Partner Article

Making Work Fun on International Dance Day

It’s International Dance Day on Mon 29th April and this got me thinking about the part fun plays in our business and working lives. About the importance of fun to our sense of well-being, and about how having fun can reinvigorate people and working environments.

So why don’t we actively seek it out more often?

Why is that we take our work so seriously? Why do we take ourselves so seriously when we’re working? Why do we often wait until a specific day like Red Nose Day to do crazy things and feel fully alive?

Is it because we think of laughter and fun as unprofessional? As time-wasting? Or, is it because we think other people will think that of us? That it will open us up to embarrassment, ridicule or derision?

This is a really important point and one we need to explore as individuals and women business leaders, because when we do we might see it’s more about the impression ‘having fun’ at work makes. That it’s about our own fears and beliefs, rather than fun itself or the benefits and positive results it can bring.

I know from my own experience, and working with clients and colleagues, that when we do laugh at ourselves, when we laugh about our situation, when we do or say funny things, when we use music, or do something physical, it has numerous benefits:

• It’s a great ice-breaker – helping people feel comfortable and less anxious
• It feels great – helping us to relax, and be ourselves
• It’s infectious – helping others to relax and feel good
• It’s a great connector – getting you back in touch with yourself, with your inner spark, and making you more willing to connect openly with others
• It makes you feel alive – bringing your work and workplace to life

But you don’t need to take my word for it. Some of the largest businesses in the world, like Google, know that the biggest killers of creativity and effectiveness at work are uniform environments, and people who aren’t fully present and engaged at work. They recognise that for the organisation to continue to move forward people must be encouraged to have fun, to make mistakes, to enjoy working in their environment, and to be rewarded for their results rather than for the time they spend working.

So how can you inject more fun into your work on International Dance Day and every other day? Here are some suggestions to play with, add to and adapt to make your own:

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Julie Johnson, The Success Club .