Laugh! It’s part of the job!

Positive morale can help retain valuable employees

The benefits of enjoyment and laughter in the workplace are not normally touched upon in a management meeting. Some may think “give an inch” and employees will “take a mile”, but many companies acknowledge a little levity during the workday not only benefits employees, but can actually stimulate creativity and productivity, while helping retain employees as well.

Coupled with the economic uncertainty of the decade, working a high-stress or emotionally-charged job can take a negative toll on employee morale. Creating an atmosphere of positive morale in the workplace is a contributing factor in retaining valuable employees. Humor will not cure all problems affecting a company, but it can help give employees and management a positive coping mechanism.

Atmosphere on the job too heavy? You don’t need to break out the rubber chickens necessarily, but adding a little humor to the day may benefit the bottom line.

Examples of easy to implement ideas include:
• Adding a humorous game or contest into a meeting.
• Stocking the office with (safe) toys that can be tossed around, such as stress balls or nerf footballs
• Doing low cost morale boosters, such as ice cream delivery in the summer, barbecues in the parking lot, or other inexpensive team events.

Here are two games to get you started!
Who Am I? Stick a post-it note on the back of each player with the name of a celebrity written on it. The rules state that people must speak to each other as if they were talking to the celebrity named on the post-it note. Individuals will have 5 minutes to figure out who they are and move toward another player.

Whose Answer Is This Anyway? Have a volunteer pose a question to the group that cannot be answered with a yes of a no. (Example: What advice would you give to Christopher Columbus?) Each person then writes their answer to the question on a piece of paper and places the paper in the middle of the group. The volunteer then reads the answers out loud and the group determines whose answer is the “best.” That person gets a point and then it’s the next person’s turn to ask a question. You will get some serious answers and some funny ones, which makes the game entertaining!

EctoHR is on your side
EctoHR has a lot to offer when it comes to boosting employee morale! Contact a team member at EctoHR by calling 810.534.0170, or by email to hr@ectohr.com.