Have you noticed a drop in energy levels in the office? Or maybe productivity levels have dropped, and you don’t know why. It’s important to have FUN in the workplace. Weekly challenges, community quizzes, and nights out can help you bring the spark back to the office and improve the quality of work and productivity of the business. Find some top tips below.
Company Culture
No man, woman, or person is an island. These wise words were written by John Donne in the early 15th Century, but they ring true to this very day. They are no more relevant than on the office floor of your small business or on the digital workstations if you survived the pandemic.
Company culture is the personality of your business, but it’s also the buoyancy you need to inspire and motivate your colleagues to get the best results. If your employees can share a joke with each other throughout the day, it creates a bond of trust and intimacy that money can’t buy.
Skill Up
If you’re starting or running a small business, you probably have some core skills that got you to that place. It could be writing skills, marketing skills, graphics skills, or something else. People enjoy doing the things they are good at, so make sure to bring personal qualities to the table.
Remember, it’s one thing to have personal skills that you enjoy using and another to promote qualities and attributes in your business. Try to give employees the same joy you get from applying your personal skills by encouraging them to skill up. It leads to business success.
Play Space
The word “business” is awful stuffy. It makes you think of “busy-ness,” which is good for productivity and money-making, but it’s not so good for making working life more fun. The irony is that people perform better when they are having fun, so ditch the busy life and get inspired.
Avoid becoming the stuffy small business CEO always looking for more productivity from your staff, and join the play space instead. If your workforce hangs out on social media or private digital channels, get involved in the conversation. Share personal stories and build relationships.
Creative Brainstorming
Brainstorming is one of the most enjoyable aspects of owning a business. Again, the word business is reductive and misleading because operating one is more like a creative project from the outset. You always need stuff to work with, so create an enjoyable brainstorming culture.
Brainstorming is an enjoyable art form in itself. When you create the right conditions for brainstorming, the creativity and personalities of your employees come to life, and you get the most profitable use of time. Some companies try to make the entire company a creative space.
Flexible Working
Flexible working is another FUN way to organize your business and get the most from your employees. Most people have a workstation in the home or the office. Sitting down at the workstation puts you in a particular mind frame which is sometimes helpful, sometimes not.
If you haven’t tried folding your laptop and heading to your favorite cafe or bookshop for the day, it’s time to give it a go! If you discover – as most people do – that working creatively is excellent for workflow and creativity, roll out the idea to your employees and enjoy a flexible business.
Fun Challenges
Business goals and important in shaping the future of the business and gaining the success you desire, but goals don’t have to be boring adn productive all the time – they can be fun! Most people love a challenge, whether it’s a Wordle or a lifetime ambition. So get creative with goals.
Everyone and their dog loves a good challenge, and yes, even the dog! It’s natural to enjoy a challenge, and therefore, it’s super effective in the business environment. Make challenges fun and free, or create a prize that motivates employees and gives them something to chat about
Celebrate the Wins
Winning isn’t easy; it takes guts, determination, and plenty of black coffee. It’s important to celebrate the wins with your workforce by doing something really FUN! Plan a night out following some company success. Head out to the dancing or stay in the office for pizza.
If you have a remote workforce, it’s even more important to celebrate the wins. If you can’t get together in the local area, you can set up an online community and organize a quiz night – bring your own drinks to the party, of course! You might also wish to create a prize for performance.
Make Fun the Focus
Fun should be the focus of your business because, without this powerful three-letter word, your business is in danger of becoming a busy-ness enterprise that fails to inspire the workforce. So, how can you make FUN the center of the equation? Start with the tone of your company culture.
First, make sure the employees you hire are the right fit for the business. They need to understand their role in the company and have the right attitude – balancing business with fun. In training, set a FUN tone with them using educational games and telling them about the perks.
Find an Eco System
Finally, make your business more successful and your working life more FUN by joining the right eco-system. A business eco-system is a network of other businesses and managers that are doing similar things to you. Even when they are competitors, it’s worth building a relationship.
There is nothing more enjoyable than talking shop with people that “get” what you’re trying to do. The conversation flows effortlessly from one side to the other, and you infinitely inspire each other. Find a business eco-system by joining relevant groups online and networking at events.
Final Thoughts
FUN is the name of the game when it comes to inspiring your workforce and finding success. Don’t wait until the well of inspiration runs dry before taking action; use the tips in this article to raise the inspiration levels in your teams and make working life enjoyable and successful.