Fun At Work
Research over the past two decades has demonstrated what our grandmothers always knew to be true; FUN, LAUGHTER really is GOOD MEDICINE!
But Fun in the workplace? What has Fun got to do with highly engaged employees, stronger teams, recruitment and retention? With Gallup reporting that 7 out 10 American employees are DISENGAGED, maybe its time to look at better ways to get talent connected to their task.
Are We Having Fun Yet?
How often have you heard these kinds of comments at work? “It’s about getting results. Hey – we’re adults here! You’ve got responsibilities. We’ve got a job to do here. When will you have that report on my desk?” As the daily stress in most of our lives has mounted in recent years, most people find that their sense of humor abandons them right when they need it the most—in the midst of stress. The reality is in life, we are busy being…hard-working, responsible, serious… ADULTS. And we also happen to be those adults who are DYING INSIDE AT WORK!
Changes Are Rumbling
A paradigm shift is occurring and a revolution is stirring in business today. FUN is entering the workplace. Today, the bigger question companies are facing is how can I make work fun to attract and retain top talent because 88% of Millennials EXPECT a fun and social work environment, which is what they are accustomed to. And that’s important as Millennials will account for 75% of our workforce by 2030 (US Bureau of Labor & Statistics). And that’s why work should be fun!
As Richard Branson, multi-billionaire and business guru who developed one of the most irresistible brands in the world with Virgin, said, “Some 80% of your life is spent working. You want to have fun at home; why shouldn’t you have fun at work?”
Fun as a Competitive Advantage
Nick Gianoulis is the founder of The Fun Dept., a consulting and training company that has been featured on CNN and in the Washington Post. Its clients range from Fortune 100 companies to those with as few as 50 employees. Known as “The Godfather of Fun,” Gianoulis began his company after experiencing firsthand the enhanced culture and business results of fun during his 20-year corporate Management tenure with a company that embraced a “work hard, play hard” culture. He is the coauthor of Playing It Forward. Here are some of Nick’s comments as he spoke at a 2015 TEDx event in Wilmington, Delaware.
“Have you ever wondered how companies like Google, Zappos, Southwest and many others create those amazing workplace cultures with world class business results at the same time?
There is a common denominator that runs through all those companies. And that is a culture of Fun! It sounds a little counter-intuitive to think that the words fun and work can exist in the same sentence, let alone coexist harmoniously in the workplace.
But I’m here to share with you that not only is it possible, but that FUN is the competitive advantage in business today. Are you all still with me? I know it’s a bit of a mind stretch right? But I’d like you to imagine a world where employees actually look forward to going to work every day, they are happy, they are productive and engaged. Where employers, employees and customers all benefit from fun at work. A win-win-win scenario. Think of the benefits of increases in creativity, morale, productivity, retention and recruitment.
The data is finally in to substantiate these claims. Gallup, Forbes and Harvard Business Review all report that happier fun environments result in:
- 300% more innovation
- 125% less burn out
- 44% more retention
- 51% less turn over
- 37% increase in sales
- 31% increase in productivity
Fun in the workplace is easy. Rather than an event like a company picnic, think of it as short bursts of fun delivered during working hours during the course of the year that produce the great business results. Now by the power invested in me as the Godfather of Fun, go out, create a little fun in your workplace and make the world a better place.”