Are workplaces supposed to be fun? Yes, says Harry Paul, but it's important to make sure it's the right sort of fun.
He would know; he's an expert on fun workplaces, literally writing the book about what businesses can gain by adopting fun practices. He is co-author of the Best-seller, "FISH! A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results,"which has sold more than 5 million copies.
The author and motivational speaker, who will be the featured at a workshop on workplace excellence at the Chamber on Friday, Aug. 15, has traveled around the world to deliver seminars and keynote speeches about the "FISH! Philosophy."
"The one premise that we subscribe to is that work made fun gets done," Paul said. "If you bring fun to a job, you automatically are going to get honesty and compassion for what you are doing from your employees. As people, that's how we're wired."
But, Paul stresses, the idea is not just to add fun activities to the workplace, but to incorporate fun activities into the work process.
"If you do fun for the sake of fun, it becomes a distraction," he adds.
He points to the example that is the basis of his book, a fish market in Seattle's Pike Place that started throwing fish and became a sensation with the public. Paul adds, however, that while the fish-throwing is presented as fun, it's become part of the work process, designed to keep the fishmongers in front of the customers and process their requests efficiently.
Paul also stresses that businesses looking to institute fun practices shouldn't try a top-down approach.
"Go to your employees and ask them what they would do to bring more lightheartedness into the workplace," Paul said. "Allow them to come up with the ideas."
Christina Halkias, west coast operations manager at Integrity Applications Incorporated, said her company's philosophy for providing its employees with a fun work environment is that it will in turn lead to better customer service.
"Happy employees equals happy customers," Halkias said. "We understand the importance of knowing what it is the employees are looking for that makes them feel valued and we coordinate activities based on what they like and want to do. We have an open door policy and are open to hearing and implementing their ideas. Without our employees we would not be here."
Donovan Weber, vice president of operations and co-owner of Forecast 3D, which was recently ranked No. 8 on the Best Places to Work in the Plastics Industry by Plastic News, said his company hires its employees with culture in mind. In addition to having basketball and badminton courts and arcade games at its Carlsbad headquarters, it also sponsors several trips throughout the year, including whitewater rafting and paintball outings.
"We want people to have the right skills for the position and we try to provide an atmosphere that allows folks to enjoy themselves while performing at a high level," Weber said. "We try to put together events that are just plain fun and a little different. It helps to strengthen our relationships on the team when you've been through the intensity of a whipped cream eating contest together."
He added that the fun does not impact employee productivity.
"If you can wake up in the morning and look forward to getting to work, and be held accountable to performing and having a good time doing it? You are going to be more productive," he said.
He would know; he's an expert on fun workplaces, literally writing the book about what businesses can gain by adopting fun practices. He is co-author of the Best-seller, "FISH! A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results,"which has sold more than 5 million copies.
The author and motivational speaker, who will be the featured at a workshop on workplace excellence at the Chamber on Friday, Aug. 15, has traveled around the world to deliver seminars and keynote speeches about the "FISH! Philosophy."
"The one premise that we subscribe to is that work made fun gets done," Paul said. "If you bring fun to a job, you automatically are going to get honesty and compassion for what you are doing from your employees. As people, that's how we're wired."
But, Paul stresses, the idea is not just to add fun activities to the workplace, but to incorporate fun activities into the work process.
"If you do fun for the sake of fun, it becomes a distraction," he adds.
He points to the example that is the basis of his book, a fish market in Seattle's Pike Place that started throwing fish and became a sensation with the public. Paul adds, however, that while the fish-throwing is presented as fun, it's become part of the work process, designed to keep the fishmongers in front of the customers and process their requests efficiently.
Paul also stresses that businesses looking to institute fun practices shouldn't try a top-down approach.
"Go to your employees and ask them what they would do to bring more lightheartedness into the workplace," Paul said. "Allow them to come up with the ideas."
Christina Halkias, west coast operations manager at Integrity Applications Incorporated, said her company's philosophy for providing its employees with a fun work environment is that it will in turn lead to better customer service.
"Happy employees equals happy customers," Halkias said. "We understand the importance of knowing what it is the employees are looking for that makes them feel valued and we coordinate activities based on what they like and want to do. We have an open door policy and are open to hearing and implementing their ideas. Without our employees we would not be here."
Donovan Weber, vice president of operations and co-owner of Forecast 3D, which was recently ranked No. 8 on the Best Places to Work in the Plastics Industry by Plastic News, said his company hires its employees with culture in mind. In addition to having basketball and badminton courts and arcade games at its Carlsbad headquarters, it also sponsors several trips throughout the year, including whitewater rafting and paintball outings.
"We want people to have the right skills for the position and we try to provide an atmosphere that allows folks to enjoy themselves while performing at a high level," Weber said. "We try to put together events that are just plain fun and a little different. It helps to strengthen our relationships on the team when you've been through the intensity of a whipped cream eating contest together."
He added that the fun does not impact employee productivity.
"If you can wake up in the morning and look forward to getting to work, and be held accountable to performing and having a good time doing it? You are going to be more productive," he said.