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It’s no secret that not all people who go to work arrive with a smile and chipper attitude. It could simply be a case of the Monday blues or they’re probably still reeling from the weekend. Whatever the case may be, when their motivation drops, you can be certain that it will compromise their productivity.

So how do you prevent the Monday blues and weekend hangover from getting to your employees? The solution is actually quite simple, and all you really need to do is make work a bit more fun. Here are some fun ways to motivate employees in the workplace.

Operation Fun: It’s More than Just Games

When we say ‘fun’, we don’t just mean hosting a bunch of games in the workplace. Of course, that’s an option, but we don’t want to distract them from work too much. They’re still coming in to their job, after all, but the work itself should be something that they’re looking forward to.Mosaic.2013.96

It may be simple and almost trivial, but one simple way to make working in the office a bit more fun is to give your employees freedom to customize their workspace. Their cubicles and tables are their own personal spaces, and allowing them to add a touch of their personality goes a long way to improving their overall mood.

Bring the Holidays to Work

Not everyone can go home during the holidays, and for some, this can be a big demotivator as everyone would want to spend time with their families and loved ones during the holidays. A simple solution: bring the holiday celebration to the workplace. Whether it’s Halloween, Mardi Gras, or Christmas, a little celebration and holiday cheer in the workplace goes a long way to make work a bit more fun.

Celebration Goes a Long Way

Employees can get seriously demotivated if they don’t feel they get the proper recognition that they know they deserve. Even if it’s a simple recommendation from the client, don’t be sparse in recognizing and celebrating the achievements of your employees.

Try and set a time, perhaps after work hours during the end of the week to do a roll call of all the achievements and successes your employees have made for the week. Apart from giving your employees the recognition they deserve, it’s a fun way to celebrate each person’s successes and motivate them to do better.

My name is Brad Montgomery and I know how difficult it is to interject a bit of fun and excitement in the workplace. Apart from these suggestions, a motivational talk from yours truly is tried and tested way to motivate and add a bit of fun to your employees’ daily work lives. Contact us today to learn more about my motivational talks.

Ok, not exactly. While doing a motivational seminar on humor in the workplace at a school in the Farmington Unified School District, (New Mexico) I met a ton of principals and other administrators who really liked the idea of “play” at work. We looked at ways humor and levity can make any environment a little lighter — resulting in better productivity, morale, and retention. As leaders, it was there job to lead the way to humor for their staffs (and eventually their students).

Fun is NOT just for the kids. Really.

I posted one of their cool ideas here.

Here’s another great idea that came out of the break out session:

A principal made “fake announcements” over the PA system. He announced the winners of the “Catch a Raccoon” Contest (naming students who don’t exist winning a contest that didn’t exist), talked about the lunch menu for the next day (Which of course he made up with gross foods), ….you get the idea.

The results? First, the kids and teachers actually listened to the announcements. Can you say the same thing about your lousy announcements? But even better, this principal enjoyed his job, had fun at his job, and helped pass that passion to his team and his students by having fun in a public way.

Give it a go: maybe your staff will listen closely to the announcement before they sing happy birthday FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A WEEK to one of the teachers! (Yes, that DOES happen all the time.

What’s my point?  Have fun at work. Not because you’ll get others to laugh or smile. Not because you want them to listen closer — though both of these reasons are good enough for me.

Have fun at work because it will make you better at your job. These educators were better administrators because they actively made their work more fun for them.  Simple, yet genius.

How you YOU actively have fun at work today?

Hey Teachers, Administrators and Educators! What stunts have YOU done in your schools? COMMENT!