Fundamental of the Week #10: Keep Things Fun

The problems that face us day to day at work are small compared to the challenges facing most of the world. Keep your perspective and don’t take things personally or yourself too seriously.  Laugh every day with others.This is an easy one for me! Even if we didn’t have fun as a fundamental there would be fun in our organization. It’s a Core Value for me. I have always thought we came into this world to have fun.Why? Because fun is joy and joy/fun brings out the best in us. It’s hard to be stressed when you are enjoying yourself: it’s hard to hold grudges, it’s hard to worry, and it’s impossible to be angry! When you remove those barriers to creativity and innovation we just become so much more productive. Fun just takes the hard out of work.We have several fundamentals that deal with being in communication, listening, and sharing information. When people are communicating honestly with each other it lowers the barriers to enjoying each other and getting work done. Having fun at work does not mean an “in-office” playground, group outings or a lackadaisical approach to getting things done. It has more to do with the spirit or attitude with which we come to work and how we interact with each other. Our staff meetings always start with a quick check-in on how everyone is doing (that is right after a quick conversation on the fundamental of the week). Our personal “quick updates” often provoke a bit of kidding and banter, especially when it comes to our kids, then it’s down to business, which can also include a bit of kidding and bantering.Beyond my personal affinity for fun and playing, science is rife with studies validating a fun spirit is very supportive to a productive environment. I’ve been in organizations where it was “all business”, fun was not part of the palette and frankly they tended to be a bit stifling. This fundamental at its core is about how we come to work, what we bring in the door with us, and how we interact with the people we work with. The alternative is unattractive, so really, why would we not?  Especially since it is an easy portal to high performance.We invite you to join us and keep things fun!Craig Clark