How to make work more fun
(Re)Introducing Funmentum Labs, Devin McNulty, and our new collaboration about fun at work
When I give talks about fun, two of the most common questions I get are whether it’s possible to make work more fun, and whether it’s even appropriate to try.
My TL;DR answer is that yes, it’s possible, and yes, it’s appropriate. (As a reminder, I define “fun” as the feeling that results from being in a state of playful, connected flow; for more details, check out this post.)
What’s more, incorporating more fun into work won’t just make your time at the office more enjoyable; it’ll actually boost your creativity, productivity, and efficiency, too.
The question therefore isn’t whether we should make fun at work a priority, but rather how we can do so, and why we typically don’t.
Enter Devin McNulty and Funmentum Labs
My own views on fun at work have been dramatically shaped by my collaboration with Devin McNulty, the self-described “head of braintending” at a consulting organization called Funmentum Labs. By tapping into the powers of fun and play, Devin has helped companies like ESPN, Google, Credit Karma, Logitech and Ubisoft unlock group creativity and create environments where people look forward to brainstorming and solving problems together.
Those of you who have been with me for a while may remember that Devin and I teamed up last year to run a series of live workshops around the theme of fun at work. In those workshops, we did activities where we put strangers into breakout rooms (did I just trigger a stress reaction in you?) and asked them to do things such as brainstorming the absolute worst ideas they could come up with to solve a problem, or identifying a celebrity they admired (such as Oprah, or Mister Rogers), and brainstorming ways that this “celebrity idol” might solve the problem.
All of the exercises—which were really games (did that just make you even more nervous? I’m sorry!)—were geared toward getting people’s inner critics to be quiet, and helping them find new ways to tap into their creativity, both individually and as a group.
The results were astonishing: people who had come onto the Zoom call as total strangers returned from their breakout rooms with big smiles on their faces, and with lists of new, creative ideas that they never would have come up with via a normal brainstorming session. Even better, they dropped comments into the chat about how much fun they’d had—and we found out later that several of these strangers had felt so bonded with their randomly assigned partners that they had actually exchanged contact information and made a plan to touch base regularly in the future to brainstorm about each other’s work.
Not bad for a Zoom call!
Send Us Your Problems
This year, Devin and I are experimenting—one might even say playing—with a different approach. Instead of live workshops, we’re inviting members of the Fun Squad to share issues, challenges, or projects that they’re struggling with at work that they would like Devin’s help in solving. These could be specific challenges (for example, you might be tasked with organizing a work retreat and want ideas for how to make it more enjoyable and effective) or they might be more general challenges, such as how to create culture and community when everyone is working remotely.
Each month, Devin and I will choose one of these challenges, and then will have a conversation (occasionally with the person who requested help, if they’re up for it) about ways to possibly address or solve it. We’ll then share the resulting ideas and conversation with the entire community. In other words, you’ll be able to benefit from Devin’s insights even if you’re not part of the Fun Squad—though I hope you’ll consider joining us.
Meet Devin
If you’d like to learn more about Devin and his work (and our collaboration), here’s the video of our kick-off conversation about this new project, as well as the audio (an informal podcast, if you will).
Audio:
Video:
Also, I think this is a link to the transcript, if you’d prefer to read an imperfect, unedited, computer-generated simulation of what we said.
Let’s get to work
And that’s it! Think about your challenges, share this post with others who might benefit, and let’s bring more fun into work.
To scrolling less and living more,
Catherine
PS: Did any of you try the Day of Unplugging? If so, tell us about it!
I love this initiative to make work more fun. Getting people to turn down their inner critic is essential in fostering a workplace where people aren't scared to say the thing they think they shouldn't say (which is often the catalyst for change or innovation).
If this writing thing doesn't work out for me, I might come back looking for a list of the most fun companies to work for 😆
Also, even living in Portland OR, people can be a little scared seeing a 70-year-old dance down the street so I don't do it except with Vera.