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More Work Gets Done When Workplace is Fun

The Plain Dealer --
By: Leslie Yerkes

Is it fun to own and run a small business? Is it fun to work for one?

The answer should be yes.

If your company is not a fun workplace, making it one will improve not only morale, but also your bottom line.

The term " a fun workplace" need not be the ultimate oxymoron. C.W. Metcalf, a humor consultant and author, said: "We are told that laughter, fun and play are unadult, unintelligent, and nonprofessional. Nothing could be further from the truth."

HR Focus, the trade magazine for the Society of Human Resource Managers, says in its February 1993 issue: "Ninety-six percent of the executives surveyed by Accountemps believed people with a sense of humor do better at their jobs than those who have little or no sense of humor. Studies also have shown that people who enjoy their work are more productive and creative, in addition to experiencing greater job satisfaction."

Confucius' advice in this matter was: "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

Abe Bakhshesky, University of Utah Hospital, said: "Work hard and smart, but have fun as well. The more fun you have, the more productive you will be."

Personally, I have discovered that when the workplace is a fun workplace, more gets accomplished, absenteeism declines, and there is a greater level of job satisfaction. And so I have made it my goal in life to have fun every where and every time I work. But how do you go about making your work fun? Like many things in life, making work fun is work, but here are 12 steps that will make it easier.

1. Start with yourself. One of the first rules of life successful people follow is the only thing you can change is yourself. So, don't wait for the next guy to create the fun, become the catalyst. If you're not having fun, who else will?
2. Inspire fun in others. Encourage others to engage in fun-loving activities. And the best way to do that is to be a role model for fun. To do that, you need to take risks. Don't be afraid to look silly.
3. Create an environment that encourages fun. Music, bright colors, and toys to relieve stress are three easy ways to mold a fun-loving environment. Create surprise by changing things around regularly.
4. Celebrate the benefits of fun. Every successful cause has a champion. Become fun-atical about recognizing fun when you see it. If you reward fun, it will reward you.
5. Make it your goal to find and remove those things and those people which inhibit the free flow of fun. Fun unfettered is contagious and helps you grow.
6. Look for the humor in your situation. Be the person who can laugh when things look bleak. Your greatest source of comic inspiration is often yourself.
7. Follow your intuition Ð be spontaneous. Don't wait for fun to find you or for the perfect moment; make fun happen when you need it.
8. Don't postpone your fun. Fun is not a reward, it's the lubricant that gets things done easily and effectively. Make fun a regular part of your daily routine.
9. Make fun inclusive. The first rule of fun has always been: "the more the merrier." Fun is not a private club; fun is for sharing.
10. Smile. And laugh. A lot. When you say hi with a smile, you'll find people smile back. It takes no special skill and costs nothing. All it takes is a decision. Yours.
11. Become known as "fun-loving." Make it your personal mission to infuse fun into everything you do and you'll be paid the ultimate compliment: Everyone will want you because you're fun-loving.
12. Put fun into action. A journey of a 1,000 miles starts with a smile, followed by a laugh, and pretty soon you're having fun. Start now by grabbing an idea and taking action. Momentum will build and before you know it, fun will become a way of life.