Having fun at work almost seems like an oxymoron. But, while most people report hating their jobs, it’s almost never due to pay. It’s almost always something to do with how they feel while at work. They feel unwanted, undervalued, and as if their contributions don’t matter. If you incorporate more fun at work, you can turn that situation around fast.
1. Participate in Challenges – You can have challenges at work that have nothing to do with the work itself. For example, challenge everyone to walk more, or bring in the food they like to eat, or to be the first one to stand up in a meeting and tell a joke.
2. Be Creative in How You Do Your Job – If you have an otherwise uneventful job, you can make it special by giving yourself a strange title. For example, let’s say that you have a habit of taking everyone’s pens or stapler. Why not get a desk name plate that says, “Pen Thief” or “Donut King” or something that will make others laugh when they come into your office?
3. Use Colorful Additions in the Office – If you have an office, instead of making everything cold and uninviting, allow staff to decorate their spaces as if they’re at home (in line with safety codes, of course). That way you’ll see everyone’s personality right away, which will bring a wonderful smile to your face each day.
4. Schedule Free/Fun Time – Yes, everyone’s there for eight hours a day, nine if you count lunch. Why not work in a couple breaks in the day where everyone gets to do something fun for a few minutes? If you have room, put a pinball machine, or set up a gaming console that people take turns using to de-stress.
5. Keep a Hidden Treat Stash – In your desk, keep “prizes” that you can hand out to your staff. For example, a crown, a mustache, a candy bar, and other trinkets. Give them creative names, like you can name someone queen of something or king of something for a day.
6. Create a Special Internal Email Signature – While you may want to be careful about what people outside your office see, a fun email signature for inter-office communication can be fun. For example, “Supply Master” or “Creative Master of Words” or something funnier than that describes what you do.
7. Have a Karaoke Day at Work – This could be distracting, but it can also be very fun. Get an inexpensive Karaoke machine and pick only Disney or children’s songs. Only one person can go up per hour or every 30 minutes or so, but let people sing the songs together that will make them feel happy the rest of the day.
8. Do Dress-Up Days – Remember how in school you’d dress up to show your spirit. Just because you work doesn’t mean you can’t still show your spirit. Allow and encourage your workers to dress up for their favorite team or appropriate Halloween character, or have an ugly sweater competition for the holidays. Some companies incorporate raising money for charity. For example: “Wear jeans Friday if you bring at least a $5.00 donation to XYZ charity.”
9. Institute a Right-Hand Night – Getting to know your co-workers is very important. Socializing with them will help you get to know them better, like them more, and develop more trust between you. This can help projects go a lot more smoothly at work. For the right-hand night, someone invites the person who helped them most during the week and buys them a drink or a coke at a local watering hole.
10. Insert Humor into Presentations – When you give a presentation, try to insert some humor into it so that everyone wants to listen. The better they listen, the more likely they are to remember and incorporate the information. While you’re at it, feed people during presentations; food always makes everything more fun.
When you’re at work, you’re not there against your will. You can quit anytime you want to even if you think you can’t. We earn a living, so we may as well find ways to enjoy it – and adding fun at work is the best way to do that.
