By Mike Klockenbrink
There’s something special in a workplace when employees enjoy their jobs and are passionate about their work. If your employees are not happy, it will show in their work.
It doesn’t take long to walk into a place and get a feel of the environment. Is this a place of a bunch of stuffed shirts or is this a place you’d like to work?
Some might ask: if you’re having fun at work are you really working? All work and no play makes for _____ (you fill in the blank). The reality is, if everyone takes themselves too seriously, they could end up seriously ill. Proverbs 17:22 tells us “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Is having fun at work a part of your culture? It doesn’t happen by accident, you need to be intentional about it.
So how do you create an atmosphere of fun in the workplace?
Develop a plan of having fun with your staff. Don’t just jump in one week and do something fun and then nothing for another six months. Start out slow, by doing something once a month. Find out what your staff would consider to be fun. If you have a large staff, break it down into teams of fun.
Lead by example. You’ve heard this said a hundred times. Then do it. If you’re not willing to participate, neither will your employees. If this is something that is not normal for you, it may take a little time to relax and let loose.
Creating a culture of fun can take time. Be patient. Things don’t just change because you say so or you have one fun day. Change takes time. Celebrate the opportunities as they present themselves.
I recently had new business cards printed. One that says Chief Operating Officer and another one that says Chief of Stuff. The reality is that the second one tells what I really do.
All work and no play, doesn’t work for me. I want to have fun at work. Really.
Mike Klockenbrink is chief of staff at Lakeside Church, Folsom, CA. www.lakesidechurch.com
