When fun isn’t very much fun

Dear Bob …

You may not be full of beans on this one (“Fun for fun and profit,” Keep the Joint Running, 8/20/2007), but you’re close.

Our company has a policy: Win and have fun. And a lot of managers I know try to follow it. We have quarterlies and team builders, management doesn’t have a problem with us spending a reasonable amount of time doing fun things, etc. In other words, they really do encourage fun (within P.C. limits, of course, but that’s understandable).

And the morale just keeps sinking.

I’d a billion times rather have management that provided a rewarding work environment than management that promoted fun. I’d FAR rather feel that the company was fair in recognizing and rewarding good workers than feel like I’m being bribed by “fun” things. (“Oh, sure, Bob X got promoted to VP because he’s a “good ole boy” and part of the inner circle, when hard-working Larry Y deserved it a lot more. But hey, you’re getting all these fun things, so what are you complaining about? You just have a bad attitude!”)

This used to be a great company before our old CEO retired. It’s been steadily going downhill ever since; ask just about any old-timer here. I used to be proud to work here, now it’s not much different than working for the government, except more permissive. I’m still here because my personal workgroup is good and my job is interesting, but I’d bail in a minute if the right opportunity came along.

Fun is icing on the cake, but it sure doesn’t make up for lousy-tasting cake.

– Having fun and hating it

Dear Fun-lover …

You make an excellent point. Fun isn’t supposed to be a substitute for the desire to win. It’s supposed to augment it by keeping the environment loose and creative instead of tense and fear-driven.

As always, balance is the key. Too much fun and employees take their eyes off the ball. Not enough and they’re more likely to bobble it.

And as you point out, losing isn’t fun at all. Which brings up a question for which I have no easy answer: Whether it’s possible to maintain a level of intensity without losing the sense of fun.

Here’s one possible answer to the conundrum: Fun might not be the best solution for every work environment, or for every situation in every work environment. In fact it certainly isn’t. Imagine a bunch of Navy Seals on a mission, having fun every step of the way. Unsettling, isn’t it?

But remember, as I carefully defined the term, “fun” is about creating an enjoyable work environment, not an amusing one. The point is that grimness discourages creativity, depresses energy, and in many other ways causes a company to lose.

– Bob

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