Work: Enjoying yourself shouldn’t be “Optional”

Today is Halloween.  I have “costume” duty after school.  I get to pick up my granddaughter, keep her engaged from 3pm until trick or treat time, dress her and have her ready to go when mom gets here to walk her through neighborhoods.  I’m expected to ensure she completes her homework before the candy consumption begins.

I’m considering the best way to accomplish this task; focusing on learning while in the midst of visions of wheelbarrows full of candy.  I don’t want to be a killjoy but the work needs to be done.  As I plan how to ensure an enjoyable afternoon while accomplishing our tasks, I can’t help but see the parallels between work and my grandbaby’s pre-Halloween experiences.

Everyday at work should be an enjoyable experience.  Everyone has targets, goals, and specific tasks to accomplish daily.  A strong leader should ensure those targets, goals, and tasks are clearly explained, resources are provided without resistance to accomplish them and at the end of those efforts there is a celebration.  Celebration?  Of course!

Whether the celebration is as simple as a broad smile and a Thank you! from leaders and managers, recognition and celebration should be integral to a day in the life of any employee.  While we aren’t children, easily satisfied with candy and prizes, we are human and recognition and celebration provide satisfaction in work that ensures it is enjoyable.

And as far as celebration goes, I hope leaders are more imaginative than a “thank you”.  Those are important but creativity, planning and focused thought surrounding how to make the celebration meaningful to each person and team are critical.  

Thoughtful Celebration/Gratitude Ideas:

1.  Flexible Hours.  This is at the top of the list for many reasons.  First, nothing says thank you like “I trust you” and providing flexibility in work hours sends that message loud and clear.

2.  The “It’s All About You” reward.  Find out what matters to an employee or team members.  If it’s working out, provide a month-long pass to a killer fitness class.  If it’s “wearing comfortable clothes” change things up and provide days, weeks, months of casual clothing opportunities.  The list is almost infinite based on the personalities and interests of folks and their teams.

3. The Morphing Trophy.  Get a big trophy and give it to the employee you are recognizing for the week. At the end of the week, they must return the trophy but they need to add one thing to it. (You would be shocked how many things can stick to a trophy.) Then next week give it to the next winner. At the end of the year, you’ll have a trophy with 52 things stuck to it. It looks hysterical and has lots of memories. At the end of the year, retire the trophy and put it in your reception area. Do it every year.

4.  Pick my Project.  After the successful completion of a project or tasks, allow an employee to pick a new or existing project she has an interest in to buoy her spirits and provide that feeling of adding value that helps make every workday enjoyable.

5.  Adult Education. Pay for one adult education class of their choosing. My preference? Gardening class.

6. A New Chair. Many employees sit for at least eight hours a day. Reward their exceptional effort with a new comfortable, supportive chair of their choosing.

7. The “Maid to say Thank you” option.  Buy the employee/team a week/month of housekeeping.  There is nothing more delightful than coming home to a clean house after a hard day’s work.

8.  Performance Hours. If employees consistently perform well, give them “performance hours” tokens they can redeem to take a longer lunch, run errands or use for personal reasons.

There are so many ways to provide that foundation and environment for enjoyable Work!  As the boss, it is also so easy to take the “fun” right out of work.  A thoughtless word, a forgotten thank you, and you’ve turned yourself from a leader into just another boss.

Be the Treat for your team that makes the difference.