In honor of Friday, where everyone’s minds are already preoccupied with all the fun things they plan on doing this weekend, this post will be all about how to make WORK more fun. I recently read an article by Fast Company explained the importance of “playing” at work. Author Charlie Hoen tells us that of all the successful people he has had the chance to meet, very few of them see their job as work. Instead, they see their work as a game. The idea of your daily work being a game that you actually want to play can help you create internal awards that add a nice bonus on to your routine paycheck. As someone who is always looking for a good competition (for example, I’m currently on day 93 of a RunStreak battle with one of my coworkers), I was extremely interested in the idea of making work into a game in which I could compete and challenge myself. I decided to explore other ways to put a fun twist on work, especially since we’re all in this whole work thing for the long haul!
Play a Game
It’s not just me. Everyone loves a little challenge. Yes, we have deadlines and bosses that are motivation enough to get things done, but that doesn’t mean we are enjoying what we are working on. Turn your routine tasks into a chance to try something new, push your creative limits, or just have a little fun. Maybe it’s as simple as looking up something completely random and new regarding a subject you’re covering or testing your creativity by switching up a mundane execution of a simple task. Perhaps getting a few coworkers involved in a decision or task you usually do by yourself could spice things up. Part of the fun will simply be thinking of what this new challenge could be, but I can suggest that if you really can’t think of anything to apply to your average workday, then try just taking a short break in the morning and/or afternoon to contest yourself in a new way. Do a round of games on Luminosity or grab the rubix cube for 20 min and see how many different ways you can create a pattern. Whatever it is, make sure you enjoy it!
Try a Happy Hour
With “happy” right in the title, how can it not be fun!? Schedule a day or two with a couple coworkers to meet up and grab a few drinks. This will help bring your team a sense of camaraderie, which will most likely help you communicate and interact better during actual work hours as well. Not to mention a little midweek fun will help break up the stress of the work week. If you and your coworkers share other interests, they can be great opportunities to bond outside of work too. A coworker and my common interest in running led to our RunStreak competition and becoming teammates for a big race in Maryland. We even got a few other coworkers on board. It’s something we continue to talk about, as we share new training tips and running news from time to time. It was a cool event that brought us all closer and helped make the workday conversations something to look forward to. No matter what it is, everyone can enjoy a little team bonding activity that doesn’t revolve around business.
What Makes You Different
Every company has different cultures and their employees work in different ways. Not every company has the same hours, employee duties, office design, location, number of employees, etc. But it is important for your business to figure out the thing that makes you unique. Maybe it’s a certain weekly activity or the way you celebrate a big sale. Whatever it may be, your employees will be able to come together and enjoy the aspect of their workplace that makes them unique from others. Create “your thing” that people can look forward to and customers/competitors can admire. At EthoSource, we have monthly employee lunches, which bring all the office and warehouse employees together for one big lunch of pizza, hoagies, and cake that everyone can enjoy. We acknowledge work anniversaries and birthdays through a group announcement and gift cards. Not only is it a fun day to splurge on all of our favorite foods and get recognized for our commitment to the company, but it brings all types of employees to the same room that normally wouldn’t eat lunch together. It’s a fun way to get together and everyone looks forward to it each month. So its time to decide…what’s going to be your company’s thing?
Decorations!
Despite what some may think, this one isn’t only for the female employees because I know the guys can have fun with this one too. Decorating the office is a fun activity that lingers much longer after the decorating is done. Who doesn’t love walking into a Winter Wonderland office during the Holiday Season or marking off each day leading up to a big event with a fun, homemade countdown. Decorations brighten the mood of any office and bring out the unique styles and backgrounds of each individual employee. It’s not just holidays either, but birthdays or milestones make for a great excuse to bust out some fun decorating time and let people feel good about where they work.
Change it Up
Sometimes a simple change in the day can help make all the difference. Have lunch outside or work in a new setting for a little. Changes can help boost creativity and prevent you from slipping into a funk. Maybe you just need to rearrange your personal office space a little to unclutter your desk and your mind. Start your days with a new joke or read an interesting article after lunch then share the facts with a coworker. Try to make each day have a few new tweaks to constantly give yourself a little something to look forward to. It may not be in your control to make any big changes, but you do have the power to create your own fun and learn something new throughout the day. It’s never too late to try something new! Have some fun with your Monday-Friday routine by trying out some of these simple tricks!
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