| While training and observing groups as a corporate | | | | 8. Ring a bell or have a special song to play when |
| trainer and team builder over the past few years, I | | | | something great happens, i.e. a big sale, make budget, |
| am always amazed at how a group of strangers gel | | | | or completion of a major project. |
| and become a team in a matter of hours. Groups on | | | | 9. Dress up on holidays and special occasions. |
| teambuilding retreats can become closer to each | | | | Example: Halloween costumes; |
| other in one day than some people do in years of | | | | if your organization commenced in the seventies, |
| working with each other in offices. The major reason | | | | dress in seventies clothes |
| I attribute the success of these groups to and the | | | | on the anniversary date. |
| way they gel is the use of "fun".Plato said "you can | | | | 10. Turn your mission statement into a fun |
| learn more about a person in an hour of play than in | | | | statement instead of being boring by having |
| a year of conversation." Fun is also a great way to | | | | employees recite while dancing the Macarena or |
| increase employee retention, sales, motivate and | | | | converting it in to a rhyming rap to repeat at |
| inspire your employees. Who ever said that "we | | | | meetings. |
| keep work and play separated" could not be any | | | | 11. Create "secret pals" within the office to keep |
| more wrong about getting things done. Having fun on | | | | one anther motivated, remember birthdays, and |
| the job makes an organization more successful. So | | | | encourage one another. |
| how can your organization use and implement fun | | | | 12. Hang dry erase maker boards around the building. |
| into your culture? Here are fourteen ways to | | | | Use them to draw out new ideas, make quick signs, |
| manage to have fun at work:1. Orient new | | | | put encouraging statements, and communicate rapidly |
| employees to the office by having them complete a | | | | changing information. |
| "scavenger hunt". They can meet key people, learn | | | | 13. Give weekly creative recognition awards, for |
| where things are kept, and acquaint them with key | | | | example: super phone answer of the week, best |
| functions. The new hire must get a signature or bring | | | | new idea the week, dressed for success award, the |
| something back to get credit for that scavenger hunt | | | | biggest smile of the week; give out silly toys or |
| assignment. | | | | trinkets with the paper award and watch the smiles |
| 2. Have an ugly tie or shoe contest just to have a | | | | and hear the cheers. |
| few laughs. | | | | 14. Try taking your meeting out of the the |
| 3. Put on a fashion show when it is time to choose | | | | boardroom. Go outside if it's a pretty day, or meet |
| new uniforms. | | | | at a park if possible.Just because management |
| 4. Have a company picnic or team building retreat. | | | | suddenly thinks that its time to have some fun, does |
| 5. If asking employees to work late, order pizza to | | | | not necessarily mean that employees will respond |
| their house for dinner. | | | | enthusiastically. It is important for a manager to first |
| 6. Keep Nerf foam toys around the office for "fun | | | | establish a convincing rationale for the benefits of fun |
| breaks". | | | | at work before asking employees to try something |
| 7. Give out silly and descriptive job titles such as | | | | new. These are some basic "fundamentals". Go to |
| "King of All | | | | my website to submit a question to the trainer, or to |
| Production" or "The Keeper of the Phone Lines". | | | | learn more about adding fun to your work place. |