Why Fun and Games at the Office Don't Always Work
By: Bean Jones
In the hope of increasing productivity through goodwill, some companies go overboard. A friend who works for a bank recently told me that he dreaded their upcoming Flashback Day. When I asked what that was, he gave me a disgusted look before explaining, "That's when we dress up as historical figures every Monday. That's how the higher ups are fighting the Monday morning slump."
Only my friend's miserable look stopped me from laughing.
Indeed, a productivity study done by Cambridge University researcher Peter Fleming found that instead of increasing productivity, a workplace that institutes a "culture of fun" actually breeds rampant cynicism. Fifty percent of Fleming's respondents doubted the authenticity of the so-called "fun programs"--which ranged from relay races, scavenger hunts, and variations of other party games. Fleming stated that his subjects probably didn't like the "blurring of traditional boundaries that usually distinguish work and non-work."
Just what sort of fun works for the office?
Lynn Harland's "Attitudes Toward Workplace Fun: A Three Sector Comparison," a study published in the Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, reveals that the most universally-liked and accepted fun workplace activity involves food. So, while many employees may be up in arms (or secretly griping) when you make them put on costumes on Mondays, they won't whine when you serve them, say, cookies while you're having your morning meeting.
In any case, there are some companies that have managed to turn "play" into productivity enhancers. I hear the folks at Nokia encourage their employees to play with Lego blocks so that their creative juices flow freely. Then again, as my banker-friend pointed out, "Playing with Lego blocks has a purpose. Dressing up as Benjamin Franklin on a Monday morning is just plain ridiculous."
Enough said. (No offense to Ben Franklin, of course.)
Comments
The last sentence on this post says it all - if there is a purpose. I sympathise with the banker, and wonder about those customers who view the bank as an institution...and therefore "serious".
It might be a suggestion that this "dress-up" occurs once a year - to commemorate an occasion or civic holiday? That might make it more tolerable for all concerned.
To me, a "culture of fun" would be where colleagues are serious about the work, but everyone's allowed to express their creativity in ways that make them feel comfortable, relaxed, and productive. Where it's okay to be different - even encouraged. When you spend as much time with co-workers as with family, it's good to know their likes and dislikes, and to know what they think of as "fun."
Obligatory fun isn't fun - because you may love bowling and I need bumpers to keep my ball out of the gutters, or you may enjoy dressing up while I'm a huge introvert or on a tight budget that doesn't allow for extravagant costumes every Monday.
If we can all lighten up a little while we work, though, that's a good thing. Oh, and about those cookies...
Please stop. They're all ending up on my thighs! (Not that I don't like cookies during meetings - but you do realize people eat out of stress and boredom, so maybe that's just an indicator that we need something more exciting in our lives...)
Right on. Worked in a call center....They always had something going on with respect to "fun". It was always something stupid and I was mostly uncooperative. Then they would put me by myself in a little cubicle because I wouldn't play the game. And they would shrilly anounce winners, by sending endless emails and caterwalling their names. If you have never been exposed to this assinine treatment you have never been tortured. Forget waterboarding. Waterboarding is pussy torture. I would have signed up for that waterboarding. Corporations have it wrong and always will.
How crazy can a company be to demand when their staff can be happy or have fun!
Treat your staff as equals and listen to their ideas. Pay them a decent wage for the job they do, and let them have fun in their own time.
Respectful bosses get better results.
Great post. Thank you for sharing.
Best regards,
John
Many bosses come up with the most ridiculous "fun" ideas and expect their employees to act them out. My boss Patty once had a day where everyone was expected to put as many ponytails on one's head as possible. We all work at the hospital on the med-surg floor. How do you think it is viewed when you have to have a serious discussion with a patient about a poor diagnosis or calm an irate family member when their loved one is still in pain, and you look like a complete idiot?! When I refused to participate in Patty's play days, I was looked upon as a negative person who didn't like to have fun. Even though Patty is the head of the med-surg department, she never speaks to patients or family members unless all other channels fail, which is rare. I could name quite a few other "fun ideas" (more like lame-brained) she came up with, all similarly embarrassing to staff members. So the next time you supervisors and bosses want to have "fun" day, you might take an informal employee survey as to what others' think of as "fun". Offering discount tickets to theme parks, special events, etc is more likely to promote "fun" and does not set up your employee for a possible embarrassing situation (what if a very stressed customer had to go to the bank to report identity fraud and they were faced with speaking to a costumed Abraham Lincoln or Elvis Presley?). Making your employees dress up in retarded costumes, hairstyles, or other themes at work, promotes (in my opinion) more negative than positive outcomes, especially if the public expects a kind, yet serious, professional. So, all you bosses please take a long hard look at what you think is fun and how it might impact others.
Doc
I could not agree more. Cultivating an atmosphere of creativity and relationship building is more important than planned activities. I have worked for companies large and small where they tried to force us to have fun. Good ideas included taking the staff bowling one afternoon on company time, allowing us to decorate our cubicles, and quick birthday events for employees. Bad ideas included things like expecting us to attend staff "fun" activities on what should be MY family time, any idea that makes the office feel like junior high (silly dress up days included), and ideas that cut into productive time near deadlines (and in marketing there were ALWAYS deadlines!).
Research has been done showing that LAUGHTER YOGA practiced regularly has a positive affect on creativity and productivity. We take laughter very seriously and do not rely on humor.
I completely agree with this post...As it happens, I too am a banker. I used to work at a place where the branch manager encouraged socializing and "party events" for administrative staff during work hours beyond any sense of proportion. There were literally hamsters in the office(!). The result was out-of-control staff who openly showed disrespect to managers, worked when they felt like it, and 100% turnover among management staff. Three years later, the company is still trying to restore order in that office. If a person no longer derives a sense of satisfaction from the work itself, it's time to move on to another job. It is NOT up to the employer to "make it fun". The employer is responsible for a reasonable distribution of work, decent pay and maintaining a professional work environment.
I have observed many bosses over the years because I don't believe in staying in one job more than six years. That is the time to move on and step up again.
I found the most effective bosses were the ones who you would have thought it was their first day of their job. They worked with so much enthusiasm and encouragement that it just spread through. Most staff were happy and worked well too. If the boss has a postive out look, listens to the staffs suggestions and if they are good acts on them and not have a closed mind I believe it makes it a happy work place.
When working as the head nurse if at lunch time the two girls who dished out lunch time if they could dress up as the King and Queen. It was so much fun for the patients and later they played the piano. It was their idea and they felt comfortable doing this. It was such a success that every fortnight they dressed up as different characters. I believe if a person is happy doing something like that, that is fine. Not everyone likes to dress up we are all different. Some have games etc and many feel uncomfortable and sometimes a bit threatened.
Good luck I am sure there are many ideas out there too. We all need to share to get ideas.
Good luck,
Cheers Maureen.
Work should be fun and one should enjoy his work but thinking fun can be work or fun can work is streching it a bit too far.If you can create passion in the minds of employees then the work becomes fun. If you mind is occupied by what games you play at work or which character you would like to dress up like and behave like one then you are working at much less than your potential as your mind is occupied somewhere else. you can only have fun at work when you give it hundred percent.
Dressing up in historical costumes is NOT fun! Who ever thought of that lousy idea?
The problem with corporations is that they like to institutionalize everything. Even fun, which is different for everyone. Here in the Philippines, I have some friends who relate that dancing has been included as a normal weekly activity in their school, with no credits for grades. Some friends hate dancing and can't wait to graduate.
Now food is a great idea. Instantly there's a vibe of festivity. In my office, birthday celebrants are always goaded into buying food for everyone. Usually it's just pizza or pancit (a common celebration noodle dish) but eating as a group seems to bring in a feeling of community.
I work as a independent training specialist in productivity and customer service with corporates. I don't work with companies who have this ridiculous idea of enforced fun programs. Employees are happy when they are treated with respect and fairness. And companies who practice enforced fun don't take their employees seriously and are disrespecting their customers.
I agree that the key is to make the fun relevant to the objectives of the workplace. I once managed a department within a very large organisation & had staff located across several towns/cities . We were often laughing so hard that passer-bys would pop in to see what was going on - & yet our productivity & creativity were astounding - we won quite a number of State & national awards and were often asked to speak at large conferences. For eg., at the end of videoconferenced staff meetings, a lady who had different designs painted on her fingernails each week would focus the camera on the latest creations. We worked in health so showing body parts over the technology was an important skill we all needed. When one of our very cramped offices was able to take over all the neighbouring offices in the building, I put a plan in the tearoom with 'to scale' cut outs of all our furniture & equipment. Uproarious laughter was heard for weeks as staff ultimately figured out workflows & walked their fingers around their new office space. Such enthusiasm was generated that one lady made curtains, others brought in potplants & prints. They even organised a weekend working bee to paint the drab walls (although I managed convince our employer to do it). Lunchtime events such as 40th birthdays, baby showers, kitchen teas etc were amazing & hilarious - everyone went to so much trouble & the other offices would drop in via videolink for the speeches/cake. That environment was a highlight of my working career.
Exactly! I’m a Life & Executive Coach and believe Managers too often try and cover up the real and underlying issues within the company with pointless fun games to make them look like great managers and a great company to work for. Fix the real problem first and the employees will have a much more positive and get more out of the fun games. And I agree food treats goes a long way!
Cheers,
Jacqueline
My son works for a software company that's listed in the top twenty in the country. As "fun" incentives they offer -- free drinks (tea, coffee, juice and soda) throughout the day, a gym(which he uses before starting work), food benefits if they work overtime on a project, and generally being acceptive of letting them be the person they are. The work atmosphere is informal and friendly, but he often works more than his 8 hours a day because he gets involved in what he's doing. (He's a junior software engineer.) In order to make work "fun" a company should take into account not only personal individuality, but try to make each feel wanted.
Set performance standards, hold people accountable for reaching them, give them tools to do so and get out of the way. Let individuals be individuals and let them perform. I do have one gripe which is this statement of "decent pay" What is that? In my experience it is code for "as little as I can forece someone to take without them becoming violent or petulant" I am yet to see a post that says that the employer should only take "decent profits" or pay themselves "decent pay". Final piece of the puzzle is to pay what an employee is worth, and they will reward you!
Wow! What diverse comments. Just proves that diversity is the key here. Some people love all that goofy stuff and others would rather have a root canal. Astute managers will know the group well enough to do the right things. However saying thank you and demonstrating that you value the person and his/her contributions and ideas is a winner every time for every type, except perhaps those few who carry painful baggage.
I worked at a company in 2001 (and later was laid off from said company) where there were in-house fooseball tournaments. There were about 25 employees. There were several people who practiced fooseball many times per day. It became a great goof-off excuse. Oh, those were the days...
If you want to force people to loosen up, just spray them with oil. Keep the people who are amused, and problem solved.
Otherwise you have to permit and encourage people to loosen up at their own pace.
As for pay: the more you uncouple productivity and reward, the more you will have to do your employee's thinking for them.
Often all a manager needs to do is find out what people want and ask them what they can do for it... (Rinse and repeat as necessary.)