Life without laughter, entertainment, and fun would be grey and downright dull! And we can all agree that life's too short for boring! As such, ensuring your organization has room for fun only makes sense.
Fun at work can take many forms. So, let's explore ways a little fun can make a big difference.
Importance of Fun during Learning
Skyrockets productivity
It's probably not a surprise that a fun working environment makes us happier. And this can have a significant influence on your organization!
The good news? Happy employees are 12% more productive! The great news? It's not just happiness that increases positivity. Research shows that simply having a good laugh makes us more productive and boosts accuracy.
As such, next time you have an afternoon of hardcore spreadsheets, or back-to-back calls ahead of you, an impromptu joke-off could be the motivation you need!
Less Empty Seats
No, we're not talking about Musical Chairs Monday (but while we're at it, that sounds like an excellent idea!). We are talking about the fact that more fun in the workplace leads to lower staff turnover and less time off sick.
Research suggests that 62% of people who engaged in fun activities at work had taken no sick days in the last three months compared to 38% of people who had not participated in the fun at work. As such, organizing fun activities at work and ensuring your company culture is relaxed and supportive can help reduce costs related to hiring processes or hiring a temporary workforce.
Raised Resilience
Whether you're facing a business crisis, a bad day at the office, or just a bad hair day – resilience is essential in times of adversity. That's where laughter and fun can help! After all, we know by now that it's good for our health and well-being.
A music pie chart apple music can lower stress and boost immunity. And did you know that our muscles relax for up to 45 minutes following a giggle? Encouraging a positive office culture that advocates fun and laughter helps protect staff against the stresses and strains of day-to-day working life.
Increases Creativity
All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. It's true – people become stale and uninspired without a bit of fun in the office. And that means that their creativity suffers. In contrast, 55% of staff who've participated in a fun activity in the last 6 months feel more creative.
A workplace where people feel free to laugh helps people feel free to share their ideas. This, of course, results in a culture where ideas bounce back and forth effectively. A bit of fun can make all the difference in business innovation.
Varied Activities Cater To All
Fun means different things to different people. Some people's micro scooters may be another person's, Harley Davidson. Some people's snowboarding dream getaway might be another person's vertigo nightmare. So, what does fun look like for your employees and learners? Firstly, most people like to have fun, but some like it more than others. 79% of millennials think fun at work is essential, compared to only 55% of older staff.
On top of that, fun looks different depending on your role within the company. For example, only 14% of business owners see dress-down days as fun compared to 29% of graduates. The research also shows business owners are less likely to value pleasure at work than employees.
As such, next time you're planning the company's well-being strategy, staff conference, or social – it's essential to ask people what they want.
This is the only way to make the fun meaningful and inclusive! It helps you to ensure everyone's ideas of a good time are represented and celebrated equally. This fosters a working environment of inclusion, diversity, and Epic Meaning, and of course, sheds loads of fun!
Make Fun a Habit
We can't simply look around a grey office and think, 'It's miserable in here – we need to spice things up. Let's organise a team away day, party, or dance-off (insert random, one-off event of your choice here).' Those activities will probably boost morale temporarily but how long will this serotonin high last?
For fun to translate into happiness and success, it must become a habit. As such, make fun of part of the company culture. And, of course, make it part of the learning culture to keep your staff happy, engaged and motivated!
How can Learning Technology Help?
Too large, scattered, or remote to make this happen throughout your company? Don't worry! Learning technologies can help bring all this fun to your staff wherever they are.
Gamification
What could be more fun than a good game? Gamification, the application of gaming mechanics to non-game environments, allows you to bring all the fun of Zelda and Angry Birds straight to your learning management system (LMS). Points, levels, and rewards will keep your learners engaged and motivated.
Social
Use the power of social learning to bump up the fun element. Introduce chatrooms to your LMS. These allow learners to celebrate success, share ideas, and cheer each other on.
And why not add a healthy dose of competition with a Leaderboard feature? It doesn't just have to be about learning – why not take an idea from us at Growth Engineering and encourage people to share their favorite weekend selfie – the best one wins!
Mobile Learning
Whether based at the company's head office or in a remote wilderness out posting, people can stay connected to the fun wherever they are with mobile learning. Mobile means no one has to miss out on the Leaderboard top spot, office #JokeOff marathon, or the latest company competition.
Learning is Fun: Engagement is the key!
Fun, pleasure, excitement — call it what you will; engagement is essential in any training endeavor. When it comes to talent management if you don't spend time making the learning experience compelling and enjoyable, how can you expect your learners to spend any time on it? Unlocking engagement in your learning platform isn't some dark art known only to mystics and seers – it's a lot simpler than you might think.