Memoirs of a Fun Enabler
Five ways to create a great culture at your office.
Having a fun office environment keeps people feeling engaged and positive, not just in their own roles, but with the company as a whole. When your employees are motivated, you’ll see a range of benefits, like increased productivity and creativity — which, as a business that runs on good ideas, is kind of important to us.
Team bonding outside of the workplace is a great way for everyone to get to know each other on a personal level — giving people the chance to interact in ways they may not during their daily grind. By cultivating a cool office environment and combining that with ample team bonding opportunities, you begin to see an amazing culture where everyone believes in what he or she does, is inspired to do their best, and go that extra mile for the benefit of the team.
But how do you take that first step towards making your office cool place to work? That’s where I come in — the Studio Coordinator, but that’s so formal. I like to think of myself as an enabler of fun. Here are five strategies and rituals I’ve implemented to bring a little excitement to the Crew on a day-to-day basis.
1. A Crew Culture Calendar:
We implemented a calendar to give visibility around upcoming social gatherings or events — communication has increased in regards to organising activities, birthdays, cake days, fitness challenges, monthly crew made breakfasts and Friday lunches.
2. Beer O’clock and Showcase:
Every Friday afternoon we gather around one of our gigantic screens, crack a beer and show each other all the cool things we’ve been working on that week. This could be a video we’ve produced, a script or storyboard, a piece of audio design, a 3D render or even functioning code that one of our developers has been working on.
3. New-starter Packs:
All new starters have a personalised welcome pack waiting for them on their first day in office and features their favourite snack and a personal crew shirt. This makes them feel like they’re joining a team from the second they walk through the door.
4. Kudos Board:
By creating a place for team and individual recognition, we’ve given crew members a place to give praise/kudos/etc. for jobs well done, as well as appreciation for the small things we all do that make a difference. It tells everyone in the team that their effort and passion is noticed and appreciated.
5. Company Events:
Planning big events, like the crew Christmas party, gives people the chance to take the day off, relax and celebrate the wins of the year with their teammates. This year, I organised an exclusive getaway, where the team traveled via boat to an island paradise. We went tubing, had exotic tropical drinks, played beach volleyball and took afternoon naps in hammocks. It was a great way to cap off an awesome year.
That’s it! Five simple ideas that go a long way to cultivate an inclusive, fun, positive and productive culture. They’re all easy to implement and will have staff hanging around the office long after knock-off time.
