Make Work Play!

This is the 11th post in my 16 post series of lessons I've learned in 16 years in business. You can scroll down to read the rest and you can read the introductory post to this series here.

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The first business person I observed up close was my Dad. I grew up on a farm, and so I got my first lessons in hard work first hand - and not just by observation. One of the things that was clear about my Dad, and many of the other farmers I knew in our area was that while they worked extremely hard, they really did love their work. My observation even as a boy, was that the best farmers (and the best hired hands) were the ones that really liked what they were doing. In short, he was my first example of the idea that you can work hard and still enjoy it.

Today, we read stories about the Best Places to Work and the challenges that businesses face in creating a working environment and company culture that will attract and retain the best talent. It is a complex topic and worthy of conversation and study. Smart leaders DO want to maintain and build a workplace where people want to be - because when that happens, productivity (among other things) goes up.

We also can go into any bookstore and in the self help section find many books that tell you to find work that is your passion, and spend hundreds of pages helping you figure that out. This is also valuable material - well worth the space allocated to it in the bookstore.

Both sides of this coin - the workplace and the worker - are important. And at the risk of making it all over simplified, here's my advice.

As a leader, supervisor or employer, think about the environment, culture and fun that exists in your workplace. Make conscious choices to create a workplace where people can enjoy themselves while doing good and important work. Think too about the front end of this process - hiring. Make sure that you are hiring people that want to be in your organization, that are committed to it, that love their work.

Maybe you aren't a leader or employer. Or maybe you are, but are having trouble living up to my suggestion yourself. The personal side of this advice is just as important. Think about it this way: You are involved in your work more than in any other endeavor in your life. You invest more hours and energy in your career than in any other part of your life. Doesn't it make sense to enjoy it?

You may not be doing your life's work, or even know what your life's work is. As someone who is blessed to have found that sweet spot, I urge you to follow that path (and maybe read one of the books on the shelf I mentioned above). But to follow my advice today doesn't require you to stop everything and find your life's passion.

It only requires making a choice. The choice to approach your work with enjoyment and fun; to engage more fully and enjoy the time you spend at work. When you do, you will have less stress, the day will go faster, you will get more done, and sooner than you expect, you will find new opportunities around you.

So there are choices for us as leaders, and choices for us as individuals - and when we choose to Make Work Play, we will be greatly rewarded in a variety of ways.

We had some t shirts made several years ago that sport a Make Work Play! logo. And while, I can't promise anything, there is a chance that when you choose to join me for our 16th Anniversary online party on October 16th, you might have a chance to win one. You can learn more about this event, and RSVP here, or you can read 16 reasons why you should attend. (And that doesn't count the possibility of coming away with a tshirt!)