Page 50 - How to Motivate Every Employee

Lighten up. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Think with a sense of humor.

Adopt a fun and playful attitude.

Plan to have a good time every single day.

Help others see the lighter side of things.
Laugh with people, not at them.
Need more help? Check out 301 Ways to Have Fun at Work, by
Dave Hemsath and Leslie Yerkes and Get Weird! by John Putzier.
Know the connection between fun and the bottom line: Do you want
to reduce absenteeism, promote greater job satisfaction, boost
employee performance, increase productivity, and suffer less down-
time? By encouraging a fun work environment, these will be just a
few of the bottom-line benefits you can expect. Also, take time to
study some of the world’s most fun organizations. Here are a few fun
companies to check out: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
(Cleveland, Ohio), Virgin Management Limited, Southwest Airlines,
Disney, and Ben & Jerry’s. And here’s one more tidbit to consider: a
survey of business school deans and business executives revealed that
humor plays a significant part in the operation of a healthy, success-
ful business.
Recognize the power of fun: Fun, laughter, humor—it’s all cleans-
ing. It unites us with everyone else who is having fun. It can make it
nearly impossible to feel lonely or left out. When we share a laugh,
we enjoy the laugh, but we also enjoy the sharing. Fun is motivating
because of the pleasure it creates. So when your employees are feel-
ing a bit down, stressed, tired, or just not in the mood to work up to
their abilities, a laugh can make a big difference.

“All I wanna do is have some fun. I got a feeling
I’m not the only one.”
—Sheryl Crow, Recording Artist

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