Do you have fun in your business?

Is there laughter?  

Do employees enjoy what they do?

How are your relationships with your suppliers?

Do your customers enjoy working with you? 

The idea of “fun” comes up a lot in business discussions now, particularly since Google established a unique approach to business culture. They’ve set a high bar for fun in their company by encouraging employees to work how and when they like, use nap pods, and play games when they need a mental break. 

Maybe that seems unattainable for your company, but potential employees still seem to crave it. As the next generation of employees come in to interview, they’re looking for that fun, creative environment they’ve deemed successful. 

Maybe you think, “I don’t have that… and I don’t want to have that. It’s just not good business.”

But is it? Could a fun business environment enrich your company in ways you haven’t considered?

Let’s take a closer look at what a more enjoyable culture may mean for your business. 

Why Not Have Fun?

Are you really against fun? Or do you just associate fun with laziness and unreliability? Those aren’t the same thing. 

Ask yourself these questions: 

• Why isn’t it fun at your company? 
• Why do you associate “fun” as a bad business move?  
• If you think a business environment should be “serious”, what’s driving that mentality? 

Fun is not a true underminer of success. If it was, companies would not be able to be both fun and successful… and they are.

How do they do it? 

Much of it comes from knowing the time and place. Having fun doesn’t mean that no one works. It means that work becomes more enjoyable. But for that to happen, you have to know what’s appropriate and how far you can go. Setting this example starts at the top. When you lead the way in finding ways to enjoy your work, you open the door for your employees to do so, too. 

What If You’re Not A Fun Person?

When you’re at a party, where do you land? Isolated, at the center of attention, or somewhere in between? 

If you’re an inherently un-fun person and you’re okay with that, I’m not going to change you. 

No one is going to change you (and believe me, people will try). 

If you’re no fun and you’re not willing to try, you need someone in charge of fun at your business. You need someone who’s going to pose entertaining questions and be willing to answer them. You need someone to create opportunities for community building. You need a person to get between you and the employees and lead the way in creating an atmosphere that people enjoy.

Why Fun Matters

There’s no denying it — fun people are more attractive. Your business needs to be attractive to the best employees and customers you can find.  

If you’re not an outgoing, fun-loving person (and you don’t want to be), that’s okay. But your business doesn’t have to be that way. Your company doesn’t have to reflect your personality — your business needs to take on the personality necessary to attract top-notch employees and customers. 

When you incorporate fun and enjoyment into your business, you make it more attractive. 

Fun makes a difference. If you’re having fun, your customers, suppliers, and employees will have fun too. And that means better business.

Does a fun work environment get in the way of success? I don’t think so. If you’ve been afraid of letting fun into your company climate, maybe it’s time for a change. Let the fun people do business their way for a while and see what happens. If nothing else, you may end up actually enjoying your work.