The experience of enjoying yourself at work reflects your organisation’s culture and can have a significant effect on employee engagement, creativity and purpose. When employees enjoy their work, feel connected to their tasks and their peers and feel valued for their contributions, then both individuals and organisation will reap great rewards.
While there may be little choice in the type of work that must be performed there is always a choice to determine the way in which it will be performed. The benefits of a fun and playful workplace are endless and can be seen in the positive way happy employees interact with their colleagues and create environments which support discretionary effort and creativity. It is in these workplaces where innovation and collaboration thrive and quality work is considered a reward and not just a means to a reward.
A fun and positive organisation culture improves teamwork, boosts employee morale, increases productivity and can improve employee health and wellbeing while supporting people to become better leaders and team members. Moments of workplace fun and frivolity help to create genuine connection, while building empathy, resilience and community within teams and across organisations. In short, happy employees are engaged employees, and this can mitigate the risks associated with employee turnover and the difficulty associated with attracting and retaining quality employees in competitive markets.
The connection between a fun workplace and high performance, is culture and leaders play a key role in seeking to understand and set the tone for their teams and organisation. By understanding cultural strengths, risks, issues and opportunities, leaders can take action to drive meaningful culture development to enhance employee experience, optimise competitive advantage, and drive both financial and non-financial results. The benefits of a positive work culture extend far beyond a fun work day and result in a more engaging work experience, support a more productive work environment, and enhance organisation effectiveness.
Ways leaders can support a fun and productive work environment:
Relax and lighten up by sharing personal interests with your team to build rapport
Create spaces and opportunities for collaboration and innovative thinking
Ask questions and be an active listener
Celebrate lessons learned, project milestones and a job well done
Personalise team and individual workspaces to create comfortable environments and establish connection to place
Create online forums dedicated to social connection in hybrid workplaces
Foster opportunities for conversations and connection outside of work tasks.
An investment in understanding your employees and improving your organisation culture will demonstration genuine care and respect for the people in your organisation and provide significant improvements across financial and non-financial results.
Connect with HENRY REED to discuss how an independent Culture Audit will provide valuable insights into your organisation culture and inform board and executive decisions aligned to risk appetite and strategic objectives, and learn how you can enhance your individual and organisation leadership capability through our culture leadership programs and executive coaching sessions:
P: 1300 266 995
E:info@henryreed.com.au
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