Making Work Fun!
August 23rd, 2007 by Dave Cheong
Wow! I can’t believe it has been so long since I last posted on this blog. Rest assured, dear readers, I have not abandoned you. I’m as energetic as ever, but unfortunately the commitments of work has again gotten in the way of everything else.
Including this blog, but most notably fun and leisure!
A couple of months ago, I started at a new client side. Because the client is new, environment is different, technology and type of work unfamiliar, I’ve had to work extra hard to get things done with my usual tenacity and productivity. Although the road has been bumpy and steep, I’ve kept my head up and have persevered through the tough times.
That’s all good, but I miss the fun times!
So how do we make work fun? Well, you can do it like my friend, who at this very moment is running rampant about Sydney doing a massive treasure hunt! From what I read on this blog, the folks at Atlassian are having a great time on their ‘Cutlassian Pirate’ day - having dressed up as pirates, kicked out of the Google offices and generally causing mayham! All I have to say to him is go Team Yarrr!
Those guys at Atlassian sure know how to have fun.
Why aren’t other companies like this? In all seriousness, most of us spend at least 40 hours at the “office”. Given that this is a significant portion of our week, why can’t it be more fun? There shouldn’t be any reason whatsoever.
So, what can we do to make work a place in which we look forward to going? For the budding entrepreneurs out there, here are some initial thoughts.
- Employees need to know they are working on worthwhile things
- Employees need to know they are appreciated
- Employees need to receive compliments on their work
- Employees need to know their input and opinion is valued
- Employees need to know their work makes a difference
- Employees need to have work which is interesting and challenging
- Employees need to feel they are learning and growing
- Employees need to feel they are making progress in their career
- Employees need to be fairly remunerated for their work
- Employees need timeout - treasure hunt anyone?
In many ways, our employers dictate how happy we are at work. A fun workplace could instigate treasure hunts, morning teas, dinners to celebrate project milestones etc. While this may be true in some instances, it’s not a very nice way of living and thinking.
I subscribe to the belief that we make our own fun and happiness. Two people working at the same place, doing the same thing could have totally different viewpoints on how much they enjoy their work. In the end, we have the freedom to choose how we perceive things. Instead of looking at the negatives, try to look for the positives. Instead of looking for problems, try to look for opportunities. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, try to look for constructive solutions.
Ask yourself, Are you a happy employee? If not, what can you do about it?
I’m interested to hear about what your workplaces are like, especially if you have had problems and have found ways to overcome them. Leave a comment.
Oh, and good luck Team Yarrr.
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