Balance the Yin and the Yang
``HAVING a job that's fun is certainly worth holding onto; people are more likely to accept ownership of their responsibilities, and much more inclined to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes." - Kevin L. Freeburg and Jacquelyn A. Freeburg.
That is the trick! Get them to work like mad while making it seem like they are playing like hell! When you have fun working, you don't feel you are working, it's joy for you! Stories of going above and beyond and doing whatever it takes to go those extra miles are dime a dozen in such organisations.
So, to have a winning establishment, the vital unseen ingredient is HUMOUR! Humour should start at the top and trickle down to the bottom of the organisation. It should be a standard way of doing business - and an almost contagious one at that. Humour is all about making life, the daily chores and problems less serious.
It is intended to decrease tension, build confidence and involve others in enjoyment. Humour, the right style, is healthy and very often commendatory.
Do away with all the once universal emblem of modern commercial life. Start with the clothes. The right look now- a -days varies according to where you live and what you do.
Encourage your employees to bring into the office all the spontaneity, creativity and uniqueness that their blue-pinstriped predecessors reserved for their personal lives. "I encourage you to experiment for a day if you haven't already".
Try working in casual and comfortable "play clothes". You may find every one feeling more light-hearted, more creative, less stressed and less serious. Fun wear - casual clothing - is the work dress of choice for everyone of late. From customer service agents working at the gates to executives at headquarters, president and COO, whatever the hierarchy, they will prefer comfortable casual wear even at the expense of an executive image - which isn't all that important now- a- days anyway. It's all right to go to board meetings in jeans and a sweatshirt, provided you are comfortable enough to make a better point there. One of a company's recruiting ads captures this spirit quite well: "Work at a place where wearing pants is optional. Not to mention high-heeled shoes, ties, and dead pan expressions." Laud those employees who have found innovative solutions to deal with difficult situations; put on the board humorous articles designed to build confidence, decrease tension and make people laugh. It will soon catch on! Perhaps the old prescription "Laughter is the best medicine" is potent even now. The evidence, you will find, is pretty convincing. People will yearn to be in the office where they can laugh and have fun. Do away with suits at daily work, unless the occasion demands. That doesn't mean you encourage sloppiness either; just comfortable casual attire and shoes. Have open seating that encourages more interaction between the employees. Do away with assigned seating. Introduce the method of greeting and appreciation with a warm open smile and a genuine handshake instead of a formal handshake. Have "leaders", not "managers". Infuse flexibility instead of strict policies, but make sure to plug the loopholes so that they are not exploited.
Allow your employees to engage in some innovative things other than their routine work once in a while. Get them to make an executive yearbook "Our Colourful members". Give everyone a chance to get to know each other, including the leaders of the company, through zany pictures and fun-filled personal descriptions. If anyone wants to know what a particular member thought they wanted to be when they grew up, or what makes them laugh, or what their favourite candy bar is, this yearbook would be the place to look! The result is a level- playing field, where executives become more real and more approachable.
When leaders embrace humour and merriment, is it any wonder the organisation allows, actually encourages, their employees to add spice to their routine?
Keep track of birthdays. Surprise them with a little party or gift on that day. Host a surprise party to celebrate a job done well. Have a small corner near the pantry with some potted plants, few funny pin ups and some comfortable chairs and magazines. Call it the DE-STRESS ZONE and have a fixed time everyday when the staff will be served refreshment there and be sure to join them. Organise weekend get-togethers now and then before breaking up for the week and give them a small surprise game with funny gifts. Humour and creativity go hand in hand_ "HA HA leads to the AHA!"
There are many hard-Line benefits of this soft-fun approach.
1. It will build you the most productive work force in the industry
2.They will be working for the fun of it and that means better results
3. It will result in Low attrition and absenteeism
4. Encourages creativity and innovation and by creating a culture in which fun, humour, and playfulness are the low-cost
5. Acts as an antidote for the harmful side effects of the stress and seriousness that pervade much of the corporate community
Take a leaf out of the books of successful people managers.
* There was a librarian who was vexed with people who continued to linger even after the closing bell was rung for the day. The next day she made an announcement on the public address system after ringing the bell "The last person to leave the library will have to clean it up!"
*Or the manager vexed with members slipping out early through the back door thinking the boss wouldn't notice. So, he pinned up this caption near the pantry, "there may be many ways to leave your unwanted date, but only one way to leave this office-through the front door!"
Now that's humour. The official way!
MALLIKA JAYASHEELA
faqs@cnkonline.com
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