Join in the Fun: Creating a Celebratory Culture
An all-work and no-play environment leads to burnouts and uninspired employees. Having fun is what sets great companies apart from all the rest because fun keeps great people there who enjoy getting results. Unfortunately, most companies don’t have much fun.
Chief Fun Officer
To make fun an integral part of your company culture, consider appointing a CFUNO (Chief Fun Officer). Masters of fun in business are Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, founders of Barefoot Wine, the best-selling wine brand in the United States. Among their creations are Barefoot Days and Free Wine Fridays. Barefoot Days are paid days off in months without a US holiday when businesses are typically closed: March, April, June, August, and October.
The Power of a Day Off
Imagine the power of reminding your people that Monday will be a day off for Your Company day. Do you think your people would brag to friends and family about their upcoming three-day weekend due to Your Company day? Of course, they would! On Free Wine Fridays, every Barefoot Wine employee is handed a bottle of wine by one of the owners, who say, “Thank you for your efforts,” and tells the employee to enjoy the weekend on Barefoot. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the company is in the wine business, but that isn’t why they do it. They do it because it’s fun.
Celebrate Together
At Zappos.com, it’s not unusual to see a parade winding its way through a department, orchestrated by another department to say thanks for a job well done. It is not unusual to find the founders and executives serving meals at the employee cafeteria to show their appreciation for and mingle with employees. The company even encourages employees to recognize each other, empowering every employee to give a co-worker $50 for going above and beyond. How about giving each of your executive team members a $50 or $100 bill each month to award to an employee they caught doing a good job? Tell them the money must be distributed by the end of the month, and that they have to report what happened when they gave it away at the next executive team meeting. Imagine the positive buzz that you’ll create at your company!
Celebrate the Goals Reached
To know what to recognize and celebrate, use the tracking tools from chapter three to track recognition. Remember WGMGD (What Gets Measured Gets Done)! Tracking recognition works. The definition of having fun always includes true performance, growth, and profits. Make performance, growth, and profits a precursor to your celebrations.
Make it fun to be a part of your company, and your people will spread the word, which enhances your employer brand.