It has been well documented that silent work environments dedicated towards the ‘daily churn’ are significantly less effective than how we used to perceive them. In fact, recent studies have shown that a measly 29% of bosses are encouraging humour in the workplace. While some consider that having fun should be kept for our free time, being able to have a release valve at work is a fantastic way to de-stress. Rather than attempting to drain every bit of energy from your staff, create a stimulating work environment. This encourages them to be more creative, produce better work when they are motivated and create a natural bond between staff to encourage teamwork.

Jazz up the office

Before all of this can happen though, you need to lay the ground work. If you’ve spent years shushing vocal staff, then encouraging them to enjoy themselves is going to take a bit more than a condescending, ‘liven up a bit’. Instead, you need to integrate the foundations which can encourage your employees to enjoy work. Consider the design of the office, are the walls washed out with white? Simple additions like adding colour and fun designs all contribute to creating a positive atmosphere which staff will appreciate.

Lead by Example

As in most workplaces, managers lead by example. As such, you need to drop your inhibitions that professionalism can only be attained through seriousness. It is important that when staff are enjoying a joke you can trust that they still get their work done. Generally, when people are given a degree of freedom to enjoy themselves and embrace comradery with their co-workers, their mood levels rise. The enjoyment of simply being at work is boosted. Even when small discussions occur in the office, take this opportunity to interact and get to know your staff better.

 

Team Building

Employing fun activities both inside and outside of work encourage staff to integrate on a deeper level, creating tighter bonds. Ultimately this makes a stronger system for collaboration in the future. Annual monthly meals to celebrate birthdays and achievements provides the basis for employees to get to know each other better. Orchestrating team building activities encourages personal relationships between employees which over time, will develop into a collective group bond. Achieving this creates a work environment where employees enjoy working as it begins to represent more than just a place of work.

Boost the Work Environment

Combining these elements together really does not have to be a substantial task. Breaking down the barriers of a conventional workplace helps to develop a dynamic atmosphere. By creating a positive mood in the office, you open your company up to a range of added benefits. As employees begin to enjoy work more, their motivation to input additional effort increases. Collaborative work becomes much more than just ‘getting the task done’ and it ultimately creates a distinct company culture.

Improve Sales

This almost intoxicating reputation rubs off on customers who see the value in a creative and innovative company. So, by orchestrating and uniting these elements leads not just to creating a fun work environment for staff, but further down the road, it benefits your business as a whole by creating a positive reputation which rubs off on new and existing staff as well as potential clients.