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How to Improve Company Culture: “Fun Work” Isn’t an Oxymoron

Does your office environment leave much to be desired? Here are five ways that you can improve your company culture.

2. Start a company tradition.

Implementing company traditions creates a sense of togetherness for your team.  It gives everyone something to look forward to and promotes unity in your company as a whole.  Have an annual cook-off or a weekly gathering at a restaurant or co-workers home.  At Big Fish, we have regular celebrations on Friday to end the work week.  We also try to eat together as a team once a month at the least.

3. Let every idea be heard.

Every employee, despite rank and experience should be able to share a thought.  While you shouldn’t be a team of “yes men,” there should be room for ideas to be heard and thought about, even if it is a bad idea.  Shooting down an idea simply because a person has a lower rank or less experience only limits your company’s possibilities.  At meetings, we hear out every idea and as a team decide if it’s the best one or not.

4. Out-of-office bonding

Your team is a unit.  If you only spend time together in the office, the mood and relationships can become gloomy and impersonal.  Go bowling, see a concert or just grab a drink together after work.  Bonding allows the team to learn about each other’s personalities, which improves overall cohesiveness and productivity.  We frequently attend concerts and play sports on the outside as a way to bond.

5. Make a creative board.

Set aside a section in your office where anyone can draw, write or post anything they want.  A visual break from business jargon and symbols will refresh your team and give them the freedom to express themselves.

Inspiring quotes, cool drawings or even stick figure ninjas will make your team appreciate the workspace even more.  We have a huge whiteboard that is full of quotes and drawings as well as our goals for the week, month and year.  Also, all of our desks are glass, which allows us to doodle or make notes in a different way.

 

Your office doesn’t have to be like “The Office” or even like Google, Pixar or Zappos.  However, don’t make it like “Office Space” either.  Find a happy medium where your company can balance fun and work.  Yes, these two can function simultaneously.

Your company is a place where your team can be comfortable and focus on their individual tasks.  Don’t be afraid to have a little fun during your work day, but don’t make it all about the fun, either.  Having a good company culture is about getting the balance just right.  The successful ones are full of workhorses that respect the workplace, but are stimulated by a creative, open environment.  Be serious.  Be fun.

As the saying goes, “Work hard. Play hard.”

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Photo Credit: Google Offices

 

Big Fish Presentations is a Baton Rouge, LA based design firm that develops presentations, hosts presentation workshops and produces commercial video. Our creative team consists of designers and consultants that speak nationwide about presentation strategies on turning presentations into experiences.

 

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