Have Fun at Work

Have fun at work. Walt Disney said, “You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it takes people to make the dream a reality.” Dale Carnegie added, “People rarely succeed at things they don’t have fun at.” Building a great school is a dream that people will work toward only when they are having fun at work.

In schools, many activities are planned for Friday which is also the start of the weekend and payday. I believe the focus should be having fun at work, especially on Monday. Research shows that Sunday night is the worst night of sleep for most people as they are worried about the beginning of the work week the next day.

Join me in my Looking Forward to Monday Morning campaign. Have Monday be the casual day. Periodically greet the staff at the door on Monday Mornings with Monday Morning bagels or M & Ms and wish them a happy Monday. Always have gourmet coffee for staff and put a sign above the coffee pot that reads, “Monday is a special grind.”

Some people start the week on MOANday rather than Monday, so one organization implemented a “Positive Monday” rule. No negative comments could be made on Monday, and anyone making such comments was fined. They could no longer complain about the weather, how their sports team played, housework, or any other unpleasant topics. They focused on uplifting conversations instead. Staff meeting began with volunteers leading the group in Five Minutes of Fun, when they gave circle massages, had a bubble-gum blowing contest, shared embarrassing moments, conducted sing-alongs and engaged in other fun activities.