Lead the Way With Fun at Work
Does work always have to feel like…work? As the leader, you establish the environment that you and your team work in. If you want to have a fun store or workplace, that is up to you. Being a Manager or Leader does not preclude you from interacting and having fun with your team. In fact, I encourage it. There can be a fear of having fun in the workplace leading to less productivity or a loss of control. In most cases, the opposite is actually true.
Employees that have fun at work are up to 20% more productive.
The environment you establish as a leader will define the guardrails for getting work done and still having fun. Beginning with simple things like smiling and getting to know your team can be a great starting point for creating the setting for having fun.
How do you know if you have a fun environment?
The simplest thing to do is ask your team. Do they enjoy coming to work? Do they like their co-workers? Do they know the value they create by performing their job? The other easy way to determine the level of fun in your store is by watching and listening. Does your team smile while working? Do the associates interact with each other in the break room or outside of work? Do you hear associates laughing throughout the day? Do they watch funny videos together or share interesting stories? If so, you are probably in a good place. As the leader, are you engaged in those same activities? As with anything else, you will need to know where to draw the line as the leader, but doing fun stuff with your team at work or as part of work-related activities should be a part of your role.
Employees that enjoy their work will share their stories with others. That can go a long way to help recruit new workers in the future while maintaining the current team members.
Taking Steps to Create a Fun Environment
Beyond creating a natural environment for people to have fun while working, there are countless other things you can do to create fun in the workplace. It starts with keeping an open mind and seeking input from the team. What ideas do they have for making the time they spend ‘on the clock’ more enjoyable? The act of asking and seeking input will already make the environment better.How well do you know your team? Connecting with associates about their lives outside of work allows them to express more of their individuality. That is an element of fun, as most people like to talk about and share things that they enjoy. Sharing your commonalities not only can be fun, but it creates new levels of engagement that will have additional far-reaching benefits.As the leader, you set the tone. If you are all work and no play, it will become a ‘zero-fun’ zone. When the team sees you smiling, enjoying yourself, and including them in it all, they will add to it and multiply it. All of this leads to a place where people like to be - service levels improve, turnover decreases, and smiles are abundant. What could be more fun than that?What else can you do to create an environment of fun in your workplace? Click here or on the comments button above to share your thoughts.