Last year, Volkswagen launched an initiative to change people’s behavior using one simple idea – fun. The “Fun Theory” idea was tested using three different experiments that were videotaped and uploaded on YouTube where they quickly went viral. In one experiment, 66% more people than normal chose to use the stairs instead of an escalator when the stairwell was turned into a giant piano.
Every office battles behaviors that could be changed for the better, whether it’s team members coming in late to work or getting employees to take advantage of a company wellness program. What bad office habits could you help change by adding just a pinch of fun?
To help get your wheels turning on all the possibilities, here are a few ideas.
Morning Chatter
When employees get to work, some like to start the day by catching up on their co-workers’ lives. But, when your office is abuzz with team chatter for too long, it can become a problem. It’s important for co-workers to feel connected, but long morning discussions can hamper productivity and distract others. If your office is spending too much time discussing the events of the weekend, try initiating a fun activity first thing every morning. An organized activity will give everyone a chance to wake up and get energized for the day and spend time with their co-workers. Team activities are a fun way to increase employee engagement but they could also allow you to control the amount of time spent talking in the morning.
Same Old, Same Old Meetings
Meetings are a staple for most companies. It can be difficult to get everyone focused and on track when you and your team are exhausted from having so many meetings scheduled every day. If your team isn’t making the most of the meetings you have, try breaking up the drudgery by adding some pizzazz at the beginning. Start with a quick brainstorming session or game to get everyone geared up and ready to participate. Take five minutes to celebrate staff accomplishments, and show your appreciation by offering public praise to your employees. Adding fun to your meetings will encourage team involvement and input, a must for an effective meeting.
Adding play to your team’s day is a great way to increase productivity and employee engagement, reduce stress, and deal with common office behaviors you’d like to fix. Try your hand at some of these tricks and tips to win the battle over bad office habits. Share your fun ideas in the comments section below, and let us know how the fun you’ve initiated in the workplace has impacted your team.
Please note, the video clips herein and their sponsors do not necessarily represent the views of Express and are used for educational purposes only.
Yes, I LOVE the piano stairs! Saw this a year ago. This would absolutely curb my tendency to take the escalator!
Morning meetings though … some of the “fun” things we do are contrived and obviously more like work than play. I know offices where leadership is TRYING to make things fun but their credibility is lacking and the team is not buying into upper management attempts at levity.
If this is happening in YOUR workplace, it’s time to take a serious look at what makes each team member tick, rebuild trust, do the hard work behind the scenes to rebuild credibility and not only ask for team members’ input into what will make their company a better place to work, but also IMPLEMENT their ideas. Asking with no intention to make changes only leads to a further downward death-to-team spiral.
Now if this were just put into the schools too.
Yes, I’d take the stairs just for the fun.
Even better. Put it any place where there are long lines.
The whole concept of this has huge ramifications…the down side is of course that everyone is waiting for SOMEONE ELSE to make their jobs, lives, etc fun. You need a paradigm shift and try to start looking for the fun side of everyday things…we were helping a patient that was not very ambulatory the other day and spontaneously the staff broke into song…show tunes no less!!! What a hoot and everyone had a great time!