17 replies to this topic

[Jean]

Dear Members,

I am planning to make list of ideas to make the work environment fun so that it will help to destress and enlighten the day for all in some way or the other.

Please share your experiences or ideas and I would really appreciate it.

[Kamwenji Njuma]

Dear Jean,

My list would include argonomics-providing background music to staff working,providing correct equipments and correct height benches,some companies here have started providing sections where mums with young children come with their children and see them after every 2 hours,providing monthly staff competitions where the winners are awarded prizes,etc.The list might not be exhaustive.

Regards,
Jeremy

[Jean]

Dear Jeremy,



Thank you for the feedback. I think you have got me wrong, ergonomics application is important for correct posture and movement which is related to OHSA.



I wanted some activities to boost the work place with some fun for some time, rather than a monotonous place with deadlines, targets; meetings etc.which can make one workaholic. This can make one more productive and can also help in motivation.



I had thought of few ideas



1) Start a meeting with a joke and / or end with a joke.



2) Display any funny snap of any member daily throughout the day. Snaps to be taken in advance and changed. Nominate members to take snaps every 2 weeks or monthly.

3) Any group activity for 5-10 minutes daily after or before meeting/briefing like warm up exercises / group neck massage etc..

4) Ask each staff to contribute for “Rumour / joke of the day / week ”

[Jean]

We will be trying out the various ideas to see if it has any effect in making a jovial work environment. Some people need to smile, forget their problems, mingle or be more social etc..I am on the look out for 15- 20 ideas..

[Tony-C]

How about organising an activity outside of work? We used to go bowling or karting which was great for developing team spirit.

Kind regards,

Tony

[Jean]

Hi Tony,

Thank you for your idea. I am looking onto some small activities to enlighten working works without much expenses and not taking up much time at work for these activities. Majority of the staff prefer to go home and relax rather than staying back for activities after work.
We have lots of teams like bowling, football, cricket, volleyball, basket ball where they play with our sister concerns and during any competitions and they get together and have a barbaque evening after the match or practice and the management supports and encourages them. We have sports day 2 times a year, planting day etc..lots of activities for staff organized by the HR.

During Christmas some depts had starting with setting up trees, decorations, some short daily games etc..and it has been noticed that in spite of the busy season, people are happy, energetic, socializing etc...compared to the other months. This is something we would like to continue throughout and not just because of christmas season.

We had a kick start with one fun activity where each day we write a short note on the positive strength of our co-workers and stick them on our notice board. People are so happy to see that and read maybe over and over again. "funny face of the day" will be the next activity maybe next week.

A year ago our Finance dept had an excellent Director and he allowed his team to enjoy the last hour of work on the last working day..that day after 5pm the dept is closed and locked from inside.. we used to envy them..There was a huge difference in the people's attitude towards work, usually they sit late almost every day and even had to work on some holidays if the closing was happening....

Edited by Jean, 10 December 2009 - 04:56 AM.

[Charles Chew]

Hi Jean,

Having a stressful time lately? First of all, work should be FUN while work environment is merely a location to carry your work. IMO, work environment should be comfortable and conducive to maximize work performances i.e. getting a 22" LCD monitor screen rather than a 17" CRT. Apart from that, to me, its all cosmetics.

After all these years (19 years in all as a FSMS Consultant), still love what I do and of course... having FUN!

Regards
Charles Chew

[Abdul Qudoos]

Greetings for the day,

For me the best activities that create fun at work are (that doesn't hurt any one, but the same time you are motivating them and increasing the productivity)

• Arrange an in-house training session for 3 days eg. intermediate food hygiene batch size 12- 15 members. give everyone freedom to talk share and cheat
• Arrange a team work session and exercises - really this will create understanding between each other, motivation and increase in productivity and lot of fun will be there...
• Once in a month plan for excursion 1 day, arrange a lunch session (catering), do activities like quiz competition, playing games and sports, singing and dancing, photo sessions, etc.

[Jean]

Hi Jean,

Having a stressful time lately? First of all, work should be FUN while work environment is merely a location to carry your work. IMO, work environment should be comfortable and conducive to maximize work performances i.e. getting a 22" LCD monitor screen rather than a 17" CRT. Apart from that, to me, its all cosmetics.

After all these years (19 years in all as a FSMS Consultant), still love what I do and of course... having FUN!

Regards
Charles Chew





Hi Charles,



Yes, a bit stressful now due to the festive period. I agree with your statement that work should be fun, though at times not always…for people who do monotonous work. To make our work force more productive, some times cosmetics (nice term) may be helpful apart from motivation.

I really appreciate your passion for work and joy you get out of it is pretty much evident.

[Jean]

Greetings for the day,

For me the best activities that create fun at work are (that doesn't hurt any one, but the same time you are motivating them and increasing the productivity)

• Arrange an in-house training session for 3 days eg. intermediate food hygiene batch size 12- 15 members. give everyone freedom to talk share and cheat
• Arrange a team work session and exercises - really this will create understanding between each other, motivation and increase in productivity and lot of fun will be there...
• Once in a month plan for excursion 1 day, arrange a lunch session (catering), do activities like quiz competition, playing games and sports, singing and dancing, photo sessions, etc.

Dear Abdul,


Thank you for your input, I agree with you training is interesting when conducted in small batches.

[Charles Chew]

Hi Jean,
Abdul's suggestions are great to get things moving along but programs may get bored after a while when things become too predictable and of course, at times like this, best not to wasteful with time and money. I do feel the type and style of leadership is important in any organization / department etc. For example, solving problems interactively in a "matured environment" and in a fashion where everyone's view is appreciated and weighted can be just a fun especially when a common solution is found. Dynamic circumstance require dynamic approach. For example - I am doing a regular "walk and hike" exercise next weekend with my team and after that, I shall be giving my yearly performance report card as a team and to the individual (privately) and discuss our marketing and business strategy for 2010 and most of all, compete in the market and having fun doing it.

Last year was a great year for us and sure, we had our ups and downs, but we did well and despite some ruffles, it would be fun be able to look back and tell ourselves, we could have done that and done this and review some of the silly things we did and vow not to repeat them again. Yes, I think we are going to have FUN!

Cheer Up Jean . .... life is just too short!

[Jean]

Hi Jean,
Abdul's suggestions are great to get things moving along but programs may get bored after a while when things become too predictable and of course, at times like this, best not to wasteful with time and money.

Hi Charles,

Yes, we are working on conducting small activities without wasting time & money , just to boost our employees morale, productivity and to get them motivated. In hospitality sectors, the staff turnover tends to be high. Thus to avoid time & money for the replacements and also to combat the global crisis and we are working on small (which turns out to be huge) differences during the currernt turbulence in addition to reducing wastages, controlling costs and improving efficiencies. Just a magic touch and adding some sparkle to move ahead with forward thinking.

Cheer Up Jean . .... life is just too short!

I am really excited now, as my vacation for 3 weeks will begun from next week. Thanks Charles.

[Simon]

In my experience you can add lots of bells and whistles to make work fun and they certainly all play a part. In my experience the core ingredient is to engage with all employees and help them to feel a valued and important part of the business and to be fulfilled with their job.

Here are some ideas how you might go about achieving that:

Nine Ways to Keep Employees Engaged

By JoAnna Brandi, Customer Care Coach®, www.customercarecoach.com
Are your employees engaged in their work, or are they estranged from your company's mission and their role in making it happen? Mounting evidence suggests that the more engaged employees are in what they do, the better their performance and the higher the rewards for everyone. The key is to have managers who are skilled at creating employee engagement. This article offers nine tips for giving employees what they need so that they're willing to be and do their best.

Are your employees giving your company "their all?" Do they believe that what they're doing is important? Do they feel appreciated? Do they show up for work each day with passion and purpose?

A red flag should go up if you answered "no" to any of those questions. Why? Managers who aren't taking care of their employees are missing out on significant cost-savings and profits. There is a growing body of research on this topic. For example:

 Gallup International reported that businesses in the top 24 percent of employee engagement had less turnover and remarkably higher percentages of customer loyalty, profitability and revenues.
 Extensive studies by HayGroup revealed powerful links between employee engagement and productivity, which ultimately impacts the bottom line.
 Workplace values expert John Izzo has abundant proof that this 'generation' of employees is more conscious of their own needs and of their place in the world
For business leaders in companies of all sizes, the writing is on the wall: You can make and save money by keeping employees engaged. Here are nine management tips for creating and sustaining employee engagement:

1) Let go of any negative opinions you may have about your employees. Approach each of them as a source of unique knowledge with something valuable to contribute to the company. Remember that you are co-creating the achievement of a vision with them.

2) Make sure employees have everything they need to do their jobs. Remember when you started a new school year and you'd prepare by getting all new school supplies? Why not build just such an opportunity into your department simply by asking each staff member, or the team as a whole, "Do you have everything you need to be as competent as you can be?" Remember, just as marketplace and customer needs change at daily, so do your employees' needs change.

3) Clearly communicate what's expected of employees—what the company values and vision are, and how the company defines success. Employees can’t perform well or be productive if they don't clearly know what it is they're there to do—and the part they play in the overall success of the company. Be sure to communicate your expectations, and to do it often.

4) Get to know your employees, especially their goals, their stressors, what excites them and how they each define success. I'm not suggesting you pry too deeply or start 'counseling' your team members. What I am suggesting is that you show an interest in their well being and that, when appropriate, you do what it takes to enable them to feel more fulfilled and better balanced.

5) Make sure they are trained and retrained in problem solving and conflict resolution skills. These critical skills will help them interact better with you, their teammates, customers and suppliers. It's common sense—better communications reduce stress and increase positive outcomes.

6) Constantly ask how you are doing in your employees' eyes. I know it can be difficult for managers to request employee feedback—and it can be equally if not more challenging for an employee to give the person who evaluates them an honest response. To get strong at this skill and to model it for employees, begin dialogs with employees using conversation starters such as, “It's one of my goals to constantly improve myself as a manager. What would you like to see me do differently? What could I be doing to make your job easier?” Be sure to accept feedback graciously and to express appreciation.

7) Pay attention to company stories and rituals. Are people laughing at each other or with each other? Do they repeat stories of success of moments of shame? Stay away from participating in discussions that are destructive to people or the organization, and keep success stories alive.

8) Reward & recognize employees in ways that are meaningful to them (that's why getting to know your employees is so important). And remember to celebrate both accomplishments and efforts to give employees working on long-term goals a boost.

9) Be consistent for the long haul. If you start an ‘engagement initiative’ and then drop it your efforts will backfire, creating employee estrangement. People are exhausted and exasperated from ‘program du jour’ initiatives that engage their passion and then fizzle out when the manager gets bored, fired or moved to another department. There's a connection between an employee's commitment to an initiative and a manager's commitment to supporting it. A manager's ongoing commitment to keeping people engaged, involved in and excited about the work they do and the challenges they face must be a daily priority.

Ultimately, you must keep in mind that employees are a company’s greatest assets. Their collective ideas, feedback and enthusiasm for what they do can help your business grow and succeed. Some people are naturally wired to give their all and do their best no matter where they work. But the majority of people require the guidance of skilled managers who welcome their ideas, ask for feedback and generate enthusiasm in order to have a sense of purpose and energy about what they do.

JoAnna Brandi is Publisher of the Customer Care Coach® a weekly training program on mastering "The Art and Science of Exquisite Customer Care.” She is the author of Winning at Customer Retention, 101 Ways to Keep 'em Happy, Keep 'em Loyal and Keep 'em Coming Back. Visit her Web site and sign up for her free email tip on customer care at www.customercarecoach.com

[Jean]

Thank you Simon. JoAnna Brandi 's "Nine ways to keep staff engaged" ideas are excellent. In short, connect more with staff by greeting, talking, sharing etc..get to know them and know how to tackle them.

[Abdul Qudoos]

Greetings for the day,



Dear Abdul,


Thank you for your input, I agree with you training is interesting when conducted in small batches.

Even for large batches, if you have play ground or big hall in your facility, please have a look on below link, one of my presentation and once in a year we are performing with 40 - 60 employees in a hall and divided by 4-6 groups:

Team Working...

[Jean]

Dear Abdul,

Thanks a lot for sharing. Interesting!!

[Simon]

Thanks Abdul.

[muffin]

I love your ideas guys!

Hoping I can add some ideas too in the future