What do you enjoy doing? If the answer isn’t your job, then something is off! While your career doesn’t have to be more enjoyable than your hobbies or time spent with loved ones, there’s no reason why you can’t love what you do. At the very least, you should enjoy the environment where you make a living. Even if you aren’t currently working in your dream occupation, there are plenty of ways to both enjoy work and stay productive on the clock. And for employers, there are steps you can take to boost company and employee moral.
Spruce Up the Decor
Sometimes a simple change can make an enormous difference. In order to have fun and stay productive in the office, be in an environment that promotes happiness. There are simple everyday changes that you can make that will change the aesthetics for you and your workplace companions. Decorating is an excellent way to enjoy being in your office. Though it’s important to decorate within the brand of your company, you can feel free to brainstorm with your coworkers and come up with fun ideas to make the shared space happier.
Maybe this involves purchasing an office plant if you work in an office that is recurring daily so someone can water it, or if your office policy allows for it, look into purchasing an office pet. Office animals can boost productivity and lower stress, but if your employer doesn’t allow for this, perhaps organize a bring your pet to work day or hang photos of your furry friend. Feel free to hang photos of your children and family in your workspace as well in order to share more about yourself with your coworkers. Being able to look at your loved ones each day will remind you why you work so hard, in addition to offering a good conversation starter.
Get to Know Your Employees
Doing employee appreciation ideas for large companies can at times be a difficult feat. Small offices have the advantage of everyone getting to know each other and work intimately together. However, there are ways that larger companies can still forge a tight-knit sense of community. Engagement and connection are the key components to bringing a workplace together. Be sure to promote company values and find ways to recognize employees. Celebrate anniversaries and milestones and take the time to get to know your workers.
Celebration of fellow employees can also be done in-office to bring the work community together. You don’t have to be best friends with your coworkers if you don’t want to, but taking the time to celebrate each other and form a personal connection will raise office morale significantly. Allow your coworkers to know that you appreciate their contribution to the company and be sure to give people a fair amount of recognition when needed. Organize occasional out of office hangouts in order to get to know your coworkers outside of work.
Engage in Office Games
Yes, it’s important to be an efficient worker, but working non-stop without the chance to shake things up is a surefire way to guarantee burnout. Make things fun by engaging in occasional games to keep the work environment light-hearted and fun. Though work should be taken seriously, there’s no reason why the mood can’t be lightened with a little bit of friendly competition. Consider shaking things up for the next conference call.
Utilize ice breakers, polls, trivia, group brainstorming, and brain teasers to provide a bit of product fun that will actually keep employees engaged. Devoting a small portion of each conference call to a fun interruption makes meetings that much less monotonous. You can also consider hosting company-wide brackets or competitions to get people engaged in fun activities. There are a number of fun office pool ideas that are sure to spark some lighthearted fun. It doesn’t all have to be about work every minute of the day!
Remember that you’re only as strong as your weakest link. Companies that take the time to get to know their employees produce employees who care more about the company. It’s okay if work isn’t your favorite thing on the planet. (You’re not alone!) But there’s no reason you can’t enjoy your workplace while getting the job done.
