Girls (and Guys) Just Want to Have Fun (at Work)

Is it just me, or can you really notice when you are in a workplace where people have fun!  I can always tell. Sometimes it’s something more subtle, I notice things like a funny response from a customer service clerk, or a giddy exchange between employees when they think no one is watching, and sometimes it’s an all-out party going on! I recently visited Pike Place Market in Seattle, and watched the fish mongers literally singing and throwing the fish around. They were having fun, and so was everyone else around them. It was so nice to see that they were doing their jobs, and loving it. When we are having fun at work, everything seems to go well, and it’s infectious; everyone around starts to smile and enjoy themselves too, other employees, and even the customers.

Recently, while I was preparing for a presentation to a group of employers, I wanted to inject some fun into what can be some pretty heavy content around workplace mental health. Our office manager, Rayann, came up with the idea to create a social media frame, and have some emoticons as props. Over a few weeks she worked on the project and came up with an awesome solution.

The idea was that anyone could decide on a message they wanted to share about their workplace, or workplace mental health. They would then take a photo with the frame and their message and post it on social media. Rayann took great care to prepare props to help people share their message, and engineered the frame so it was big enough for 2. We had a ton of fun creating this, and we enjoyed playing around with it ourselves. Then, at the conference, while initially shy, the participants ended up embracing the selfie photo frame whole heartedly. Throughout the presentation they posed for pictures, tweeted their learning points, and had a good laugh. They were having fun, the message came across strong, and the entire 200 person audience was engaged.

Find a way to inject fun into your workplace; even with (especially with) a serious job. There is always an opportunity to let people express their silly side. It’s good for everyone’s mental health too!

Tell me how you have fun in your workplace. You may love our Self Care workshop.

And if you want to see some of the silly photos from the speaking engagements, visit our Facebook page.

Diana Vissers is the Founder and Director of Corporate Services at Work to Wellness Rehabilitation Inc. – a Canadian company providing expert disability management services to Canadian customers. She is in the business of making your place of business healthy, safe and productive. Follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for the latest news and updates on health, wellness and integrated disability management.