Fun is a tricky little three-letter word.<\/p>\n
If we were to think of the workplace<\/strong><\/a> as a cross-word puzzle it would be challenging to consider where fun fits into the big picture. There is no \u201cF\u201d in \u201cproductivity\u201d, no \u201cU\u201d in \u201ceffort\u201d, and there is certainly no \u201cN\u201d in \u201cresults\u201d. There simply is no time, nor place, for fun and its varying distracting, immature, and counterproductive derivatives, such as humour, levity, and boisterousness. Games are silly relics of a youthful song which is both out of date and out of synch with the demanding and ferocious reality of the work culture.<\/p>\n Or, you know, maybe not?<\/em><\/p>\n Our brains require stimulation. They seek out novelty. Research has shown that along with basic survival needs, and the need for emotional security, our brains not just desire but require stimulation in the form of novel, delightful, and pleasantly surprising experiences. These recharge and excite our mind, and result in a number of measurable and beneficial biological side-effects\u00a0– from healthier function of our blood vessels to producing certain antibodies that strengthen our immune system. In short, the research is in and it seems to conclude that fun is good for the mind and body<\/strong>.<\/p>\n But why on Earth would we want this positive, life-extending emotion entering the tightly constrained confides of the work place?<\/p>\n Because there are more ways to motivate people than just the carrot and the stick.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, employees can be incited into increased productivity<\/a><\/strong> with extrinsic motivational factors of the metaphorical \u201ccarrot\u201d (pay rises, bonuses, fringe benefits, etc.) or the \u201cstick\u201d (threats, reprimanding, fear) however I would suggest that there is the third path, one that results in intrinsic motivation: the path of creating a working environment that your employees want <\/b><\/em>to work in. Where their brains feel safe, emotionally validated, and intellectually stimulated – and injecting elements of fun into your company will help bring about this increasingly positive state of mind.<\/p>\n Let us clarify that fun does not mean lack of seriousness or respect. A fun company is not a company where slacking off or constantly goofing around are the only objectives. Fun in the workplace<\/a> is more so about the feeling of, so-called, levity.<\/strong> Making your people feel \u201clighter\u201d as opposed to the \u201cheavier\u201d feelings of sombre, stone-faced, restrained professionalism.<\/p>\nThe science of fun<\/h2>\n
Fun is a motivator<\/h2>\n
Fun is contagious<\/h2>\n