Life can be hard. It can throw some defeating blows. It’s said that “the difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.” And I know that the amazing people that we’ve hired in our agency – the ultra achievers in this world – tend to see life as a glass half full. We’ve hired into our agencies the people who enjoy life more than others. Because of the joy that these people bring, we as leaders need to bring the joy their way as well!
How can we bring the joy to our team members? We have developed strategies, tactics, and things that you can implement starting right now. These strategies motivate your team members and allow them to have more fun while growing your business!
SOME OF THE FUN
The most important consideration when planning all of the fun is to take into account the personality of your team. What do they think is fun? In our agency we use things like wonderful cards, lifesavers candies, the Golden Banana Award Appreciation Day, balloon day, all-day breaks, magazine subscriptions, fake cookie days, crazy hat day, crazy sock day, even crazy apron day! We’re here in California, how about a winery tour? A day on the lake would be fun too.
One time we even brought masseuses into our office for secret massage day! Just make sure that everyone is okay with getting a massage. The last thing you want to do is have this amazing experience (to you) that makes an employee uncomfortable. When you get to know your team, you’ll get the ideas of what will make them so happy.
BE SPONTANEOUS
Most companies plan some kind of outing, get-together, or other fun activity. But have you ever thought about being spontaneous about it? Surprising your team can elevate the experience. With our massage day that we had, I announced on a Friday “hey team, you guys are really killing it this month! You rock! We’re proud of you. We’re grateful for you. Tomorrow we’ve got our masseuse Suzie coming into the office. She’s going to be in the conference room for 5 hours so everyone can have a relaxing massage.” Make sure that you tell them that you are grateful for them. Because I know you are!
MAKE EVERYDAY WORK FUN
Is there a phrase that you want everyone to say when they’re on the phone with a customer? Make it a BINGO game! We’ve also done everyday fun like putting cartoons or fun stuff above the water cooler so there’s positivity and fun to talk about every day. The smiley face is our trademark, and those smileys are everywhere in the office. People truly want to have fun every day. And a smile can make your attitude instantly positive. In 2012, psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman studied smiling, with tens of thousands of participants. “The study found even in the most stressful situations, forcing a smile helped alleviate the symptoms of stress and, as a result, increased happiness.” You can watch a quick video from Dr. Wiseman here.
ONE OF THE MOST FUN DAYS
We’ve experimented with a ton of fun – everything from scavenger hunts, dollar bill hunts, foam darts, bowling in the halls. My friends, the sky’s the limit. I remember a silly string day that was one of the most fun days we’ve ever had. I brought in silly string on a Friday, and we were doing silly string around the cubicles and the rest of the office. A client came in and sat at a desk with one of my team members. My Customer Service Representative said “watch this, I’m going to get Mike!” Of course, the client knew my name because they had seen it in newsletters, and all of our communication. She hit me with the silly string and the client, the team member, and of course I had a huge laugh. The client never forgot that moment of fun in our agency either. Be a place that people want to work. And people love to have fun!
My friends, change the paradigm so that you are a culture that everyone wants to be a part of. You’ll attract the best of the best, and those awesome employees will tell their high-achieving friends. It’s just one of the many strategies that we teach as part of our UPP Platinum Coaching Programs. We want you to grow your business, create wealth, and have more freedom to live life on your own terms!
