Fun at Work

I’m a fun person. I consider myself to have a decent sense of humor. I like nothing more than a bit of frivolity and frolicking – whether with friends, strangers, or at work.



It’s hard to fake joy and merriment. Yet, because I’ve worked in HR for ages, I’ve had to impersonate the “life of the party” over and over and over again.



In lots of organizations, the HR leader/team members are often anointed the “figureheads of fun.” There’s an expectation that someone in HR will fulfill the role of company pep squad captain: leading the corporate equivalent of call-and-response (“D-E-F-E-N-S-E!”) and remaining enthusiastic at-all-costs even when the score on the field is 59-0.



I experienced this phenomenon in one of my very first HR jobs; well before we all used the term “engagement.”  After a dismal employee “climate survey,” the-powers-that-be (TPTB) decided that it was time to zhuzh up the workplace experience. Thus the “FUN BUNCH” was unveiled with much fanfare. Managed by, you guessed it, HR.



Now there were some positive aspects to the formation of this group:




it was comprised of employees from across the organization



these employees shared ideas/ suggestions from their co-workers



a budget (albeit miniscule) was provided




However, as one can imagine, the initial fervor from these members of the FUN BUNCH quickly dissipated. Suddenly they were asked to plan “events” (with minimal funds) and drum up enthusiasm amongst their co-workers; no more could they merely sit on the sidelines and grumble. Of the half-dozen employees (not including 2 HR staff) who comprised the initial FUN BUNCH, I think one person lasted more than 6 months.



Of course, as enthusiasm waned, the HR staff persevered – working with the tattered remnants of the FUN BUNCH.  While things crumbled the HR team was expected to be – (and explicitly told they were) – “in charge of fun.”



Required HR behaviors, described by TPTB, included:




Smile. Always.



Continually remind staff how much “fun” it was to be at work.



Smile even more.




My friends: fun cannot be manufactured. Pleasure – and enjoyment – at work cannot be faked. Being told to “smile” is harmful – particularly to women. In a recent survey , 98% of women reported being told to smile at work at some point in their lives, with 15% noting the occurrence happens weekly, if not more frequently. (shocker: the members of the HR team at the above-referenced organization were all women).



Do I want to have fun at work? Of course. But don’t force it.



Perhaps the French have the right idea. The post Fun at Work first appeared on Robin Schooling .