A happy and motivated team induces productivity and is definitely on the high road to do and achieve great things. To promote this happy and positive vibe among your people: your lifeline, you must have a fun place instead of a regular workplace.
Do you know how challenging it is to keep up with the constant Google updates? Or how frustrating it is for your IT team to perfect your website design and development? Or even monitoring your staff’s attendance and compliance. See, sometimes, all your team needs is a positive environment to overcome their work challenges.
A fun place should be light and comfortable. It should show no trace of a strict and intimidating workplace. It must be filled with positive energy that makes people feel eager and inspired. Combined love labor and a fun workplace are going to catapult your team and your company to great heights.
Here are five simple internal practices that could help you achieve that.
1. Get rid of the FOWOT
The “fear of what others would think” or the fear of being humiliated and alienated is one big factor in why the majority of employees don’t speak up. It hinders initiatives and socialization that might just be as essential as the five soft skills for every individual. One cannot be a team player no matter how creative s/he can be if there is a lingering fear of what others think.
Generally, employers and leaders tend to be a little more strict than average to be professional, assert authority, and lead by example. While this is not bad, doing fun things with both your employees in the office and your remote staff as you work, would bring back the fun in working. It would make them feel safe.
One thing to keep in mind is that it is always better to lead by inspiration than out of fear. Your mindset as an employer matters very much, you can focus on creating a carefree, sincere, and respectful work environment where everybody could converse, interact, and brainstorm without feeling anxious and self-conscious.
2. Have a playroom
If you want your workforce to be filled with energy instead of being sluggish at work, having a fun room might help keep them refreshed. Somewhere where they can go to get their minds away from work for a little while. It serves like a brain reset, a clean-slate, and refreshed eyes, and sometimes people need this.
Blog writers tend to strain their eye muscles when writing nonstop, and playing some card games over their breaks could help them see a typo, grammatical error, structure mistakes that there are. A good break always results in a reinvigorated staff, but don’t overdo it. Playrooms should be a haven for the inner children of your adult employees, not a distraction. Just keep it colorful, interactive, and relaxing. That would do it.
3. Encourage passion
Everyone has their layers that they are passionate about. One seemingly simple IT guy could surprise you with his roasted potatoes delicacy. There might be hidden talents too, buried and forgotten by the adult lives that have taken place.
Allow your staff at least half an hour to showcase their passion and hobbies to you or their colleagues. It is a great way to relieve stress, bond over a common interest, and remind themselves that there is more to life than just work. What better way to encourage them than by sharing with them your very own passion? In doing so, your employees would get a sense of familiarity and belongingness with you.
4. Allow for individuality
Each person has his/her forte, strengths, and ideas. Repressing and muffling these voices filled with potential is not just unwise but is somewhat sad for aspiring minds that want to contribute and leave a mark. A good leader listens. No matter how weird ideas and pitches are because normal is boring.
If your web developers do their jobs in an orthodox way, just remember. Nine multiplied by eight is the same as thirty-six multiplied by two. So allow them to try, and accomplish things at their own pace and style, everybody summons their muses differently, and micromanaging your employees doesn’t help them come those power hours of momentum.
5. Don’t try so hard
Just as you want them to be happy working for the company, no one wants to be pried open. It would only be pointless and may come off as somewhat weird and forced. It is like smiling ear to ear too often in front of them hoping they would smile back. Gentleness and sincerity are keys to this one. Take that first step closer to your employees and prove that one way or another, they can lean on you, too.
Promoting a fun place and a happy work environment don’t just do your company great things, it also helps you with your journey as a leader by inspiration and example. One day, your employees would look back and they will remember you and the way you made a better workplace for them.