Day is approaching and I was thinking about having an activity for that holiday — Thanks! I‘m going to be Scrooge here. Yes, there‘s such a thing as too many activities impacting productivity. Fundamentally, employees are there to get things done. So really, every activity you plan that takes them away from that impacts their productivity. You‘ve got to think about what the mission of the company is, and how using their time in the ways you propose contributes to that. Of course, presumably your thinking is that by increasing fun at work, you increase people‘s morale, which ultimately leads to higher productivity. And it‘s true that higher morale tends to equal higher productivity. But is ?fun? the way to do it? I‘m going to argue it‘s not, and here‘s why. For most people, morale and quality of life at work isn‘t about having a series of fun activities, but rather about having coworkers you like, a boss who is fair and effective, the resources you need to do your job, recognition for good work, clear expectations, and so forth. In fact, without these things, planned activities can really backfire; it can be infuriating to work somewhere that doesn‘t put much effort into these fundamentals but then expects employees to go wild over a fun outing or social event.
Also, many, many people will resent having their work time used on non-work activities. Show me an office organizing a cookie-decorating session and I will show you a bunch of people wondering why they can‘t instead just go home an hour earlier if you don‘t need them doing work during that time. Lots of people want to have their fun on their own time, in the ways they choose and with the people they choose. Clearly, your motivation is in the right place: You want happy, less stressed employees. But I‘d encourage you to think about different ways of achieving your goal. It‘s not about entertaining them, but about thinking about what they really want — see the list above — and finding ways to deliver that to them instead. It‘s much harder — but a far more effective path to your goal.
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turnover and morale during a recession should I give advance notice that I plan to resign? giving notice when boss will tell you to leave immediately
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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
Anonymous January 22, 2009 at 2:05 am
At least no tournaments of any kind. When a competition is formally organized on company time, many people take it as a test to show the boss what go-getter winners they are. A game meant just for fun can get too serious, damage trust, and do the opposite of team building. Reply
Professor January 22, 2009 at 2:15 am
The manager is right! Forget the ?funzie? stuff. I‘m at work to work! If you don‘t need me to work, let me go home early. If you want to improve morale, improve the work environment, hire coworkers who are cooperative, good workers and get along well. Oh, and give me a raise. Better yet, give me job security — so make sure sales and marketing are making our widgets fly off store shelves so that I can keep my job in these turbulent times. But don‘t ask me to give up my lunch hour to watch a movie. Thanks! Reply
nuqotw January 22, 2009 at 2:46 am
Do not plan ?fun? to improve morale. If employees want to socialize together they will, without involvement from the company itself. AAM is right about ?fun? backfiring. I worked a company with low and sinking morale, and one of the worst calls ever made was to hold a company happy hour. It‘s hard enough to work 12+ hours a day plus weekends without the company asking you to donate some of your scant free time (or worse, HR coming by to encourage you to go to happy hour at 5 PM when it‘s clear that if you‘re lucky you‘ll leave work by 10). Employee morale is all about work environment and managing employee‘s time effectively. A manager who respects his/her employees‘ professionally, personally, and respects their time as valuable will create good morale. If those things are absent, no amount of money or fun will make people happy. Reply
Savvy Working Gal January 22, 2009 at 2:59 am
Well said, the work potluck is one of my workplace pet peeves. My company‘s HR manager arranges a ?fun? potluck every month. Employees from every department resent having to spend their free time shopping and cooking for work events. Plus, cooking for a group of forty can be expensive and wasteful; there is almost always too much food. Of course, when it?s time to clean up the HR manager is never around; employees who should be working (they are billable) are wiping tables, washing dishes, packing and throwing out uneaten food. Almost everyone dreads these events, but to date no one has wanted to be the one to tell her, ?Enough Already?. If you don?t participate she singles you out implying you are not a team player. Reply
AndrewR January 22, 2009 at 6:15 am
We have a phrase for this where I work: ?Compulsory Fun? Reply
Anonymous January 22, 2009 at 10:54 am
I absolutely agree with AAM here. And oh, no, not a potluck. Years ago, I worked for a place that had monthly potlucks and it was terrible. I finally stopped participating
(I‘m a vegetarian and could not eat most of the things that others brought, anyway), and almost everyone in management or HR took it personally! Mind you, all I did was slip out and go home for lunch on those days–I didn‘t announce it or anything–and it still caused a huge problem. This is the same place that had so-called ?fun? activities scheduled all the time, and most of us did resent the fact that we were being kept from our work for a few hours every week and still expected to accomplish just as much. And in this economy, I‘d caution against anything that costs money, too. My husband‘s HR department has started sending out treat packages for employees every Friday. In theory, this seems nice enough, but each ?treat bag? includes candy or cookies and cupcakes and little toys and prizes. Most of it is junk that gets thrown away, and that stuff does cost something, after all. The employees complain and wonder: If this is something that the company deems vital enough to spend money on, then no wonder they‘re in a salary freeze. Reply
Anonymous January 22, 2009 at 1:28 pm
If you want to offer them some fun, create a game room with guitar hero and other games so they can do this on their lunch break if they choose. Or order lunch in that they can eat on their time once a month. No organized games, it makes people feel like they‘ve gone back to HS and are being forced to participate, which is never fun. Reply
Anonymous January 22, 2009 at 2:14 pm
During these extraordinarily difficult economic times when layoffs have occurred at many companies, we‘ve all got more work to do than we can handle. I‘m so fried by the end of the day that I just want to go home, hug my kids, and then sit on my rear. If I was forced to participate in an activity that meant it would take me even longer to finish my work, my morale would plummet, not improve. AAM is spot-on here. The person who asked the original question does seem to be coming from the right place. But it is the fundamentals that will improve morale. Fun, after all, is in the eye of the beholder. Reply
Anonymous January 22, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I can appreciate that this HR person is a little green behind the ears, but enthusiastic. I appreciate enthusiasm…but this person hasn‘t yet learned to see activities in a 360
degree view. Think about the widowed sales guy who seems happy with his life, and devoted to his job, but do you think he would really appreciate a formal Valentine‘s Day work event to remind him that she didn‘t have a valentine? As per potlucks (I would rather stab myself in the eye than cook), think about allergies, vegetarian/vegan needs, and potential hair falling into food issues. It‘s a nightmare. Perhaps find a way to invest that energy and eagerness into programs that work…add a perk to life at your company or one Friday a month send everyone home at 4pm. Things like that are far more appreciated than forced socialization. I promise. But good job on realizing that morale is low and you‘d like to find a way to improve it. Reply
Bohdan January 22, 2009 at 4:15 pm
If your employees are stressed out by the ?difficult economic times‘ there are some useful things you can do or help make happen. First, help managers set clear expectations for their employees. Most don‘t. If your employees know, ?If I do X, Y, and Z I will keep my job,‘ the will be much happier. If your company is doing well or at least reasonably well make sure to broadcast that fact. Heck, if your company is making a profit let your employees know. If not let them know what is being done about. Convey enthusiasm about the business and its potential for success. That‘s PR stuff. On the back-end actually find out what you need to do to make the company profitable (or more so). Then do it. There is a lot HR can do to improve profit, one of the basics is coaching managers is dealing with employee relations and performance management. That is especially true for new managers. Reply
Rebecca January 22, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Sorry, no amount of ?fun activities at work? is going to take my mind off the fact that the economy sucks, my bills are piling up, and one wrong move puts me next in line to be fired. What do employees ultimately want? More money for less time spent at work. So if you want to give them something, give things like money and time. Give bonuses. Let people be a little flexible with their hours. (It can be life-changing to know that you
won‘t get in trouble for coming in late or leaving early every now and then as long as you get your work done.) And I guarantee your workplace will be less tense if you make it a place like AAM describes in her third paragraph, and a place where people can expect secure, steady employment in return for their hard work. Reply
Just another HR lady... January 22, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Welcome to the HR newbie, I‘m sorry you‘re taking a bit of a beating here on your ideas. Your heart is clearly in the right place, and it‘s just a matter of experience to realize what employees do and don‘t want in the workplace, and what solid HR/business related factors you should consider in trying to improve morale. I think you‘ve gotten some good suggestions to consider here in how to improve morale other than setting up unwanted social events. How about doing an employee survey on the environment, benefits, etc. etc.? Keep in mind that I would strongly suggest doing a survey only if your company is prepared to make some of the changes that employees bring forward. If not, the survey will only make a bad situation worse. Showing solid business knowledge and common sense in creating a plan to improve morale will also allow HR (and you!) to build a strong reputation as a partner to the business, rather than being viewed as a ?social director?. Welcome again to the career, it‘s going to be a hard go for everyone over the next year. Reply
GeekChic January 22, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Yeah… ixnay on the organized, compulsory (even if you say it isn‘t) ?fun?. If a wanted to party with the people at work – I would go out with them after. The one thing that work did do in the past couple of years that DID massively improve the morale of my department? Allow us to tele-commute for up to 3 days a week! There‘s a way to improve morale. Reply
TisDone January 22, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Ditto what everyone else has said about good intentions … but for a bit of humorous perspective – after having to lookup Cornhole, the first thing I thought of when
reading the orig post was: for exhibit A for what not to do – consider, ?The Office.? There have been a few stories dedicated to the topic of compulsory fun – and all of them have gone badly. Just think – ?what would Michael Scott do?? – and then do the opposite.
Reply
Evil HR Lady January 22, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Please don‘t make me do something fun. Provide me a free lunch. (mmmm, lunch), but no activities. Reply
Productivity Guy January 23, 2009 at 12:31 am
Potlucks and food-only events are fine – have them around lunch, people tend to show up for a little bit, hang out, then go back to work with minimal impact to their day. Don‘t listen to the vegetarian who couldn‘t eat anything.
) As soon as you get into arts and crafts, however, that‘s where employees start to get pissy about having to waste their time (although my company did have a pumpkincarving contest which was pretty entertaining – though I opted not to join in because I was busy). But in general, I agree – fun events are not the way to go. For me, having the right environment (coworkers I like, casual atmosphere) is what keeps morale up. Oh, and profitability. Reply
Legal Secretary January 23, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I really do not like what I call ?mandatory fun? of any kind when it comes to work. I don‘t even like attending the company Christmas party. I WORK with these people and for the most part I do not wish to socialize with them outside of work. I have ?real? friends for that. And oh — if my employer forces me to take a lunch hour every day (which he does), then the hour is mine — it belongs to me and I need to have that hour to run errands or eat lunch. This isn‘t kindergarten …. it‘s work. Reply
Anonymous January 23, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Fun events that are simply for the sake of having fun probably aren‘t the best way to go. However, if the environment is right, a fun event that encourages sales is great. I used to work for a travel company that did fun giveaways on St Patrick‘s day. It was mostly the call center employees that got to participate, but some of the supervisors would run around updating other departments on how things were going. Everyone always seemed to have a blast and get enthusiastic about sales on that day. It was just a quirky little thing that made everyone smile. Reply
Neha January 23, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I agree, forced merriment is always a bad idea. Reply
Gingerale January 24, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Spare me from mandatory fun. Reply
Wally Bock January 24, 2009 at 4:35 pm
AAM hit the core of this one. People want to do interesting and important work with people they like. When you hear people identify times when it was ?fun to come to work,? as I often do in one of my training exercises, you don‘t hear them describing ?Compulsory Fun.? What they describe is the fun of working and making a contribution, usually as part of a team. Reply
Ryan January 25, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I agree with the Manager. I am an adult and expect to be treated as one. To introduce ?funzie? stuff (as originally posted) is condescending to me – I come to work to work, not to be treated like a kid who needs to be entertained constantly or to be productive. If you cannot get your employee to become productive through alternative methods (one-on-ones, memos, etc.), it may be time to find a new employee. There are enough job seekers out there… Reply
Ryan January 25, 2009 at 12:31 pm
BUT, since you are looking for ways to improve morale… 1) Be an advocate of the employee. I can only think of one or two employers where managers or HR was there on behalf of the employee – I realize that there will always be a divide between the two, but it always seemed to appear as an ?us against them, how can we screw the employee today? attitude, with very little to no confidentiality given. And these were at ?professional? companies. I can think of valid complaints that HR WANTED to know about, yet employees refused to bring them to management‘s attention because they were afraid of retribution or the fact that the HR person was friends with the GM…and you know how that ends there… 2) I apologize for the redundancy, but make the employee feel heard – even if you have no intentions of using their ideas. Simply blowing them off because you‘ve heard the idea 100?s of times before or think that you are above them is not acceptable. Sidebar: if you have heard the idea 100?s of times before, there‘s probably a reason why, and perhaps you should look deeper into it, rather than just blowing it off. I could write more, but those are the two pet peeves of mine as an employee. Reply
Esther January 26, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Since no one has said this yet, I‘d like to add that giving the EMPLOYEES flexibility to plan something fun might work, depending on the company. We work in a 20person office, and periodically we‘ll decide to get together for a game of dominoes during lunchtime, or have a voluntary potluck (everyone is allowed to come eat, completely voluntary if you want to bring something.) The main point, though, is that these don‘t have to go through the management or necessarily include the management. Free lunch is good, but better for morale if it‘s truly a free lunch (as in, ?I‘m buying?) that employee can then eat wherever they want, rather than a forced sit-down on their lunch hour. As many people have added avoe, the biggest way to increase morale is going to be work-life flexibility. We get to leave at 2:00 on Fridays all summer, and everyone works harder to get their work done. We almost always get a message from the CEO the day before holidays, telling us we can leave early as well. Reply
Chris Young January 26, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Great post AMA and great string of comments it provoked! I‘ve shared your post in my weekly Rainmaker ?Fab Five‘ blog picks of the week (found here:http://www.maximizepossibility.com/...inmaker-fabfive-blog-picks-of-the-week-1.html) to clue my readers in on this great online dialogue. Be well! Reply
Anonymous January 26, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Wait, a WHAT kind of tournament, now??? Reply
siscat12 January 28, 2009 at 4:41 am
Are you going to cover all positions so that every single person employed can have equal opportunity fun? Our birthday club had their first celebration last week and because I had a waiting room full of people to check in, I missed the whole thing. Had to ask a question and everyone in the office was sitting around in the conference room enjoying cake and ice cream… except for myself. I‘m on the front desk, a position that has to be covered. My coworkers like me, my bosses are happy with my work and attitude..yet noone thought to relieve me to go have 10 minutes of fun. Stuff like this doesn‘t work and has the possibility of setting up resentment. Reply
The Tonic January 29, 2009 at 5:40 pm
When it comes to fun, it needs to be productive and beneficial to the employees to be justifiable – and unfortunately those ideas sound shoe horned in. Why not try offering free yoga or free relaxation sessions or start offering free fruit and healthy snacks in the office. Looking after the health of your employees when they‘re all stressed out will not only motivate and increase productivity but be seen as a subtle way of the company saying thanks (without hiring a clown).http://www.the-tonic.com Reply
Dan McCarthy February 1, 2009 at 10:55 am
Thank-You AAM! Yes, please, no more ?fun days? or ?fun committees?, or other forms of forced nonsense. Managers can create an environment where the work is engaging and it?s OK to share a laugh now and then. It happens naturally, not by scheduling it. Reply
Anonymous February 2, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Things my company does that are actually "fun" but are perhaps liabilities. We're in real estate though and the slightly sleazy schmoozy stuff is really industry standard. 1) We have a full bar in the basement complete with kegerator 2) Also in basement we have a big screen LCD with satellite, Wii & XBox and huge comfy leather couches for mid day napping 3) Beer Pong contests once a year. 5) A made up paid holiday the Friday of our school district's spring break. 6) A Christmas party/Summer picnic so awesome it would make you cry. 7) Workout facilities (shower/treadmill/bike/universal gym) Lexy Reply
Sue February 14, 2009 at 5:41 am
I work in education, and we‘re routinely subjected to mandatory fun as if I don‘t already have too much to do. Every ?fun? activity begins with us being told that everyone knows that we have a lot of work to do, but it is important for us to take some time to have fun. Oh great, I get to take all of my work home with me in order to finish it before my deadlines is what goes through my head. Maybe if we were allowed to do our work during working hours, we would actually have time at home to enjoy ourselves and choose what we want to do and who we want to do it with. I don‘t have fun around my peers. All they do is incessantly
complain about the students or our administrators. While all of this is going on, the administration is watching over us to see who is a good team player and on their side. Ditch the mandatory fun and let us do what you‘re paying us for: WORK.
Articles Dealing with Workplace Issues by Mary Rau-Foster, RN BS ARM JD Humor and Fun in the Workplace
by Mary Rau-Foster Did you know that ... 1. The average preschooler laughs or smiles 400 times a day? Or that the number drops to only 15 times a day by the time people reach age 35? 2. People smile only 35 percent as much as they think they do? 3. Laughter releases endorphins, a chemical 10 times more powerful than the pain-relieving drug morphine, into the body with the same exhilarating effect as doing strenuous exercise?
"The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. The moment it arises, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place." -- Mark Twain Sit with children as they play and you will hear a joyful sound: the sound of laughter. Children can be counted on to make fun even out of unpleasant work. What do they know that we have forgotten? They know how to laugh. They know how to add a dimension of playfulness to boring chores. Make a mental survey of people that you find uplifting and fun to be around. What is the common denominator? They know how to laugh and how to have fun. Can laughing and having fun on the job make a difference in the way we do our jobs? Absolutely! A survey by Hodge-Cronin & Associates found that of 737 CEOs surveyed, 98 percent preferred job candidates with a sense of humor to those without. Another survey indicated that 84 percent of the executives thought that employees with a sense of humor do a better job than people with little or no sense of humor. 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 absentee, late, and sick days than people who aren't having fun.
4. Every time you have a good hearty laugh,you burn up 3 1/2 calories? 5. Laughing increases oxygen intake, thereby replenishing and invigorating cells? It also increases the pain threshold, boosts immunity, and relieves stress.
Six Reasons that fun can improve work quality and mental health: 1. Fun breaks up boredom and fatigue 2. Fun fulfills human social needs 3. Fun increases creativity and willingness to help 4. Fun fulfills the need for mastery and control 5. Fun improves communication
The benefits to a pleasant and happy workplace are that happy employees are 6. Fun breaks up conflict and tension more loyal and productive employees. The absenteeism and tardiness rate may decrease as people look forward to going to work. The turnover rate may decrease, as employees feel content and loyal to an organization. And the cost associated with illness may decrease as people experience the positive physiological and psychological effects of laughter. Can the benefits to having fun be measured? Yes, by comparing the absenteeism, tardiness, and turnover rates pre-program implementation. In addition, an employee satisfaction survey can reveal how employees feel about their jobs, the company, and company culture. Will your customer complaints decrease as they
encounter happier employees? Company activities can teach employees how working together as a team can be fun and productive. Some of the competitive natures can work itself out on a co-ed field. In addition, managers or supervisors can be seen also as team players, who can relax and enjoy life and others as well. Company-planned or approved activities can go far in cultivating a positive corporate culture. The use of fun and humor in the workplace must be appropriate in nature, when and how it is used. The humor should not be offensive to the ordinary or reasonable person. It is meant to encourage people to see the absurdity in our thought processes, perceptions, behaviors. It is also a useful tool that can be used to help us lighten up and not take things so seriously. It can also effectively reduce the level and intensity of conflict among employees, if properly used. So, how do you implement and maintain (with an emphasis on maintenance) a humor and fun program? Is it going to be costly in terms of resources, including money, time, and productivity? It does not have to be a costly undertaking. However, even if there is some expenditure associated with "fun-at-work" activities, the benefits may be multi-fold in terms of the reduction of cost associated with absenteeism, turnover, and decreased productivity. Fun at work can even lead to alleviation of the inevitable boredom that arises out of dull, routine, and non-challenging tasks. Even schools recognized the importance of giving children recess breaks so that they might have the opportunity to have fun. The inability to laugh may be a sign of impending burnout (see May 2000 column). When it is no longer possible to find humor in anything, it may be that the employee is in the throes of burnout. The desire to feel good, to change a mood, or even to loosen up a bit, is the reason that many people turn to alcohol or even legal or illegal drugs. However, there is no way that any man-made substance can be as powerful as the endorphins that the body produces for free, without any side-effects. Norman Cousins, brought to our attention how laughter can be healing or reducing symptoms. You may recall that he had a serious and painful illness. He discovered that 10 minutes of laughter could lead to one hour that was pain-free. Laughter releases endorphins that are more powerful than morphine. These endorphins can lead to a sense of well-being and optimism. In addition, humor and laughter can even bridge the gap between total strangers. The use of humor can even reduce tension in a tense situation (as workplaces can sometimes be). Who said that fun and work were mutually exclusive? Have we unknowingly incorporated the quote used in exercise "no pain, no gain" to the workplace? Is work meant to be stifling and boring? Let's hope not, because boredom can give rise to burnout.
Boredom arises from rote and repetitive tasks. It can also rise out of the failure to have opportunities to be creative. Lawyers deal with it — drafting and reviewing contracts. The front desk receptionist who answers the phone all day — the computer programmer who is discouraged from using his or her creativity in programming. Having some boredom-breaking activities can lead to greater creativity and a tolerance for carrying out tedious repetitive tasks. Can businesses successfully implement an employee-friendly and fun environment? Isn't it dangerous? There are two examples that come to mind that demonstrate just how successful these efforts can be. SouthWest Airlines has departed from the typical approach to passenger service and has been rewarded for it. The flight attendants were named number one among the flight attendants of all the airlines. The SWA flight attendant uniform is casual and not at all like other airlines. In addition, they are encouraged to use humor in their customer service — which the passengers seem to appreciate (this one in particular.) Does the playfulness of the attendants impact their credibility with the passengers? Apparently not, as evidenced by the laughter and positive comments that follows some humorous remarks by the attendants. And this from a no-frills airline. Other companies have also recognized that happy employees are productive employees. Autodesk, a California-based software company, has implemented an unusual bring-your-animal-to-work program. The company recognized that employees would happily work the long hours that are sometimes required if they can have their animal companions with them. Of course, there are conditions and expectations that accompany the program. SWA and Autodesk are but two of the many large companies that recognized the importance of creating a fun environment. That is not to say that other companies will implement a bring-youranimal-to-work program. However, there are many other ways to create an environment that is pleasing to employees. Bring out that ability to laugh, dust it off, and go for the gold… the golden sounds of someone enjoying himself or herself. You may ask "What if I make a fool of myself?" That may happen, but you will be in great company. There is something magical about someone who is so confident that he or she will take the risk of being misunderstood or criticized by some negative Neal or Nellie. There is also something magical about a company that has the ability to see that happy and laughing employees are good, productive, and loyal employees. This magic can be transformed into a productive and financially profitable workplace environment. If you would like some information on how you can make your environment fun but productive, just call Mary at (615) 371-2900 or e-mail her at .
Please Note: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not the intent of Mary Rau-Foster to render legal advice. If legal advice is required, you should seek the services of a competent lawyer.
Mary Rau-Foster is an author, attorney, a certified mediator, and a nationally known speaker, who specializes in workplace issues including employee motivation, management, communication, and conflict resolution. Browse the rest of this website for more information about how Mary can help your company, or call Mary at 615-371-2900 (Nashville area).
WHY PLAY MATTERS FOR BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS
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By nature, humans are born to play. Playing is instinctive and fundamental to our existence. Playing helps us survive and thrive by connecting us to other human beings and to sources of energy and excitement within ourselves. Play is simultaneously a source of calmness and relaxation, as well as a source of stimulation for the brain and body. Playfulness helps us be more inventive, smart, happy, flexible, and resilient. A sure (and fun) way to develop your imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and mental health is to play with your romantic partner, officemates, children, grandchildren, and friends.
In This Article:
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Play: It's not just for kids Lifelong benefits of play Play and relationships Playing at work Play, creativity, and flow Learning how to play again Related links Authors
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Play: It's not just for kids
"What do most Nobel Laureates, innovative entrepreneurs, artists and performers, welladjusted children, happy couples and families, and the most successfully adapted mammals have in common? They play enthusiastically throughout their lives." ~ Stuart Brown, Institute of Play Play is often described as a time when we feel most alive, yet we often take it for granted and may completely forget about it. But play isn't a luxury - it's a necessity. Play is as important to our physical and mental health as getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising. Play teaches us how to manage and transform our "negative" emotions and experiences. It supercharges learning, helps us relieve stress, and connects us to others and the world around us. Play can also make work more productive and pleasurable. Despite the power of play, somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us stop playing. We exchange play for work and responsibilities. When we do have some leisure time, we're more likely to zone out in front of the TV or computer than to engage in creative, brain-stimulating play. By giving ourselves permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, we can continue to reap its benefits throughout life.
Some of the reasons we play:
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to learn to create to feel challenged to pass time to calm and focus ourselves as spectators watching others competitively to win cooperatively for the fun of it for the joy of it
The lifelong benefits of play
Play connects us to others
Sharing joy, laughter and fun with others promotes bonding and strengthens a sense of community. We develop empathy, compassion, trust, and the capacity for intimacy through regular play.
Play fosters creativity, flexibility, and learning
Play is a doorway to learning. Play stimulates our imaginations, helping us adapt and solve problems. Play arouses curiosity, which leads to discovery and creativity. The components of play - curiosity, discovery, novelty, risk-taking, trial and error, pretense, games, social etiquette and other increasingly complex adaptive activities - are the same as the components of learning.
Play is an antidote to loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and depression
When we play vigorously, we trigger a mix of endorphins that lift our spirits and distractions that distance us from pain, fear and other burdens. And when we play with other people, with friends and strangers, we are reminded that we are not alone in this world. We can connect to others in delightful and meaningful ways that banish loneliness.
Play teaches us perseverance
The rewards of learning or mastering a new game teach us that perseverance is worthwhile. Perseverance is a trait necessary to healthy adulthood, and it is learned largely through play. Perseverance and violence are rarely found together.
Play makes us happy
Beyond all these excellent reasons for playing, there is simply the sheer joy of it. Play is a state of being that is happy and joyous. Jumping into and out of the world of play on a daily basis can preserve and nourish our own hearts, and the hearts of our communities.
Play and relationships
Play is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. Playing together for the fun of it brings joy, vitality, and resilience to relationships. Play can also heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Through regular play, we learn to trust one another and feel safe. Trust enables us to work together, open ourselves to intimacy, and try new things.
Play helps us develop and improve our social skills
Social skills are learned in the give and take of play. Verbal communication and body language, safety and danger, freedom and boundaries, cooperation and teamwork: all are discovered and practiced repeatedly during infant and childhood play. We continue to refine these skills in adulthood through play and playful communication.
Play teaches us how to cooperate with others
Play is a powerful catalyst for positive socialization. Through play, children learn how to "play nicely" with others - to work together, follow mutually agreed upon rules, and socialize in groups. As adults, play continues to confer these benefits. Evidence even shows that play may be an antidote to violence. In fact, those who avoid or have never learned to play may become lost in the world of fear, rage, and obsessive worry.
Mutual play can heal emotional wounds
When adults play together, they are engaging in exactly the same patterns of behavior that positively shape the brain in children. These same playful behaviors that predict emotional health in children also lead to positive change in adults. Studies show that an emotionallyinsecure individual can replace negative beliefs and behaviors with positive assumptions and actions by living with a secure partner. Close, positive, and emotionally-fulfilling
relationships heal and create emotional resiliency. Play provides a safe and joyous context for the development of such relationships.
Playfulness in Relationships
Mutual laughter and play are an essential component of strong, healthy relationships. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humor and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships- as well as your connections with coworkers, family members, and friends. Read: Playful Communication in Relationships: The Power of Laughter, Humor, and Play
Playing at work: The key to productivity and innovation
Work or play: It's all in your attitude
When researchers studied preteen children's attitudes about play, they discovered that some children called almost everything they did "play" while others called almost everything they did "work." Reconnecting with the children at the end of adolescence, the children who thought of everything as play were more successful and happier in school and were more content socially than the people who saw everything as "work." Many people are working longer and harder, thinking that this will solve the problem of diminishing free time and an ever-increasing workload. But they are still falling behind, becoming chronically overwhelmed, and burning out. Work is where we spend much of our time. That is why it is especially important for us to play during work. Without some recreation, our work suffers. Success at work doesn't depend on the amount of time you work. It depends upon the quality of your work. And the quality of your work is highly-dependant on your well-being. Taking the time to replenish yourself through play is one of the best things you can do for your career. When the project you're working on hits a serious glitch (as they frequently do), heading out to the basketball court with your colleagues to shoot some hoops and have a few laughs does a lot more than take your mind off the problem. If basketball isn't your cup of tea, having a model airplane contest, telling stories, or flying kites in the parking lot will also allow your relationship to the problem to shift and enable you to approach it from a new perspective.
Playing at work:
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keeps you functional when under stress refreshes your mind and body encourages teamwork helps you see problems in new ways
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triggers creativity and innovation increases energy and prevents burnout
Play, creativity, and flow
Psychiatrist and writer Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has studied play extensively. He describes play as a flow state that requires just the right balance of challenge and opportunity. If the game is too hard or too easy, it loses its sense of pleasure and fun. Maintaining a flow state in games with others requires all participants, regardless of age or ability, to feel challenged, but not overwhelmed.
Feelings We Experience in the Flow State
Complete focus and concentration, either due to innate curiosity or as the result of training. A sense of bliss and positive detachment from everyday reality. Delight Great inner clarity and a built-in understanding about the state of affairs. Clarity An innate sense that the activity is doable and that your skills are adequate to Confidence the task. Additionally, you don‘t feel anxious or bored. A sense of peace and an absence of worries about self. Serenity Timeliness Thorough focus on the present and a lack of attention to the passing of time. Intrinsic understanding about what needs to be done and a desire to keep the Motivation moment of play moving. Involvement
Learning how to play again
Fun games for the whole family
To learn how to play some of Bernie's favorite, fun-for-all-ages games, download and print: Lifelong Games: Play, Creativity, and Lifelong Learning (PDF) Bernie DeKoven, one of the originators of the New Games movement, has devoted his life to developing games that bring people together emotionally in the context of playing for fun. For those who have forgotten how to play and don't know how to get started again, Bernie offers the following advice: "You don't have to have rules or goals or a board or even anything to play with except each other. But whatever it is that you're playing, there are two things you have to take seriously: being together, and the sheer fun of it all. No game is more important than the experience of being together, being joined, being equal - governed by the same rules, playing for the same purpose. And no purpose is more uniting and freeing than the purpose of being fun with each other."
Winning and losing
Bernie makes important points about winning and losing:
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It's OK for you to lose. This may be hard to remember at the time. But getting beaten, fair and square, by your own grandkid, is one of life's great events.
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Nobody has to lose. For some reason, both adults and children tend to take games more seriously than anyone needs to. That's why it is not unusual for a trivial game to end up as a contest of wills and for children to wind up in tears because they've "lost." Competition separates, rather than unites. Despite your best efforts to keep the competition friendly and fun, the very existence of winners and losers shifts the focus of the game away from fun and playfulness. It separates rather than unites, alienates rather than embraces. Yes, the competitive separation can be overcome. Whenever it happens that opponents embrace each other, it is a victory and a triumph of the human spirit. But it is a rare occurrence.
Suggestions for playing games where no one has to lose:
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Instead of stopping a game when someone wins, just continue playing until everyone wins. There's the first winner, then the second winner, and then the third. When playing a two-person game, like checkers or ping-pong, try playing with three players, and rotate turns. If there are only two of you, in checkers, for example, just trade sides every third or fifth turn so that you have to play the other's person's position.
Related Articles
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Five Key Skills for Raising Your Emotional Intelligence
Laughter is the Best Medicine The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter
More Helpguide Articles:
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Improving Emotional Health: Strategies and Tips for Good Mental Health Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress How to Stop Worrying: Self-Help Strategies for Anxiety Relief Playful Communication in Relationships: The Power of Laughter, Humor, and Play
Related links for creative play and games
Helpguide thanks Bernie DeKoven for his contributions to this article. He is the author of Junkyard Sports and The Well Played Game
The benefits of play
10 Reasons Play Can Make You Healthy, Happy, and More Productive – Top ten list of the many ways play contributes to mental and physical health. (U.S. News & World Report) Play Science: The Patterns of Play – Learn about the different ways human beings play, the roles these different patterns of play serve, and how we benefit from them. (National Institute for Play) The Value of Play I: The Definition of Play Provides Clues to Its Purposes – Psychologist Peter Gray discusses the purpose and benefits of play. (Psychology Today) The Value of Play II: How Play Promotes Reasoning in Children and Adults – Learn how playfulness can improve reasoning and problem-solving skills. (Psychology Today) Leisure Play Is Important for Human Collaboration – Article describes how play teaches human beings to cooperate and curbs tendencies towards aggression and dominance. (PsychCentral)
Play, creativity, and flow
Creativity and Flow Psychology – Article discusses how to get into a state of flow and optimum creativity through play and challenging games. (Talent Development Resources) "Flow" & Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – Australian website describes theory of ?flow? and the relationship between challenge & skills. (Austega) Fun and Flow – Describes the psychology and sociology of fun. (Bernie DeKoven) The Creativity Personality – Article by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on the ten traits that many creative individuals share. (Psychology Today)
Recommended books on play and creativity
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul, by Stuart Brown. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, New York: Harper & Row, 1990. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; New York: Harper Collins, 1996.
Games and other fun stuff
Fun Quotes – A collection of quotes from people who think a lot about lifelong play. (DeepFun.com) The Great Game List – Contains a myriad of fun activities and games with some advertising. (Fun-Attic)
Pointless Games™ –?All you have to do to win is play,? a collection of games and activities by Bernie DeKoven. Includes games for many, ?less than many? or a few people. (DeepFun.com) More Pointless Games – A collection of party games. (DeepFun.com) Panther, Person, Piston and Beyond – Video clips of lifelong games played at the Bernie DeKoven‘s Deep Fun Retreat at the Esalen Institute. (DeepFun.com) Redondo – Instructions for the drawing game described in ?Merry Monster
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Should Fun be Mandated at Work?
September 29, 2010 by Mark Craemer Leave a Comment Fun activities in the workplace can often improve employee engagement. When these are mandated or poorly concocted, however, the fun can actually be counterproductive and reduce overall morale. Some companies have used fun activities as a way to recruit new employees. It is used to increase customer engagement and even to help leverage social media opportunities. But is this fun really effective if it is mandated rather than grown more spontaneously? Some examples of the fun activities I‘m speaking of include:
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TD Bank, the American arm of Canada‘s Toronto Dominion, has a ?Wow!? department that sends out teams in costumes to ?surprise and delight? successful workers. Google offers employees volleyball courts, roller hockey and bicycle paths to encourage hanging out longer in the workplace. The London branch of Red Bull recently installed a slide in its office. Acclaris, an IT company, has a ?chief fun officer.? Twitter claims one of its core values as creating ?fun and a little weirdness.? Zappos encourages workers to form noisy conga lines and then single out an individual colleague for praise, whereupon the person must wear a silly hat for a week.
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What is it about fun that makes it necessary for employers to create it for us? Is this due to much of the younger workforce having had so many structured fun activities as children: heavily scheduled playdates by helicopter mothers, overly supervised slumber parties, too little downtime between extracurricular activities? Encouraging employees to have fun while at work is all well and good, but this shouldn‘t be a requirement. And what that fun looks like should not be decided by public relations or human resources departments in isolation of rank and file employees. There are many ways employees can find more joy in their work. The most basic are not so much fun and games, as they are simply more supportive of the workers. Fostering an environment where people feel empowered to do their best work should be executed long before efforts on creating fun. These can include such sensible things as:
Safe Environment – Ensure that every employee feels physically and emotionally safe to execute his or her job function. If employees are more concerned about their personal safety, they are not going to be able to enjoy any fun activities. Open Communication – Provide the opportunity for every employee to feel free to speak with others throughout the organization. Keep an open door policy so that all ideas and concerns—both positive and not so positive can be heard. Meaningful Values – Netflix includes nine behaviors and skills that they value in all employees: judgment, communication, impact, curiosity, innovation, courage, passion, honesty, selflessness. Working around people that embody these nine values would trump all fun activities for me. Team Building – Provide opportunities where people can bond on topics outside the work they do. This can often be loads of fun with extremely powerful benefit of building trust and teamwork. Advancement Opportunities – Ensure there is a career path for every employee so that expectations can be met and incentives exist to encourage moving up in the organization. Flex Time – Perhaps the most fun employees can have is in first ensuring that their personal lives and families are taken into consideration. This could ultimately mean that an employee does not want to have fun at work if it means additional time away from his or her family. These things will certainly help employees feel more joy in the workplace, which can result in higher employee engagement. They are also likely to improve productivity and that‘s the kind of fun we could all use in this economy
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08/18/2011
Behold the Power of Play at Work (and Pikes Place Market Fun with Fish)!
Have you Heard the Saying, "Happy People are Productive People?"
Well according to economists it has been proven through research that there are clear links between a worker’s happiness and their productivity.
Fun at work does indeed matter! When employees are happy, they are at their best, and will lean towards positive attitudes. This in turn will lead to a happier environment, creativity, relationship building, and the time will seem to pass by faster. When there is joy among employees, the environment at work becomes healthy. During work hours my optimism puts a smile on others’ faces, which in turn creates a very productive relationship between my coworkers and me. Happy employees tend to make the best of things, boosting motivation and goal setting. An open environment at work will also boost the ability to innovate and create new ideas, which will contribute to efficiency throughout any workplace. Building relationships at work can vary, whether it’s by having coffee with co-workers, asking questions, or telling jokes. The important thing is to create a positive attitude among others. Try it out! You will soon look forward to coming into work because the time will pass you by. Believe it or not, workplace fun tells a lot about where you work. Fun in the workplace helps develop a positive staff culture, strong client relationships, and a boost in morale and motivation, all of which are key factors to any corporation. It means that the people within a business have positive attitudes governing their everyday work ethic and progress. By allowing fun to happen, whether it’s by planning a birthday party or having a spontaneous root beer day, employees will look forward to coming to work and getting their job done. Clients will soon notice this type of environment and will want to build a relationship with your company. In turn, such an environment will retain and attract employees. Thanks to our President John Heaton’s dedication to making Pay Plus Benefits a fun workplace the environment, staff, and unconditional support from all our clients could not be any better!
How is Fun at Work Related to Pikes Place Market?
What comes to mind after watching this video? Fun? Entertainment? Turns out, the fish throwing was actually an act of creativity. Their vision of the workplace was to bring a little fun and not necessarily to improve business and become famous for their entertainment of throwing fish around. It was this small idea that brought about innovative thinking. Having fun at work tells a lot about a business and the people working within. The employees at Pikes Place Market did not just fill orders; they filled people with happiness, friendliness, and enthusiasm. Despite the hard work and long hours, these employees chose to bring amazing passion, fun and commitment to work every day, which in turn increased the productivity and customer rate. There are some misconceptions; however, about "play at work". Many people believe that having fun at work is absolutely unacceptable and would most likely interfere with the productivity rate among employees. I think these people miss the main idea of “fun”. Having fun does not necessarily mean goofing off. It’s about staying positive, boosting motivation, and relieving stress. For example, Pikes Place Market’s positive attitude and fish throwing entertainment attract many customers and creates a fun environment for anyone who sets foot in the market. These employees are motivated each day by fulfilling customers with fun and laughter and in turn
alleviate their own stress levels. If kids learn and concentrate more when they are having fun, why can’t adults? Make a class topic fun and interesting and you have fully engaged and attentive students. Similarly, if you have a fun environment then you have fully productive and focused employees. Makes sense, no?
Ideas to Help You Get Started Having More Fun
These are some things we do for fun that you might like to try out!
Events:
? Birthdays - Do you exist? Pay Plus Benefits celebrates that! At the beginning of each year we draw names for birthday buddies and take 20-30 minutes out of the day to celebrate our co-workers date of birth! In my opinion, we put Red Robin to shame! Baby showers – Expecting a little one? Pay Plus Benefits loves babies! Go cart-racing – Love a little excitement and full adrenaline rush? The employees here love to race and show our competitiveness out at the race track. Potlucks – Do you love to play kickball? At our company picnics we love to run around with our kids and co-workers. Ice-Cream fire drill – Do you love surprises? Well we do, especially when it means pulling a fake fire alarm to send employees outside for ice cream. What a great treat for a very hot day!
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Decorate the Office: ? Want your station looking like a Mexican Fiesta? We bring office humor and positive attitudes to the office and one another by doing just this and other decorative themes.
Listen to Music: ? Do you concentrate with old classics like Johnny Cash? Pay Plus Benefits allows you to listen to music if it improves your focus in projects.
Personalize Work Stations: ? Do you like to make your office a home away from home? Pay Plus Benefits loves to see fun pictures and more!
At Pay Plus Benefits having fun is not an option, it’s a necessity!
We would love to hear some of the things your company does to have a little fun.
... put a smile on the face of all your staff. Ideas from the weird and wacky, through to the active, competitive, cerebral and cultural. It's been well accepted that there is a direct relationship between 'fun at work' and employee motivation, productivity, creativity, satisfaction and retention.
A planned programme of occasional and surprise activities at your workplace will bring staff, at all levels, to work with a smile, never knowing what might happen today. Humor is in the unexpected and it is well known to help relieve stress and improve health, there is little else that will make a person feel as good as a laugh
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Ask a Manager
should managers organize “fun” at work?
January 22, 2009 A reader writes: Obviously with these difficult economic times, employees are feeling stressed, burned out, and anxious, among other things. Being fairly new to the HR industry, I think that more fun activities (such as cook-offs, cookie decorating for V-Day, and maybe even a corn-hole tournament in the summer) should be introduced to the staff to help relieve some of the tension. I was thinking about having at least one fun activity every other month. Shouldn’t employees be able to have fun at work? Do you think this could be an effective way to improve morale? Is there such a thing as scheduling too many activities that it could actually take away from productivity? The reason why I ask the last question is because I’m thinking about maybe showing a short movie at lunch time in a week, then another employee is scheduling an activity two weeks after that and then Valentine’s Day is approaching and I was thinking about having an activity for that holiday — Thanks! I‘m going to be Scrooge here. Yes, there‘s such a thing as too many activities impacting productivity. Fundamentally, employees are there to get things done. So really, every activity you plan that takes them away from that impacts their productivity. You‘ve got to think about what the mission of the company is, and how using their time in the ways you propose contributes to that. Of course, presumably your thinking is that by increasing fun at work, you increase people‘s morale, which ultimately leads to higher productivity. And it‘s true that higher morale tends to equal higher productivity. But is ?fun? the way to do it? I‘m going to argue it‘s not, and here‘s why. For most people, morale and quality of life at work isn‘t about having a series of fun activities, but rather about having coworkers you like, a boss who is fair and effective, the resources you need to do your job, recognition for good work, clear expectations, and so forth. In fact, without these things, planned activities can really backfire; it can be infuriating to work somewhere that doesn‘t put much effort into these fundamentals but then expects employees to go wild over a fun outing or social event.
Also, many, many people will resent having their work time used on non-work activities. Show me an office organizing a cookie-decorating session and I will show you a bunch of people wondering why they can‘t instead just go home an hour earlier if you don‘t need them doing work during that time. Lots of people want to have their fun on their own time, in the ways they choose and with the people they choose. Clearly, your motivation is in the right place: You want happy, less stressed employees. But I‘d encourage you to think about different ways of achieving your goal. It‘s not about entertaining them, but about thinking about what they really want — see the list above — and finding ways to deliver that to them instead. It‘s much harder — but a far more effective path to your goal.
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turnover and morale during a recession should I give advance notice that I plan to resign? giving notice when boss will tell you to leave immediately
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{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
Anonymous January 22, 2009 at 2:05 am
At least no tournaments of any kind. When a competition is formally organized on company time, many people take it as a test to show the boss what go-getter winners they are. A game meant just for fun can get too serious, damage trust, and do the opposite of team building. Reply
Professor January 22, 2009 at 2:15 am
The manager is right! Forget the ?funzie? stuff. I‘m at work to work! If you don‘t need me to work, let me go home early. If you want to improve morale, improve the work environment, hire coworkers who are cooperative, good workers and get along well. Oh, and give me a raise. Better yet, give me job security — so make sure sales and marketing are making our widgets fly off store shelves so that I can keep my job in these turbulent times. But don‘t ask me to give up my lunch hour to watch a movie. Thanks! Reply
nuqotw January 22, 2009 at 2:46 am
Do not plan ?fun? to improve morale. If employees want to socialize together they will, without involvement from the company itself. AAM is right about ?fun? backfiring. I worked a company with low and sinking morale, and one of the worst calls ever made was to hold a company happy hour. It‘s hard enough to work 12+ hours a day plus weekends without the company asking you to donate some of your scant free time (or worse, HR coming by to encourage you to go to happy hour at 5 PM when it‘s clear that if you‘re lucky you‘ll leave work by 10). Employee morale is all about work environment and managing employee‘s time effectively. A manager who respects his/her employees‘ professionally, personally, and respects their time as valuable will create good morale. If those things are absent, no amount of money or fun will make people happy. Reply
Savvy Working Gal January 22, 2009 at 2:59 am
Well said, the work potluck is one of my workplace pet peeves. My company‘s HR manager arranges a ?fun? potluck every month. Employees from every department resent having to spend their free time shopping and cooking for work events. Plus, cooking for a group of forty can be expensive and wasteful; there is almost always too much food. Of course, when it?s time to clean up the HR manager is never around; employees who should be working (they are billable) are wiping tables, washing dishes, packing and throwing out uneaten food. Almost everyone dreads these events, but to date no one has wanted to be the one to tell her, ?Enough Already?. If you don?t participate she singles you out implying you are not a team player. Reply
AndrewR January 22, 2009 at 6:15 am
We have a phrase for this where I work: ?Compulsory Fun? Reply
Anonymous January 22, 2009 at 10:54 am
I absolutely agree with AAM here. And oh, no, not a potluck. Years ago, I worked for a place that had monthly potlucks and it was terrible. I finally stopped participating
(I‘m a vegetarian and could not eat most of the things that others brought, anyway), and almost everyone in management or HR took it personally! Mind you, all I did was slip out and go home for lunch on those days–I didn‘t announce it or anything–and it still caused a huge problem. This is the same place that had so-called ?fun? activities scheduled all the time, and most of us did resent the fact that we were being kept from our work for a few hours every week and still expected to accomplish just as much. And in this economy, I‘d caution against anything that costs money, too. My husband‘s HR department has started sending out treat packages for employees every Friday. In theory, this seems nice enough, but each ?treat bag? includes candy or cookies and cupcakes and little toys and prizes. Most of it is junk that gets thrown away, and that stuff does cost something, after all. The employees complain and wonder: If this is something that the company deems vital enough to spend money on, then no wonder they‘re in a salary freeze. Reply
Anonymous January 22, 2009 at 1:28 pm
If you want to offer them some fun, create a game room with guitar hero and other games so they can do this on their lunch break if they choose. Or order lunch in that they can eat on their time once a month. No organized games, it makes people feel like they‘ve gone back to HS and are being forced to participate, which is never fun. Reply
Anonymous January 22, 2009 at 2:14 pm
During these extraordinarily difficult economic times when layoffs have occurred at many companies, we‘ve all got more work to do than we can handle. I‘m so fried by the end of the day that I just want to go home, hug my kids, and then sit on my rear. If I was forced to participate in an activity that meant it would take me even longer to finish my work, my morale would plummet, not improve. AAM is spot-on here. The person who asked the original question does seem to be coming from the right place. But it is the fundamentals that will improve morale. Fun, after all, is in the eye of the beholder. Reply
Anonymous January 22, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I can appreciate that this HR person is a little green behind the ears, but enthusiastic. I appreciate enthusiasm…but this person hasn‘t yet learned to see activities in a 360
degree view. Think about the widowed sales guy who seems happy with his life, and devoted to his job, but do you think he would really appreciate a formal Valentine‘s Day work event to remind him that she didn‘t have a valentine? As per potlucks (I would rather stab myself in the eye than cook), think about allergies, vegetarian/vegan needs, and potential hair falling into food issues. It‘s a nightmare. Perhaps find a way to invest that energy and eagerness into programs that work…add a perk to life at your company or one Friday a month send everyone home at 4pm. Things like that are far more appreciated than forced socialization. I promise. But good job on realizing that morale is low and you‘d like to find a way to improve it. Reply
Bohdan January 22, 2009 at 4:15 pm
If your employees are stressed out by the ?difficult economic times‘ there are some useful things you can do or help make happen. First, help managers set clear expectations for their employees. Most don‘t. If your employees know, ?If I do X, Y, and Z I will keep my job,‘ the will be much happier. If your company is doing well or at least reasonably well make sure to broadcast that fact. Heck, if your company is making a profit let your employees know. If not let them know what is being done about. Convey enthusiasm about the business and its potential for success. That‘s PR stuff. On the back-end actually find out what you need to do to make the company profitable (or more so). Then do it. There is a lot HR can do to improve profit, one of the basics is coaching managers is dealing with employee relations and performance management. That is especially true for new managers. Reply
Rebecca January 22, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Sorry, no amount of ?fun activities at work? is going to take my mind off the fact that the economy sucks, my bills are piling up, and one wrong move puts me next in line to be fired. What do employees ultimately want? More money for less time spent at work. So if you want to give them something, give things like money and time. Give bonuses. Let people be a little flexible with their hours. (It can be life-changing to know that you
won‘t get in trouble for coming in late or leaving early every now and then as long as you get your work done.) And I guarantee your workplace will be less tense if you make it a place like AAM describes in her third paragraph, and a place where people can expect secure, steady employment in return for their hard work. Reply
Just another HR lady... January 22, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Welcome to the HR newbie, I‘m sorry you‘re taking a bit of a beating here on your ideas. Your heart is clearly in the right place, and it‘s just a matter of experience to realize what employees do and don‘t want in the workplace, and what solid HR/business related factors you should consider in trying to improve morale. I think you‘ve gotten some good suggestions to consider here in how to improve morale other than setting up unwanted social events. How about doing an employee survey on the environment, benefits, etc. etc.? Keep in mind that I would strongly suggest doing a survey only if your company is prepared to make some of the changes that employees bring forward. If not, the survey will only make a bad situation worse. Showing solid business knowledge and common sense in creating a plan to improve morale will also allow HR (and you!) to build a strong reputation as a partner to the business, rather than being viewed as a ?social director?. Welcome again to the career, it‘s going to be a hard go for everyone over the next year. Reply
GeekChic January 22, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Yeah… ixnay on the organized, compulsory (even if you say it isn‘t) ?fun?. If a wanted to party with the people at work – I would go out with them after. The one thing that work did do in the past couple of years that DID massively improve the morale of my department? Allow us to tele-commute for up to 3 days a week! There‘s a way to improve morale. Reply
TisDone January 22, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Ditto what everyone else has said about good intentions … but for a bit of humorous perspective – after having to lookup Cornhole, the first thing I thought of when
reading the orig post was: for exhibit A for what not to do – consider, ?The Office.? There have been a few stories dedicated to the topic of compulsory fun – and all of them have gone badly. Just think – ?what would Michael Scott do?? – and then do the opposite.
ReplyEvil HR Lady January 22, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Please don‘t make me do something fun. Provide me a free lunch. (mmmm, lunch), but no activities. Reply
Productivity Guy January 23, 2009 at 12:31 am
Potlucks and food-only events are fine – have them around lunch, people tend to show up for a little bit, hang out, then go back to work with minimal impact to their day. Don‘t listen to the vegetarian who couldn‘t eat anything.
) As soon as you get into arts and crafts, however, that‘s where employees start to get pissy about having to waste their time (although my company did have a pumpkincarving contest which was pretty entertaining – though I opted not to join in because I was busy). But in general, I agree – fun events are not the way to go. For me, having the right environment (coworkers I like, casual atmosphere) is what keeps morale up. Oh, and profitability. ReplyLegal Secretary January 23, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I really do not like what I call ?mandatory fun? of any kind when it comes to work. I don‘t even like attending the company Christmas party. I WORK with these people and for the most part I do not wish to socialize with them outside of work. I have ?real? friends for that. And oh — if my employer forces me to take a lunch hour every day (which he does), then the hour is mine — it belongs to me and I need to have that hour to run errands or eat lunch. This isn‘t kindergarten …. it‘s work. Reply
Anonymous January 23, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Fun events that are simply for the sake of having fun probably aren‘t the best way to go. However, if the environment is right, a fun event that encourages sales is great. I used to work for a travel company that did fun giveaways on St Patrick‘s day. It was mostly the call center employees that got to participate, but some of the supervisors would run around updating other departments on how things were going. Everyone always seemed to have a blast and get enthusiastic about sales on that day. It was just a quirky little thing that made everyone smile. Reply
Neha January 23, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I agree, forced merriment is always a bad idea. Reply
Gingerale January 24, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Spare me from mandatory fun. Reply
Wally Bock January 24, 2009 at 4:35 pm
AAM hit the core of this one. People want to do interesting and important work with people they like. When you hear people identify times when it was ?fun to come to work,? as I often do in one of my training exercises, you don‘t hear them describing ?Compulsory Fun.? What they describe is the fun of working and making a contribution, usually as part of a team. Reply
Ryan January 25, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I agree with the Manager. I am an adult and expect to be treated as one. To introduce ?funzie? stuff (as originally posted) is condescending to me – I come to work to work, not to be treated like a kid who needs to be entertained constantly or to be productive. If you cannot get your employee to become productive through alternative methods (one-on-ones, memos, etc.), it may be time to find a new employee. There are enough job seekers out there… Reply
Ryan January 25, 2009 at 12:31 pm
BUT, since you are looking for ways to improve morale… 1) Be an advocate of the employee. I can only think of one or two employers where managers or HR was there on behalf of the employee – I realize that there will always be a divide between the two, but it always seemed to appear as an ?us against them, how can we screw the employee today? attitude, with very little to no confidentiality given. And these were at ?professional? companies. I can think of valid complaints that HR WANTED to know about, yet employees refused to bring them to management‘s attention because they were afraid of retribution or the fact that the HR person was friends with the GM…and you know how that ends there… 2) I apologize for the redundancy, but make the employee feel heard – even if you have no intentions of using their ideas. Simply blowing them off because you‘ve heard the idea 100?s of times before or think that you are above them is not acceptable. Sidebar: if you have heard the idea 100?s of times before, there‘s probably a reason why, and perhaps you should look deeper into it, rather than just blowing it off. I could write more, but those are the two pet peeves of mine as an employee. Reply
Esther January 26, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Since no one has said this yet, I‘d like to add that giving the EMPLOYEES flexibility to plan something fun might work, depending on the company. We work in a 20person office, and periodically we‘ll decide to get together for a game of dominoes during lunchtime, or have a voluntary potluck (everyone is allowed to come eat, completely voluntary if you want to bring something.) The main point, though, is that these don‘t have to go through the management or necessarily include the management. Free lunch is good, but better for morale if it‘s truly a free lunch (as in, ?I‘m buying?) that employee can then eat wherever they want, rather than a forced sit-down on their lunch hour. As many people have added avoe, the biggest way to increase morale is going to be work-life flexibility. We get to leave at 2:00 on Fridays all summer, and everyone works harder to get their work done. We almost always get a message from the CEO the day before holidays, telling us we can leave early as well. Reply
Chris Young January 26, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Great post AMA and great string of comments it provoked! I‘ve shared your post in my weekly Rainmaker ?Fab Five‘ blog picks of the week (found here:http://www.maximizepossibility.com/...inmaker-fabfive-blog-picks-of-the-week-1.html) to clue my readers in on this great online dialogue. Be well! Reply
Anonymous January 26, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Wait, a WHAT kind of tournament, now??? Reply
siscat12 January 28, 2009 at 4:41 am
Are you going to cover all positions so that every single person employed can have equal opportunity fun? Our birthday club had their first celebration last week and because I had a waiting room full of people to check in, I missed the whole thing. Had to ask a question and everyone in the office was sitting around in the conference room enjoying cake and ice cream… except for myself. I‘m on the front desk, a position that has to be covered. My coworkers like me, my bosses are happy with my work and attitude..yet noone thought to relieve me to go have 10 minutes of fun. Stuff like this doesn‘t work and has the possibility of setting up resentment. Reply
The Tonic January 29, 2009 at 5:40 pm
When it comes to fun, it needs to be productive and beneficial to the employees to be justifiable – and unfortunately those ideas sound shoe horned in. Why not try offering free yoga or free relaxation sessions or start offering free fruit and healthy snacks in the office. Looking after the health of your employees when they‘re all stressed out will not only motivate and increase productivity but be seen as a subtle way of the company saying thanks (without hiring a clown).http://www.the-tonic.com Reply
Dan McCarthy February 1, 2009 at 10:55 am
Thank-You AAM! Yes, please, no more ?fun days? or ?fun committees?, or other forms of forced nonsense. Managers can create an environment where the work is engaging and it?s OK to share a laugh now and then. It happens naturally, not by scheduling it. Reply
Anonymous February 2, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Things my company does that are actually "fun" but are perhaps liabilities. We're in real estate though and the slightly sleazy schmoozy stuff is really industry standard. 1) We have a full bar in the basement complete with kegerator 2) Also in basement we have a big screen LCD with satellite, Wii & XBox and huge comfy leather couches for mid day napping 3) Beer Pong contests once a year. 5) A made up paid holiday the Friday of our school district's spring break. 6) A Christmas party/Summer picnic so awesome it would make you cry. 7) Workout facilities (shower/treadmill/bike/universal gym) Lexy Reply
Sue February 14, 2009 at 5:41 am
I work in education, and we‘re routinely subjected to mandatory fun as if I don‘t already have too much to do. Every ?fun? activity begins with us being told that everyone knows that we have a lot of work to do, but it is important for us to take some time to have fun. Oh great, I get to take all of my work home with me in order to finish it before my deadlines is what goes through my head. Maybe if we were allowed to do our work during working hours, we would actually have time at home to enjoy ourselves and choose what we want to do and who we want to do it with. I don‘t have fun around my peers. All they do is incessantly
complain about the students or our administrators. While all of this is going on, the administration is watching over us to see who is a good team player and on their side. Ditch the mandatory fun and let us do what you‘re paying us for: WORK.
Articles Dealing with Workplace Issues by Mary Rau-Foster, RN BS ARM JD Humor and Fun in the Workplace
by Mary Rau-Foster Did you know that ... 1. The average preschooler laughs or smiles 400 times a day? Or that the number drops to only 15 times a day by the time people reach age 35? 2. People smile only 35 percent as much as they think they do? 3. Laughter releases endorphins, a chemical 10 times more powerful than the pain-relieving drug morphine, into the body with the same exhilarating effect as doing strenuous exercise?
"The human race has only one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. The moment it arises, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place." -- Mark Twain Sit with children as they play and you will hear a joyful sound: the sound of laughter. Children can be counted on to make fun even out of unpleasant work. What do they know that we have forgotten? They know how to laugh. They know how to add a dimension of playfulness to boring chores. Make a mental survey of people that you find uplifting and fun to be around. What is the common denominator? They know how to laugh and how to have fun. Can laughing and having fun on the job make a difference in the way we do our jobs? Absolutely! A survey by Hodge-Cronin & Associates found that of 737 CEOs surveyed, 98 percent preferred job candidates with a sense of humor to those without. Another survey indicated that 84 percent of the executives thought that employees with a sense of humor do a better job than people with little or no sense of humor. 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 absentee, late, and sick days than people who aren't having fun.
4. Every time you have a good hearty laugh,you burn up 3 1/2 calories? 5. Laughing increases oxygen intake, thereby replenishing and invigorating cells? It also increases the pain threshold, boosts immunity, and relieves stress.
Six Reasons that fun can improve work quality and mental health: 1. Fun breaks up boredom and fatigue 2. Fun fulfills human social needs 3. Fun increases creativity and willingness to help 4. Fun fulfills the need for mastery and control 5. Fun improves communication
The benefits to a pleasant and happy workplace are that happy employees are 6. Fun breaks up conflict and tension more loyal and productive employees. The absenteeism and tardiness rate may decrease as people look forward to going to work. The turnover rate may decrease, as employees feel content and loyal to an organization. And the cost associated with illness may decrease as people experience the positive physiological and psychological effects of laughter. Can the benefits to having fun be measured? Yes, by comparing the absenteeism, tardiness, and turnover rates pre-program implementation. In addition, an employee satisfaction survey can reveal how employees feel about their jobs, the company, and company culture. Will your customer complaints decrease as they
encounter happier employees? Company activities can teach employees how working together as a team can be fun and productive. Some of the competitive natures can work itself out on a co-ed field. In addition, managers or supervisors can be seen also as team players, who can relax and enjoy life and others as well. Company-planned or approved activities can go far in cultivating a positive corporate culture. The use of fun and humor in the workplace must be appropriate in nature, when and how it is used. The humor should not be offensive to the ordinary or reasonable person. It is meant to encourage people to see the absurdity in our thought processes, perceptions, behaviors. It is also a useful tool that can be used to help us lighten up and not take things so seriously. It can also effectively reduce the level and intensity of conflict among employees, if properly used. So, how do you implement and maintain (with an emphasis on maintenance) a humor and fun program? Is it going to be costly in terms of resources, including money, time, and productivity? It does not have to be a costly undertaking. However, even if there is some expenditure associated with "fun-at-work" activities, the benefits may be multi-fold in terms of the reduction of cost associated with absenteeism, turnover, and decreased productivity. Fun at work can even lead to alleviation of the inevitable boredom that arises out of dull, routine, and non-challenging tasks. Even schools recognized the importance of giving children recess breaks so that they might have the opportunity to have fun. The inability to laugh may be a sign of impending burnout (see May 2000 column). When it is no longer possible to find humor in anything, it may be that the employee is in the throes of burnout. The desire to feel good, to change a mood, or even to loosen up a bit, is the reason that many people turn to alcohol or even legal or illegal drugs. However, there is no way that any man-made substance can be as powerful as the endorphins that the body produces for free, without any side-effects. Norman Cousins, brought to our attention how laughter can be healing or reducing symptoms. You may recall that he had a serious and painful illness. He discovered that 10 minutes of laughter could lead to one hour that was pain-free. Laughter releases endorphins that are more powerful than morphine. These endorphins can lead to a sense of well-being and optimism. In addition, humor and laughter can even bridge the gap between total strangers. The use of humor can even reduce tension in a tense situation (as workplaces can sometimes be). Who said that fun and work were mutually exclusive? Have we unknowingly incorporated the quote used in exercise "no pain, no gain" to the workplace? Is work meant to be stifling and boring? Let's hope not, because boredom can give rise to burnout.
Boredom arises from rote and repetitive tasks. It can also rise out of the failure to have opportunities to be creative. Lawyers deal with it — drafting and reviewing contracts. The front desk receptionist who answers the phone all day — the computer programmer who is discouraged from using his or her creativity in programming. Having some boredom-breaking activities can lead to greater creativity and a tolerance for carrying out tedious repetitive tasks. Can businesses successfully implement an employee-friendly and fun environment? Isn't it dangerous? There are two examples that come to mind that demonstrate just how successful these efforts can be. SouthWest Airlines has departed from the typical approach to passenger service and has been rewarded for it. The flight attendants were named number one among the flight attendants of all the airlines. The SWA flight attendant uniform is casual and not at all like other airlines. In addition, they are encouraged to use humor in their customer service — which the passengers seem to appreciate (this one in particular.) Does the playfulness of the attendants impact their credibility with the passengers? Apparently not, as evidenced by the laughter and positive comments that follows some humorous remarks by the attendants. And this from a no-frills airline. Other companies have also recognized that happy employees are productive employees. Autodesk, a California-based software company, has implemented an unusual bring-your-animal-to-work program. The company recognized that employees would happily work the long hours that are sometimes required if they can have their animal companions with them. Of course, there are conditions and expectations that accompany the program. SWA and Autodesk are but two of the many large companies that recognized the importance of creating a fun environment. That is not to say that other companies will implement a bring-youranimal-to-work program. However, there are many other ways to create an environment that is pleasing to employees. Bring out that ability to laugh, dust it off, and go for the gold… the golden sounds of someone enjoying himself or herself. You may ask "What if I make a fool of myself?" That may happen, but you will be in great company. There is something magical about someone who is so confident that he or she will take the risk of being misunderstood or criticized by some negative Neal or Nellie. There is also something magical about a company that has the ability to see that happy and laughing employees are good, productive, and loyal employees. This magic can be transformed into a productive and financially profitable workplace environment. If you would like some information on how you can make your environment fun but productive, just call Mary at (615) 371-2900 or e-mail her at .
Please Note: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not the intent of Mary Rau-Foster to render legal advice. If legal advice is required, you should seek the services of a competent lawyer.
Mary Rau-Foster is an author, attorney, a certified mediator, and a nationally known speaker, who specializes in workplace issues including employee motivation, management, communication, and conflict resolution. Browse the rest of this website for more information about how Mary can help your company, or call Mary at 615-371-2900 (Nashville area).
WHY PLAY MATTERS FOR BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS
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By nature, humans are born to play. Playing is instinctive and fundamental to our existence. Playing helps us survive and thrive by connecting us to other human beings and to sources of energy and excitement within ourselves. Play is simultaneously a source of calmness and relaxation, as well as a source of stimulation for the brain and body. Playfulness helps us be more inventive, smart, happy, flexible, and resilient. A sure (and fun) way to develop your imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and mental health is to play with your romantic partner, officemates, children, grandchildren, and friends.
In This Article:
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Play: It's not just for kids Lifelong benefits of play Play and relationships Playing at work Play, creativity, and flow Learning how to play again Related links Authors
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Play: It's not just for kids
"What do most Nobel Laureates, innovative entrepreneurs, artists and performers, welladjusted children, happy couples and families, and the most successfully adapted mammals have in common? They play enthusiastically throughout their lives." ~ Stuart Brown, Institute of Play Play is often described as a time when we feel most alive, yet we often take it for granted and may completely forget about it. But play isn't a luxury - it's a necessity. Play is as important to our physical and mental health as getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising. Play teaches us how to manage and transform our "negative" emotions and experiences. It supercharges learning, helps us relieve stress, and connects us to others and the world around us. Play can also make work more productive and pleasurable. Despite the power of play, somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us stop playing. We exchange play for work and responsibilities. When we do have some leisure time, we're more likely to zone out in front of the TV or computer than to engage in creative, brain-stimulating play. By giving ourselves permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, we can continue to reap its benefits throughout life.
Some of the reasons we play:
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to learn to create to feel challenged to pass time to calm and focus ourselves as spectators watching others competitively to win cooperatively for the fun of it for the joy of it
The lifelong benefits of play
Play connects us to others
Sharing joy, laughter and fun with others promotes bonding and strengthens a sense of community. We develop empathy, compassion, trust, and the capacity for intimacy through regular play.
Play fosters creativity, flexibility, and learning
Play is a doorway to learning. Play stimulates our imaginations, helping us adapt and solve problems. Play arouses curiosity, which leads to discovery and creativity. The components of play - curiosity, discovery, novelty, risk-taking, trial and error, pretense, games, social etiquette and other increasingly complex adaptive activities - are the same as the components of learning.
Play is an antidote to loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and depression
When we play vigorously, we trigger a mix of endorphins that lift our spirits and distractions that distance us from pain, fear and other burdens. And when we play with other people, with friends and strangers, we are reminded that we are not alone in this world. We can connect to others in delightful and meaningful ways that banish loneliness.
Play teaches us perseverance
The rewards of learning or mastering a new game teach us that perseverance is worthwhile. Perseverance is a trait necessary to healthy adulthood, and it is learned largely through play. Perseverance and violence are rarely found together.
Play makes us happy
Beyond all these excellent reasons for playing, there is simply the sheer joy of it. Play is a state of being that is happy and joyous. Jumping into and out of the world of play on a daily basis can preserve and nourish our own hearts, and the hearts of our communities.
Play and relationships
Play is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. Playing together for the fun of it brings joy, vitality, and resilience to relationships. Play can also heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Through regular play, we learn to trust one another and feel safe. Trust enables us to work together, open ourselves to intimacy, and try new things.
Play helps us develop and improve our social skills
Social skills are learned in the give and take of play. Verbal communication and body language, safety and danger, freedom and boundaries, cooperation and teamwork: all are discovered and practiced repeatedly during infant and childhood play. We continue to refine these skills in adulthood through play and playful communication.
Play teaches us how to cooperate with others
Play is a powerful catalyst for positive socialization. Through play, children learn how to "play nicely" with others - to work together, follow mutually agreed upon rules, and socialize in groups. As adults, play continues to confer these benefits. Evidence even shows that play may be an antidote to violence. In fact, those who avoid or have never learned to play may become lost in the world of fear, rage, and obsessive worry.
Mutual play can heal emotional wounds
When adults play together, they are engaging in exactly the same patterns of behavior that positively shape the brain in children. These same playful behaviors that predict emotional health in children also lead to positive change in adults. Studies show that an emotionallyinsecure individual can replace negative beliefs and behaviors with positive assumptions and actions by living with a secure partner. Close, positive, and emotionally-fulfilling
relationships heal and create emotional resiliency. Play provides a safe and joyous context for the development of such relationships.
Playfulness in Relationships
Mutual laughter and play are an essential component of strong, healthy relationships. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humor and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships- as well as your connections with coworkers, family members, and friends. Read: Playful Communication in Relationships: The Power of Laughter, Humor, and Play
Playing at work: The key to productivity and innovation
Work or play: It's all in your attitude
When researchers studied preteen children's attitudes about play, they discovered that some children called almost everything they did "play" while others called almost everything they did "work." Reconnecting with the children at the end of adolescence, the children who thought of everything as play were more successful and happier in school and were more content socially than the people who saw everything as "work." Many people are working longer and harder, thinking that this will solve the problem of diminishing free time and an ever-increasing workload. But they are still falling behind, becoming chronically overwhelmed, and burning out. Work is where we spend much of our time. That is why it is especially important for us to play during work. Without some recreation, our work suffers. Success at work doesn't depend on the amount of time you work. It depends upon the quality of your work. And the quality of your work is highly-dependant on your well-being. Taking the time to replenish yourself through play is one of the best things you can do for your career. When the project you're working on hits a serious glitch (as they frequently do), heading out to the basketball court with your colleagues to shoot some hoops and have a few laughs does a lot more than take your mind off the problem. If basketball isn't your cup of tea, having a model airplane contest, telling stories, or flying kites in the parking lot will also allow your relationship to the problem to shift and enable you to approach it from a new perspective.
Playing at work:
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keeps you functional when under stress refreshes your mind and body encourages teamwork helps you see problems in new ways
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triggers creativity and innovation increases energy and prevents burnout
Play, creativity, and flow
Psychiatrist and writer Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has studied play extensively. He describes play as a flow state that requires just the right balance of challenge and opportunity. If the game is too hard or too easy, it loses its sense of pleasure and fun. Maintaining a flow state in games with others requires all participants, regardless of age or ability, to feel challenged, but not overwhelmed.
Feelings We Experience in the Flow State
Complete focus and concentration, either due to innate curiosity or as the result of training. A sense of bliss and positive detachment from everyday reality. Delight Great inner clarity and a built-in understanding about the state of affairs. Clarity An innate sense that the activity is doable and that your skills are adequate to Confidence the task. Additionally, you don‘t feel anxious or bored. A sense of peace and an absence of worries about self. Serenity Timeliness Thorough focus on the present and a lack of attention to the passing of time. Intrinsic understanding about what needs to be done and a desire to keep the Motivation moment of play moving. Involvement
Learning how to play again
Fun games for the whole family
To learn how to play some of Bernie's favorite, fun-for-all-ages games, download and print: Lifelong Games: Play, Creativity, and Lifelong Learning (PDF) Bernie DeKoven, one of the originators of the New Games movement, has devoted his life to developing games that bring people together emotionally in the context of playing for fun. For those who have forgotten how to play and don't know how to get started again, Bernie offers the following advice: "You don't have to have rules or goals or a board or even anything to play with except each other. But whatever it is that you're playing, there are two things you have to take seriously: being together, and the sheer fun of it all. No game is more important than the experience of being together, being joined, being equal - governed by the same rules, playing for the same purpose. And no purpose is more uniting and freeing than the purpose of being fun with each other."
Winning and losing
Bernie makes important points about winning and losing:
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It's OK for you to lose. This may be hard to remember at the time. But getting beaten, fair and square, by your own grandkid, is one of life's great events.
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Nobody has to lose. For some reason, both adults and children tend to take games more seriously than anyone needs to. That's why it is not unusual for a trivial game to end up as a contest of wills and for children to wind up in tears because they've "lost." Competition separates, rather than unites. Despite your best efforts to keep the competition friendly and fun, the very existence of winners and losers shifts the focus of the game away from fun and playfulness. It separates rather than unites, alienates rather than embraces. Yes, the competitive separation can be overcome. Whenever it happens that opponents embrace each other, it is a victory and a triumph of the human spirit. But it is a rare occurrence.
Suggestions for playing games where no one has to lose:
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Instead of stopping a game when someone wins, just continue playing until everyone wins. There's the first winner, then the second winner, and then the third. When playing a two-person game, like checkers or ping-pong, try playing with three players, and rotate turns. If there are only two of you, in checkers, for example, just trade sides every third or fifth turn so that you have to play the other's person's position.
Related Articles
Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Five Key Skills for Raising Your Emotional Intelligence
Laughter is the Best Medicine The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter
More Helpguide Articles:
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Improving Emotional Health: Strategies and Tips for Good Mental Health Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress How to Stop Worrying: Self-Help Strategies for Anxiety Relief Playful Communication in Relationships: The Power of Laughter, Humor, and Play
Related links for creative play and games
Helpguide thanks Bernie DeKoven for his contributions to this article. He is the author of Junkyard Sports and The Well Played Game
The benefits of play
10 Reasons Play Can Make You Healthy, Happy, and More Productive – Top ten list of the many ways play contributes to mental and physical health. (U.S. News & World Report) Play Science: The Patterns of Play – Learn about the different ways human beings play, the roles these different patterns of play serve, and how we benefit from them. (National Institute for Play) The Value of Play I: The Definition of Play Provides Clues to Its Purposes – Psychologist Peter Gray discusses the purpose and benefits of play. (Psychology Today) The Value of Play II: How Play Promotes Reasoning in Children and Adults – Learn how playfulness can improve reasoning and problem-solving skills. (Psychology Today) Leisure Play Is Important for Human Collaboration – Article describes how play teaches human beings to cooperate and curbs tendencies towards aggression and dominance. (PsychCentral)
Play, creativity, and flow
Creativity and Flow Psychology – Article discusses how to get into a state of flow and optimum creativity through play and challenging games. (Talent Development Resources) "Flow" & Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – Australian website describes theory of ?flow? and the relationship between challenge & skills. (Austega) Fun and Flow – Describes the psychology and sociology of fun. (Bernie DeKoven) The Creativity Personality – Article by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on the ten traits that many creative individuals share. (Psychology Today)
Recommended books on play and creativity
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul, by Stuart Brown. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, New York: Harper & Row, 1990. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; New York: Harper Collins, 1996.
Games and other fun stuff
Fun Quotes – A collection of quotes from people who think a lot about lifelong play. (DeepFun.com) The Great Game List – Contains a myriad of fun activities and games with some advertising. (Fun-Attic)
Pointless Games™ –?All you have to do to win is play,? a collection of games and activities by Bernie DeKoven. Includes games for many, ?less than many? or a few people. (DeepFun.com) More Pointless Games – A collection of party games. (DeepFun.com) Panther, Person, Piston and Beyond – Video clips of lifelong games played at the Bernie DeKoven‘s Deep Fun Retreat at the Esalen Institute. (DeepFun.com) Redondo – Instructions for the drawing game described in ?Merry Monster
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