Fun in the Workplace
Work hard, play hard
What brings joy to the people in your office?
As leaders, we set the tone. If our people are feeling “meh,” we have the opportunity to build morale. Let’s do it!
Bring in a selection of tasty foods. Donuts, fresh fruit, pizza—just make sure you accommodate everyone’s dietary restrictions and personal preferences.
Have a fun team-building activity. Bring in a box of paper springtime flowers and have a competition for “best decorated desk.” Bring in nerf guns and have a battle between divisions. Take everyone out for dinner (give them a heads-up several days in advance, so they don’t have other plans) and give a short speech in which you tell each person on your team why you think they are awesome. Have a scavenger hunt around the office (or online, if people are still remote). Leave a couple of little yellow rubber ducks around the office each day that your people can pick up and trade in for prizes like a $5 gift card.
And always, always talk to your people and find out what makes THEM happy. Give them authentic feedback about their value to the team, or how important their expertise is, or why they are your go-to person for the tough jobs, etc., and tailor it to their individual preferences.
Basically, let your people know how much you appreciate them and everything they do.
(Photo by Jacqueline Munguía on Unsplash)
