Fun at Work

Here's an article from the Christian Science Monitor, written in 2001, about Fun at Work. I quote:

Basketball hoops at work? Graffiti encouraged in the company restrooms? Nerf-dart wars on the office floor? All part of the day's work - at some firms.

The New Economy made foosball tables and an informal office setting the norm for companies desperate to attract talent. Then the dotcom bust turned those foosball tables, some critics say, into relics of a frivolous-business era. Now, casual dress is out; suits are back in vogue.

But even as the pendulum swings back toward the traditional, there are clear signs of lasting legacies from the New Economy workplace. Some amenities - espresso bars, redesigned workspaces that encourage interaction, break rooms - are here to stay. And a few successful firms are cultivating a culture where fun is more than a needed break from work - it is part of work.

The article captures a belief that many of us are trying almost desperately to hold on to - that bringing more toys into the workplace will make things more fun. It seems to me, however, that bringing more toys into the workplace to make work more fun is like bringing more canaries into the mine to make the mine safer. If the environment is toxic, it's time to get out of the mine.

Funspotting by Dr. Roger Greenaway


from Bernie DeKoven, funsmith