Laughing your way to employee retention
I’ve come to the realization that if you do not have an element of fun in your workplace, you will slowly begin to resent being an adult.
It’s the honest truth!
We spend a majority of our early years stomping our feet begging to be treated like an adult and then once we become that adult we spend the following years complaining about how we ASKED for this stress.
Oh, the irony!
BUT…
Is there a way to avoid the continuous cycle of wishing youthful fun was still a thing?
I believe there is.
The quote “Work Hard. Play Hard” has been something I have heard for a very long time.
How does that work, exactly?
How can one do both at the same time and is that the true secret of employee and workplace happiness?
Looking back at my personal work experience, the moments that stand out the absolute most are when my coworkers and I could share a good hearty laugh.
Why?
Because work WILL be stressful.
You WILL have bad days.
You WILL make mistakes.
You WILL have an upset member at some point.
There will be days where work has done everything but hand you the handbasket in which to nicely place Hell.
This all happens because ….well, LIFE.
Adding an element of fun to your day isn’t just something to do for giggles, it’s mentally healthy for positive production by everyone.
According to an article on Monster.com, If people are having fun, they’re going to work harder, stay longer, maintain their composure in a crisis and take better care of the organization.
The short answer?
Happy people are more loyal and do more for your company.
As a leader, what does this mean?
No need for a red nose and squeaky shoes.
It’s much simpler than that.
It means taking a sleeve off of your CEO coat once in a while and having a casual chat with your crew.
It means having an impromptu coffee day for your staff.
It means having a good old fashioned laugh at something that was indeed funny.
It means revealing that no matter what title you hold, the one that you all share is human.
You can mix business and fun and that mixture can be the difference between turnover and retention.
Are you allowing fun to seep into your workplace?
Are you accepting of laughter, smiles, and appreciation throughout your office?
More importantly, are you instigating these moments?
Creating a fun work environment only enhances the way your employees feel and the way that people feel walking into your employment.
As a leader, it is your gentle direction that is going to add this element.
You get to decide how to issue the fun.
You get to decide how to incorporate your staff in this moral movement.
You get to give the gentle nudge of happy.
You get to watch that positivity spread.
Eventually, you then get to reap the benefits of a nice set of happy employees that trust you, are loyal to the company, and will do what it takes to keep that feeling going.
