A big lie: the workplace is not a place to have fun!
We run our business as if we only deal with numbers, like the number of defects per production run or the number of minutes an employee is late. But this is not the only common lie in the business world. There are other lies, one of which is worse than the rest: “It’s not supposed to be fun.” “If it was attractive, it wouldn’t be called work anymore.”
If we think more about this sentence, we will come to the conclusion that it does not fit with reason at all. If the work is not supposed to be interesting, then it is boring or exhausting.
If employees have fun at work, it’s like they got something for free. Cowardly managers are afraid that their employees will spend their day having fun while working. They feel that they have lost their power. They believe that “employees should come to work every day and do things according to plan, not joke and laugh.”
For these managers, an employee laughing and joking with his colleagues is equivalent to being lazy. This is definitely not true. The most ideal situation is to love our work so much that we are willing to do it for free. But anyway, we all need money.
Finding a job you love is a huge accomplishment, not one to feel guilty or apologetic about. Some managers don’t know that an employee who loves his job and enjoys it is definitely better than other employees.
When the work environment is attractive, employees are relaxed and interesting ideas come to their minds. They collaborate more easily and willingly, and innovation and collaboration happen spontaneously.
If the work environment is not attractive to your employees, it is a sign of your failure as a manager. There is no reason why a job should be hard or boring. Cowardly managers do not like to give their employees the freedom to do their work as they like.
Work has to be engaging and fun, or you’re cheating your customers and stakeholders. No manager likes to stand up in front of a crowd of investors and announce to them, “Work is not attractive at our company. Employees work here because they don’t have a better option.” What manager would be proud to say this?
Anyone who admits that their employees don’t like their jobs is actually admitting their inefficiency and incompetence. Customers and shareholders expect the company they buy from or buy shares in to be a great place to work, because the presence, enthusiasm and participation of employees in affairs benefit them as well.
What does it cost to attract and retain smart and talented employees? No cost! It is enough that the culture of the organization is attractive and humane. Creating such a culture is the responsibility of every manager before customers and shareholders.
Smart managers know the truth: If fun in the workplace becomes a strategic priority, everything will be better.
This post is written by shadmanamini