Gone are the days when work meant sitting on the desk for eight hours straight without blinking an eye. The office culture has changed, and it’s one of the essential qualities of good leader at work is to promote fun.
In fact, a lively work culture is critical to keeping the employees happy, productive, and motivated. Different companies have different methods to enable fun at workday; some have gaming zones, some share drinks, or some go out every week. And as a manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure your team members have inner peace.
So, how to have fun at work? Let’s find out.
Qualities of Good Leader: Have a gaming area
This Silicon Valley tradition has made its way to almost all workplaces. Modern-day offices now have a gaming area where the employees can take small breaks and have fun at work. These areas usually include indoor games like table tennis, pool, air hockey, and chess. Some companies have taken the gaming culture to a whole new level with video games and AR/VR experiences.
If you’re looking for one idea to get started, have a pool table, along with a small area with a sofa and picnic bench. A gaming area is not necessarily for gaming; it’s a place where your employees would go to spend some time off the desk and computer screen to relax or have lunch.
Going out together is one of the Qualities of Good Leader
If you work in a team, going it with the team members on weekends or night outs is one of the best ways to have fun at work. Spending more time with your team helps you bond better and form relationships that could promote collaboration and productivity in the office.
After all, your coworkers are human beings, and you should go beyond professional boundaries and relate with them on a human level. Spending more time with your team members allows you to socialize and know each other. This enhances communication at work and helps you complete big, impossible tasks with ease.
Making friends is one of the Qualities of Good Leader
If you watch a lot of TV shows, you know it’s generally not advised to be too close to your coworkers. This concept is outdated, and it’s completely alright to make friends at work. Also, think of working beside your best friend. Imagine the power couple you’ll make, and how much more will you enjoy work.
If you have a bunch of friends at the office, you won’t need to force yourself to go to work anymore. You’ll be already excited to reach the office early and work alongside your best buddies. Besides, Autism workplace friendships can also help you develop a culture of compassionate love, which can go a long way in increasing office satisfaction levels and helping you have fun at work day.
Decorate your workplace
Again, those times are gone when offices looked like law firms in the 1970s. Companies invest heavily in office decor to make sure their work complements their values and work style. Let’s say you’re a young digital agency that offers design and development services. Would it make sense to have a dull office with nothing but while-solid walls and brown furniture?
Remember, the office isn’t just the place where your employees work; it’s where they live. They spend 8-10 hours, or even more of the day in the office, which is more than 30% of an entire day. Office decoration can lighten your employees’ moods and inspire them to stay productive and work harder.
Qualities of Good Leader: Allow pets
Another ‘fun at work day’ trend that is taking over companies across the globe is pets. While many consider dogs and other pets as distractions, recent research suggests that having canines in the office can actually reduce stress and increase productivity.
Moreover, a study also found that employees who worked with a dog nearby had more trust, cohesion, and intimacy with their teammates. So, let your employees get their dogs at work, and see the happiness soar. But, don’t allow too many dogs unless you want your employees to spend the entire day cuddling with their pooches.
Qualities of Good Leader: Get the drinks in
Let’s go back to the TV series example, where shows like Suits, Mad Men, and Billions demonstrate drinks as a part of their office culture. Well, that’s not purely fiction, as many companies are embracing the drinks culture in their workplace.
On Friday evenings, when you’re about to pack the week, conduct a small meeting and let everyone talk about the challenges they faced and new things they learned throughout the week. And what better way to make everyone talk than pouring a glass of beer or wine?
Celebrate small wins
One of the biggest influencers of fun at workday is a concept called the “progress principle.” What separates good managers from great managers is their ability to build a cadre of employees who are happy from the inside and are strongly motivated. The best way to do this is to be appreciative of small things.
If an employee makes little progress, acknowledge it, and appreciate him or her for the work. This makes the employees feel more valuable and encourage them to go the extra mile for the team. So, if you want your team to be happy, make sure they feel they are making progress, and they are important to the company.
Encourage collaboration and peer to peer feedback
The boss or senior leaders in an organization have a lot on their table, and it’s not possible for them to know exactly what everyone in the team is doing. To make sure your team is getting accurate feedback on a regular basis, try peer to peer feedback. Encourage your team to help each other out and give each other feedback. Getting feedback from people who understand their work in-depth helps team members develop closer relationships and have fun at work.
Qualities of Good Leader: Conclusion
Fun at workday is no longer a choice. If you want your employees to be at their best every day, you’ll need to make sure they’re getting an appropriate work environment. So, follow the tips discussed above and make your working space more lively and work-friendly.
