The Power of Fun in Business

A few weeks ago, I put together a dodge ball team (yes, that's right - DODGE BALL!). I invited people I know from networking, offering three promises: we'll have fun, we'll get good exercise, and meet new people. So far we're having a great time, and on the side we're building business relationships. And surprisingly, we're in 2nd place going into the final championship match this Thursday.

Every time I speak about fun in business, there is a 99% percent chance that everyone is eager to hear what I have to say. Talking about fun in business also raises questions about how to fit fun into a serious business environment. I certainly don't mean to say that fun is all about goofing around and not taking your job seriously. What I'm referring to is leveraging the energy that fun is.

Fun is a motivational form of energy. Imagine yourself waking up, knowing that today you'll have to fill out your tax forms. Now, compare that to how you feel waking up knowing that today you are leaving for vacation. When do you feel more energized?

So how do we leverage that energy on a day-to-day basis in business? My first advice would be to consider fun to be one of your top priorities. In my list of values, fun is very near the top. You first have to choose to have fun.

Once you have made a commitment to bringing fun into your work, then you can turn your goals into games. Any goal can be turned into a game. Every good game is well conceived; it has it's own rules, time lines and rewards. If we take dodge ball as an example, there are rules about catching the ball, how long the matches take, where the boundaries are, and what results when you win. The same thing should be done for turning a business goal into a fun game. For example, set a time line for completing a project, or reaching a certain number of people, and then play to win!

The best reward is of course is achieving the goal. When professional athletes win a championship, you don't see them cheering and spilling good champagne when the bonus check comes in the mail. The greatest joy happens at the moment of victory.

If there is any goal that you have to achieve this week, but you're not really looking forward to doing all the work, try transforming it into a game. Make the rules, the time lines, little rewards and celebrate the achievement.

Also, always be a good sport and a good friend in business. I met some of my best clients by having fun. Maybe you have to be serious about the product or service you provide, but you can be fun in the approach to the relationship and to balance out the stress. Make it your business to care about someone having a good time winning their game.

If you're having any trouble on how to apply this to your goal, feel free to contact me by phone or e-mail and we'll work things out together. Oh, and have fun this week!