Does anyone really love to go to work? Probably not. Unless you love what you do for a living, of course. There is a difference, however, between enjoying what you do for your career and enjoying going to work, and mostly, people HATE going to the office. You want to make sure that none of your employees feel this way, and as a business leader, you have to put yourself into the shoes of the people you’re paying to be there. Imagine spending eight hours a day – sometimes more – in a job or workplace that you hate? No one wants to live that way and you can ensure that they absolutely do not.
So, whether you are launching your first business startup, or you are running a huge company and you need to do something to boost the morale of those working for you, you need to do what you can to make the workplace more fun. Below, we’ve got ten ways that you can create effective and exciting ways for your team to work. Let’s dive in!
Bring On The Big Outdoors
You need to bring a little nature into your workplace, and we don’t just mean bringing in the potted plants (though that’s a good idea!). If you take a look at any number of studies, you will learn that there is an innate calm about being in the great outdoors. If you can’t throw open a set of doors and let people work outside from there, why not invest in some commercial sheds? These aren’t your typical garden sheds, but larger structures mostly used for storage and even animals. Instead, have one erected in your outdoor space and create an outdoor office. You can make it a summer thing if you don’t want to install electricity and heating, and you can allow people to relax in nature. There’s a huge benefit to it, and all you need to do is give it a try.
There’s No Place Like Home
When you read any magazine and you go on vacation, you’re told to make hotel rooms like home, right? Well, you can make your business as homely as possible in two ways. Firstly, embrace the cozy decor and create an office that feels like a home, or you can allow people flexible working and remote working. Invest in large screens for collaborative working and bring on the couches and rugs for comfortable areas in which to work. People work better when they’re not chained to their desks, and it’s far more fun to work on a sofa than a hard table!
Remember, They’re Adults
When you’re school-aged, you’re told what to wear and how to speak and what to eat to make other people feel comfortable, like you’re following the rules. Don’t apply these ideas to your workplace. Dress down day? No, dress comfortably every day. Open the kitchen and keep it stocked and let your people help themselves. These aren’t children looking for milk and cookies at snack time, they’re grown-ups who need energy. By laying on excellent coffee and fresh fruit and veggies with dip throughout the day, you’re going to make the place far more relaxed!
But Embrace Being A Child!
Google does fun better than most companies. They have arcade games, table football and even a basketball hoop outside. You all know that people have to work until retirement and they spend eight hours a day in your workplace. If you make it fun to be at work, people won’t feel demotivated or unproductive! Let them have fun at the workplace and you’ll have the reverse effect of inefficiency; people won’t use the fun things as much as you think they will and they’ll feel more appreciative – thus working better!
Bye-Bye Stuffy Desks!
Open plan working is for offices and if you strip things back while giving people a choice of how to work, you will find most people prefer to sit together. Let departments and teams mingle, and embrace coworking. This will encourage more people from departments to discuss and talk without there needing to be a list of rules for pitching ideas. Cowork with larger tables and offer lockers for personal items. It’s much more relaxed this way, leading to happy people!
Offer Training & Education
People love to learn and when you are offering your staff a leg up into a new skill and a chance to improve themselves, they’re instantly happier at work. A fun workplace is one where there is encouragement to do better. Offer your employees that encouragement and you will see a huge difference in their happiness.
Play Room, Anyone?
Have you seen the playrooms at Denmark’s LEGO headquarters? These aren’t filled with children’s toys – except LEGO, of course – but they are filled with things that will relax their staff. Somewhere to unwind and blow off some steam is a must!
Relaxation Hour
Every week, bring in some masseurs to the office to offer hand and head massages at their terminals. This will be an excellent incentive for people to work hard, and those who are relaxed and not tense will work better than those who are.
Allow Creativity
Some workplaces are stuffy and won’t allow people to personalize their office. If you enable people to make their office their own, they’re going to feel more inclined to work harder. Encourage people to decorate their space and fill it with things that make the area look great – it’ll incentivize them to come to work happy.
Party!
No awkward office ice-breakers, please! Partying with the people who work for you is so much more than throwing bean bags to learn facts about each other. You need to unwind with dancing, drinks and an escape room or two for fun. Stock the bar and be flexible about people taking duvet days the morning after the night before!
Make your office an exciting one to work in and you’ll change the way your staff work for good.