With record-setting numbers of people leaving their jobs, many organizations are scrambling to revise or recreate their cultures for the better. In times like these, rebranding your company culture as “fun” can seem like a quick solution to attract and retain employees. According to Harvard Business Review, 81% of people who ranked their company culture as “great” described their office environment as fun.
Not only that, but according to Forbes, 53% of Americans report that they don’t feel happy while they’re on the job! Thankfully, workplaces and how we approach the idea of a “company culture” are changing.
Employers are starting to realize that employees who are confined to their cubicles from 9-5 are not maximizing their potential. Who wants to be responsible for a workplace where more than half the staff report that they’re unhappy? More and more companies recognize that introducing an element of “fun” in the workplace not only makes the workday more enjoyable, but has huge benefits for employers and employees alike. Corporate culture is letting its hair down and learning that “fun” is really serious business.
But while it’s easy to say that your company values fun, actually making that true is another story.
What Gets in the Way?
When it comes to company culture, fun is often used as a buzzword that extends no further than the ping-pong table in the breakroom. So what’s getting in the way of truly having a fun company culture?
- Leaders’ Values– It’s difficult to have a fun work culture if your leaders don’t truly value employee happiness. Leaders who are primarily focused on profits and productivity will often make decisions at the expense of employee happiness. In order to have a fun company culture, you need to have leaders who value employee happiness and make decisions that serve the well-being of their people.
- One-Size-Fits-All Approach – Often, companies trying to have a “fun” culture fail to recognize that people have different preferences and perceptions of what fun is. Competitive and social activities are often the go-to solutions for bringing more fun into the workplace, but not everyone finds these types of activities fun. To have a fun company culture, activities that appeal to a wide variety of play preferences should be readily available in the workplace.
- Lack of Psychological Safety – For people to have fun at work, they need to feel safe to show up as their full, authentic selves. It’s nearly impossible to have fun while feeling like you’re walking on eggshells, scared that saying or doing the wrong thing will lead to punishment, humiliation, or termination. Companies that claim to have a fun company culture without prioritizing psychological safety are misinformed at best and destructive at worst.
Make Your Fun Company Culture More than a Cultural Buzzword
Beyond missing out on the benefits of having a fun workplace culture, organizations that fail to live in alignment with their stated values also undermine employee trust. If you truly want to create a fun work culture that benefits people and profits, consider the following tips.
Help Leaders Understand the Value of Play
Your leaders’ beliefs and values will make or break your fun company culture. A huge reason fun company cultures fail is that leaders don’t understand the value of play. If you truly want to create a fun company culture, you must educate leaders on the value of play at work. Play enhances creativity, builds trust among team members, reduces stress, and can even boost productivity by 20%! Leaders who understand that play boosts productivity are more likely to make an effort to support employees having fun in the workplace.
Make Work Play for More People
Did you know that play is the highest form of intrinsic motivation at work? While it’s unlikely that every task is going to be enjoyable for employees, making an effort to align people’s sense of joy and fulfillment with their roles is a surefire way to start creating a fun company culture. Rather than finding people who are willing to do the work, find people who love it. Encourage leaders to spend time finding out what makes their people tick, and give them the power to design roles that align with people’s passions.
Make Play Part of the Process
One of the most powerful ways to create a fun company culture is to consistently make play part of your processes. Whether it’s exploring fun ways to kick off meetings, dreaming up celebratory rituals, or integrating play and problem-solving strategies, adaptive leaders can find creative ways to make play an integral part of everyday life at work. The more you can integrate play with productivity, the more authentic and meaningful your fun work culture will become.
Benefits of a Fun Company Culture
Play can take your organizational culture from routine to revolutionary! Here are just a few ways that integrating play can improve your work environment:
Enhanced Creativity
During the workday, a lot of problem-solving needs to be done which requires creativity. Approaching any problem from the same frame of mind repeatedly is going to feel frustrating, and it’s easy to get into a rut when you haven’t had a break.
However, having fun isn’t just a mental break. Fun can help you get into a different head-space, so you can tackle that problem from a new angle you may not have considered before. In fact, your mind actually works differently when you’re having fun. You’re more receptive to novelty, so you’re more likely to have that “aha moment”.
Ziksana offers a variety of services that support creativity. By providing a safe, creative environment for getting silly and taking risks, experts encourage your employees to think differently and change their perspective through play. Many clients who have used Ziksana report being more “open to new possibilities” and “willing to take action”. Thus, effective problem solving and strong leadership form in the workplace!
Teamwork
Having fun with coworkers is a great way to bond, but the benefits go far beyond that. During the course of a game or a team-building exercise, we often end up working towards a common goal. Thus, improving communication and fostering a sense of togetherness.
According to CIPHR, “nearly 65% of knowledge workers collaborate multiple times a day with their colleagues” which means communication is key. Co-workers who have fun together will learn each other’s communication styles and get to enjoy each other’s company, so they’ll want to work together to make future projects a success.
In fact, there is solid evidence that play encourages bonding and improved communication on a physiological level. When our brain is “at play” the amygdala, the part of our brain which is responsible for our emotional processing, is activated- allowing us to relate to one another and form stronger bonds. In a relaxed, playful state, the amygdala is also able to pass on information to the prefrontal cortex, which helps us with higher functions like decision-making.
Increased Productivity
You might think that taking breaks or dedicating time for “fun” instead of work would decrease productivity. But you would be wrong. Not only will fun improve your employees’ creativity, which makes them quicker problem solvers, but an elevated mood can improve motivation. Then, they’ll want to work harder to accomplish their goals. A 2015 study even found that happier employees are around 12% more productive than their counterparts.
“Playtime” may seem like it has no place in the office, but, in fact, introducing the right kind of fun can have a positive effect on your staff’s overall happiness and your bottom line. Ziksana facilitators are experts at balancing productivity and play to teach teams how to effectively balance the need for fun at work and results.
Decreased Turnover
Dealing with high employee turnover is frustrating for any business. New employees take time and resources to train, and it can be a strain on other employees who need to take over additional responsibilities when a colleague departs. Having a fun workplace means your employees are going to be in it for the long haul. Dedicated employees who are committed to your mission are an important factor to your business’ future success.
Improved Health
Happy employees are also healthier employees. Play has a number of health benefits, including reducing your risk for heart attacks and strokes, according to WebMD. Fun is also important for your mental health because it can improve your ability to cope with stress and allow you to bounce back from difficult or sad situations more quickly. By introducing the habit of play in the workplace, you can foster an environment where employees are more resilient to both personal and work-related setbacks.
Learn More About Making Company Culture Fun
Introducing fun into your workplace can be a huge asset whether you’re looking to attract or keep quality talent, and it will bring out the best in all your employees. When your team is working together and enjoying themselves and their company, they can do incredible things!
If you’re not sure how to begin introducing fun into your workplace, a workshop or manager skill training program can help get you started. Ziksana’s team members are masters of creating a unique and playful experience suited to your needs. Indeed, we use fun to facilitate breakthroughs in communication and supporting an environment where creativity abounds.
We use the science of play to introduce your employees to new ways of learning, so that they can get comfortable taking risks and practicing new skills. Our experts are here to tailor a play-based learning experience directly to you and your employees, so all your unique needs can be met. Our clients report that they’re able to take the skills they learned directly to the workplace, which means they are practicing teamwork, cooperation, and creative problem solving on the job.
Ready to Take Your Fun Company Culture to the Next Level?
At Ziksana, our mission is to activate the world of work through play. Through our creative training, coaching, and consulting services, we help organizations overcome their biggest barriers to productivity while having fun along the way. Ready to make play a priority? Contact us today!
