| Humor at Work |
ISSUE 684 - June 21, 2017 |
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Five Keys to Greater Workplace Happiness |
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Here are five insights from research into workplace happiness, summarized in the book The Best Place to Work, by Ron Friedman:
1. Frequency of events is more important than size. That's why I'm such a big fan of small rituals and traditions at work. They don't have to be expensive or take a lot of time, but creating daily or weekly fun rituals is an easy way to create a happier workplace atmosphere with a greater payoff than putting all your eggs into one annual blowout event.
2. Variety prevents adaptation. If you keep doing the same thing, what once was fun can turn into a routine
expectation. That's partly why the insurance company Admiral Group created a "Ministry of Fun" position that rotates to different employees on a monthly basis - they want to ensure a steady stream of new ideas.
3. Unexpected surprises produce bigger payoffs. While there's something to be said for creating anticipation, creating a last minute surprise, such as an impromptu visit from a massage therapist or last minute team trip to the local ice cream parlor pays huge emotional dividends.
4. Experiences are more rewarding than objects. A mountain of research suggests that people (or organizations) who spend their money on experiences are happier than people who spend their money on stuff. So stuff the stuff and focus more on experiences such as volunteering at a charity event, group salsa lessons, or bringing in a chef to teach your team how to make the world's greatest pizza.
5. Grateful minds are happy minds. Whether it's a gratitude board, a gratitude moment during your meetings, or celebrating and recognizing success and milestones at work, being intentionally grateful is one of the most powerful ways to boost engagement and happiness.
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Mike's Fun at Work Tip |
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Here's a quick, fun get-to-know-each-other-better icebreaker activity. Create a list of 10-20 simple either/or options for people to choose from, for example: Cat or dog person? Do you prefer reading fiction or non-fiction? Coke or Pepsi? Winter or summer season? Batman or Spiderman? Morning person or night owl? Introvert or extrovert? Coffee or tea? Fridays off or Mondays off? Ability to fly or be invisible?
OK, you get the idea.You can make some items work-related, some personal, some funny, some serious. It should only take a minute for one person to answer, then have partners swap positions. If you have time, rotate people around the room so different pairs can match up or do it as a group with each person around the table offering their answer to each item in rapid succession.
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Quote of the Week |
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"Nothing will stop you from being creative so effectively as the fear of making a mistake." John Cleese
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It's a Wacky World |
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Some accidentally funny road signs sent in by Humor at Work readers:
- Unnecessary Repetitive Driving Prohibited
- Families Playing and Eating Children - No Dogs Allowed
- Slow Church Services Ahead
- Caution Pedestrians Slippery When Wet
- Caution Children on Road With No Shoulders
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Cost-Savings to Bring Mike in to Speak
"Need to See Mom Special": Kelowna or Penticton, B.C. on-going
Toronto: Sept. 7-12
Cleveland: Sept. 25
Montreal: Nov. 23 or 25
Ottawa: Dec. 11-13
New Zealand: Feb. 20 - Mar. 5, 2018
Suffering From Too Much Cliff Clavin?
Mike is quoted in the Forbes article, 8 Tips for Dealing With the Office Know-it-All
Psst...You Really Don't Want to Miss This! Even if you're in Red Deer! It's the Customer Service Leadership Summit featuring four outstanding speakers and a panel of industry leaders. November 15, Calgary. For details pop over to Customer Service Leadership Summit
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Copyright © 2017 Humor at Work. All Rights Reserved.
mike@mikekerr.com
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