Having Fun at Work is NOT Being a Fun Place To Work
There’s a difference between having fun at work and being a fun place to work. Having fun at work includes recognition and social events. Being a fun place to work includes the above, but more importantly is a mindset that infuses fun into all aspects of your business. You feel it in the hallways, in the memos you receive, and in the meetings you hold. It is noticeable by the smiles on faces and the enthusiasm exhibited by employees. People are engaged in your business. Customers are engaged in your business.
It’s easy to say you’re a fun place to work. It’s much harder to prove it. It’s even harder to commit to it.
I hear stories all the time from people who tell me how they were told during an interview that their company was a fun place to work, yet when they arrived it was anything but fun. There was the occasional social event, like Recess At Work Day, or celebration of company success, but these events were few and far between. Instead of using them as a component of a bigger initiative to keep people engaged in the business, they were used as a one time band-aid to perhaps correct a point of low morale. Being a fun place is a commitment. It’s why the military has a Morale, Recreation and Welfare Officer. It is why a large Health Care organization has a Culture Improvement Specialist on the payroll. It is why companies like Google are the envy of so many.
So how do you go from fun at work to being a fun place to work?
Let’s use an example.
The Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators shared with me what some of their members are doing to have fun at work. Read their article here. Montgomery County Community College infused a fun spirit into a finacial aid awareness campaign. Last year’s awareness theme was centered around April Fool’s Day. Staff wore jester hats and a FAFSA Completion Day was advertised with the slogan “Don’t be foolish: File your FAFSA by May 1.”
That’s the type of “feeling it throughout the organization” I was talking about at the beginning. The trick is now to keep up this type of playfulness. Not only does it keep the staff thinking and engaged with one another it keeps your customers looking for more. They’re on the right track. Let’s face it…..Financial Aid is not fun – to the students or the professionals who work in the field. It’s stressful, scary and daunting. Add some fun.
So start thinking……..are you having fun at work or are you a fun place to work. Many of you are having some fun; take this opportunity to turn it into something bigger.
Hey, Thursday is Earth Day. To my new friends in the Financial Aid world; how about sending out a tweet, text or message that says “Forget about Saving the Earth and going green. Save Yourself some green by filing your FAFSA today!”
Need help creating a culture of engagement and fun; let Rich help. you. Find out more.
