Fun At Work - Part 1
When was the last time you had a fun day at work?
Some of you may already be thinking, “Work isn’t meant to be fun—it’s about making a livelihood.” That’s a fair point. However, I believe it can be both. While work can be difficult, challenging, and stressful at times, those realities don’t have to be mutually exclusive with enjoying your job. Read on, and I’ll explain why.
Of course, the term “fun” is highly subjective. Still, there are common elements most people can agree on. Here’s a short list:
Having some laughs with a co-worker
Feeling a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day
Receiving praise from a supervisor
Complimenting a fellow team member
This list is far from comprehensive, but you get the idea. I’ll dive deeper into each of these points in upcoming posts. Today, I want to focus on the second one: feeling a sense of accomplishment.
Accomplishment at work can often feel elusive. Several common blockers prevent this rewarding feeling. Maybe the systems and tools your business uses create unnecessary friction, making tasks take longer than they should. Perhaps your regular responsibilities feel tedious. Too little feedback can also play a role—and if you don’t clearly see how your work supports the company’s mission, vision, and values (MVV), it’s easy to feel isolated or unimportant.
Some of these factors fall primarily on company leadership and decision-makers, while others depend more on the employee. Often, it’s a shared responsibility.
Systems & Tools
It is leadership’s responsibility to regularly assess the processes and tools the company uses. However, the rest of the team isn’t off the hook. A valuable team member proactively suggests helpful improvements when they discover better solutions. It’s leadership’s job to receive those suggestions openly, without defensiveness, and carefully evaluate them against the company’s MVV. Creating a culture that welcomes input is also a leadership responsibility.
Today, almost every job role in the U.S. interacts with technology in some capacity. Even field-based trade professionals must submit hours for payroll or generate client invoices. Even brief daily interactions with technology matter. If the experience is at least neutral, people will use the tools effectively. If they dislike the system, they’ll either avoid it or use it incorrectly—leading to frustration on both sides and constant follow-up from leaders.
Technology evolves rapidly. Solutions that worked well last year may no longer fit as business needs and client expectations change. For example, five years ago your customers may have happily paid by check; today, they may feel frustrated by the lack of convenient online payment options.
Frontline and customer-facing team members usually bear the brunt of outdated processes. Regular assessment of tools and workflows helps prevent burnout and frustration. It’s difficult to enjoy your work when you constantly feel the urge to take a baseball bat to your computer (or printer).
Feedback
Everyone—whether in a paid or unpaid role—needs accountability and feedback. Without it, people can feel isolated or lack any clear gauge of their performance. Some may believe they’re doing a great job when they’re not, while others underestimate their own contributions.
Consistent, timely feedback provides real-time course correction, usually in smaller, more manageable adjustments. Waiting for annual performance reviews often leads to bigger surprises and stronger emotional reactions. It’s far better to learn you’re on the wrong route a few hours into a drive from Seattle to New York than when you reach Dallas.
Leaders should create frequent opportunities for feedback—ideally weekly or bi-weekly—and be willing to receive it themselves, even at the CEO or managing partner level. Note that micromanagement is not feedback; it’s often personal insecurity or lack of trust disguised as guidance. Good, balanced feedback actually reduces the tendency toward micromanagement.
Strong feedback channels can dramatically improve company culture and foster a genuine sense of accomplishment. Honest, caring input from someone invested in your growth may be hard to hear in the moment, but it builds long-term satisfaction and development.
Use these conversations to connect individual roles back to the company’s MVV. This helps people understand how their daily work contributes to larger goals. In the TV show Severance, employees have no idea what their tasks ultimately achieve (at least in season 1). As a result, management’s attempts at incentives fall flat. When team members leave each day knowing they’ve contributed to something bigger, it fuels real accomplishment and satisfaction.
Closing
While the path to a sense of accomplishment varies from person to person, you can take meaningful steps to reduce burnout, frustration, and isolation. Implement tools, solutions, and processes that actually work well. Provide—and be open to receiving—helpful feedback that supports growth at every level, from the CEO to the intern. Regularly remind people how their role adds real value to the company.
Without a sense of accomplishment, “fun at work” remains an elusive goal that seems reserved for naturally “happy” people. In reality, it’s something that can—and should—be cultivated for everyone.
Stay tuned for upcoming posts in this series, where I’ll explore additional aspects of company culture that help everyone experience more enjoyment at work.