‘Fun’ isn’t a word often spoken in the same sentence as ‘work.’ But Norm and I were driving down a backroad last week in the middle of nowhere when we used those words together. We had just come from a meeting where we were representing our clients in some negotiations and we had really enjoyed ourselves.
Depending on your company culture or the business environment you work in, the thought of going to work can be painful. Having the wrong people in the wrong jobs or the right people working with difficult people can be stressful for everyone.
To ensure that your company is a place where people enjoy working and your customers enjoy patronizing, there needs to be some fun involved. Creating an environment and culture in the workplace that’s healthy and conducive to getting work done starts with you and your expectations of that environment. To do this, we need to start by looking at our attitude.
Attitude
We have a choice when it comes to how we think and act, and it comes down to making the choice to be positive. Without this attitude and the encouragement of positivity in the workplace, our business becomes sick. Who wants to work when the boss and everyone around him are negative?
Putting on a positive attitude every day sets an example for your employees and those around you. It goes a long way to making your business where people naturally want to be. This means you’ll have an easier time attracting great staff and wonderful customers.
 |
|||||
| Related Stories | |||||
| Putting fun back into business brings big payoffs
|
|||||
| A startup founder’s blind spots
|
|||||
| Tips to grow your business from within
|
|||||
|
Have fun
Just think about how much more enjoyable work would be if you were committed to making it fun. Your day would go faster, the people around you would be laughing more, and your customers would get in on the feeling and want to have fun with you.
Fun doesn’t mean goofing off on the job or crude jokes. Fun means enjoying what you’re doing and having a laugh at things that go right or wrong.
Think about the most fun person you know. Try to incorporate a little bit of that into your business. Perhaps you want to hire them.
Make someone’s day
Imagine what your business would be like if everyone there took the time to try to make someone’s day. It’s those little things that count: taking a few minutes extra for your customer, doing something nice for someone who’s down. Going that extra mile.
Try it this week and see what happens.
One little thing every day
Living in the present and being present for those you interact with in your business or at your job can make a huge difference for you and your business.
Spend time when that person who needs your advice drops into your office instead of thinking about what you should be doing next. Taking the time to really engage with your customer can mean a lot to your customer – you’ll get meaning out of it, too.
Work doesn’t have to be a feared word. If you want to create an environment where your staff leap out of bed ready to see what’s going to happen next at work, you can do it. Making your business full of energy and excitement might take some change, and change takes effort, but by taking small steps today in the right direction, you will get there.
Dave Fuller, MBA, is an award-winning business coach and a partner with Pivotleader Inc.
For interview requests, click here.
The opinions expressed by our columnists and contributors are theirs alone and do not inherently or expressly reflect the views of our publication.
© Troy Media
Troy Media is an editorial content provider to media outlets and its own hosted community news outlets across Canada.
