5 Strategies for Creating a More Fun Workplace

When it comes to boosting the productivity of a team, many managers focus on things like optimizing workflows, introducing new software, or implementing more rules around the office. And while some of these can be effective, they can also backfire. This happens if your workplace becomes too stressful and your employees don’t have any time for fun throughout the day.

As a business leader, it’s important that your employees enjoy where they work. This leads to better results and employees who want to stick around for a long time. By adding some fun to your workplace, you can make your employees happier and create a better environment for everyone. Below are five strategies you can use if you want to create a more fun workplace for your team.

Set Up Social Events

Setting up social events for your team is an easy way to add some fun to your workplace. Social events are gatherings outside of work, where your employees can mingle in a relaxed atmosphere. These are great opportunities for team bonding, and with the right event, can add some fun to your workplace.

There are plenty of social events you can set up. A common one is going out for drinks after work or getting dinner. You could also participate in an activity together, like going to an Escape the Room challenge or going to an arcade. If you want, you could even set up an event inside your office, such as ordering some pizzas at the end of the week. As long as people aren’t focusing on work during the event and instead socializing with their coworkers, then your mission is accomplished.

Play Some Games

Games are another great way to break up a workday and add some fun to the mix. Games give your team an opportunity to forget about work for a few minutes and have fun with their coworkers. Major companies all over the world make use of games to break up the daily monotony and introduce some team building.

There are many options when it comes to workplace games. A common choice is a fantasy league, such as fantasy football. Even people who aren’t into football will get into the spirit of the competition, and it gives everyone something to talk about throughout the week. If your team isn’t particularly interested in sports, you could try something more off-beat, like a fantasy reality show league. Pick a silly reality competition and design a fantasy game around it. Then, your team can meet each week after the latest episode airs to discuss how their team performed. Games like this are great for letting off steam and encouraging team building.

Create Friendly Competition

Along similar lines, you could introduce some friendly competition into your workplace. Give your team members something to strive for, then reward the person who achieves it. For example, you could do something directly work-related by giving out a prize to whoever answers the most customer service requests in a week.

Or you could go non-work-related, with something like who can write the shortest amount of computer code to accomplish a certain task. To encourage buy-in for the competition, consider visiting a trophy store from Edco.com and selecting a unique trophy that goes to the winner. It’s a small investment on behalf of your company, but it shows that you’re committed to creating a fun workplace.

Change Up the Workplace Atmosphere

A simple way to make your workplace a little more fun is by changing the atmosphere. If your team needs to work in a drab, quiet office all day, they’re not going to have a good time even if you introduce some games. So it’s a good idea to focus on your employees’ surroundings.

Try introducing some more natural light and plant life into your office if you can. Playing music is another great way to make the space more enjoyable. Lastly, change the décor to make things more comfortable and a little more colorful. You’d be surprised by how these minor changes can make a big difference in your employees’ mood.

Allow for a Strong Work-Life Balance

Finally, make sure you allow your team to have a good work-life balance. When employees routinely have to take their work home with them or spend extra hours at the office, it leads to burnout. No amount of team-building or background music will make a difference when burnout occurs. You need to prevent burnout before it occurs by prioritizing your team’s mental health and off-hours.

Talk to your team about their current work-life balance and see if there is anything you can do to improve it. Once you’ve created this firm foundation, your other attempts at adding fun to the workplace will have a bigger impact.