Highlights:
- RingCentral fosters a fun work environment with contests, games, music, and friendly competition.
- April 6th is International Fun at Work Day and research reveals having fun at work delivers multiple benefits.
What do ping-pong, video games, and karaoke competitions have to do with work? Most employees would agree they want to work in a fun environment and research shows it’s good for people and for business. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Why Work Should Be Fun, Harvard Business Review author Bob Nelson, PhD., asserts “Fun is essential to a great work culture.” At RingCentral we couldn’t agree more, we take fun seriously because having fun is good for everyone.
Fun gets results.
The average person will spend 90,000 hours of their life working, shouldn’t some of that time be intentionally fun? Absolutely. RingCentral is a company built on innovation, so naturally, we leverage fun as a pathway to innovation. Albert Einstein famously said, “Creativity is intelligence having fun,” and that’s more than just a perception. Research shows play leads to greater learning, creativity, inspiration, and innovation.
UCSF Professor and Neuroscientist Karuna Subramaniam, PhD. reported her research revealed that “boosting the mood of volunteers increased their likelihood of having an aha! moment as measured by their ability to solve a word association puzzle.” Fun stimulates activity in the same part of the brain responsible for problem-solving, the anterior cingulate cortex. So, next time you’re feeling stuck, remember fun may be the key to greater innovation–which, in turn, leads to increased sales and happy customers!
Laugh about it.
Humor is another powerful catalyst for creativity. Humor and fun go hand-in-hand. When we’re laughing, we’re having fun. One RingCentral group, “Team Dad Jokes,” loves to share funny jokes, silly puns, and memes. Stanford Professor Jennifer Aaker, author of Humor, Seriously, says “Ultimately, a culture of levity creates a safe place for employees. When you feel safe, you’re much more apt to take chances. You’re more likely to try things without worrying about being ridiculed, or ostracized. You’re more willing to innovate—to push new ideas and to push against old ideas.” So don’t be afraid to bring some levity to your next brainstorming session.
A culture that’s fun.
At RingCentral we like to have fun. Whether it’s our sales teams engaging in a quick game of ping-pong or the Trivia Tuesdays Quiz, we make time for friendly interoffice competitions that build rapport and morale. Around the world, offices celebrate House Party Fridays which often include our very own in-house DJs. Even our “microfun” activities like the hot-sauce-on-a-chip challenge deliver loads of laughter and levity. Short breaks, we like to think of them as “fun snacks,” bring the benefits of reduced fatigue, stress, boredom, and burnout while building a richer connection with colleagues.
Play more at work.
Music, games, micro-breaks, lunchtime, and longer breaks all have a positive relationship with well-being and productivity. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Learning Center says taking regular breaks increases productivity over working straight through. Furthermore, employees who described their work environments as “fun” also described their companies as “great.” This results in increased retention and greater satisfaction. Work Made Fun Gets Things Done authors Bob Nelson and Mario Tamayo remind us, “For individuals, time at work goes by faster as they become more excited about their work, who they work with, and what they are achieving, which all affect the pride they have in their work, themselves, and the company.” We agree, so let’s all aim to have more fun!
Originally published Apr 06, 2023
