Everyone wants to work in a fun environment because it makes the working day enjoyable. Many things are involved in keeping the days on the job positive, including the boss, colleagues, and, unmistakably, office. A fun office is what many employees around the world dream about because their own offices are negative due to negativity, control, or lack of enthusiasm. In this sense, the fun does not simply mean smiles of the employees but also a positive working environment that makes people perform better, in every aspect of their lives.

Everything from physical changes in the office, like the arrangement of the desks, walls, and lightning, to new aspects of organizational culture and management strategies, can alter the image of the company. For example, it can turn it from the place people go to get their paychecks to a place where they love going every day to interact with other people and work on challenging projects. By making this transition the company has a great opportunity to improve job satisfaction and performance.

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There are a number of things that can make the office life happier. Here’s what we found to be the best.

Give your space a little bit of personality

Most offices are not designed to motivate the employees. Their walls are painted in plain colors, everything is pretty straightforward, without giving space a hint of creativity. That may seem to be okay for some time, but the design may get really boring in long-term because of lack of personality given to the space. As the result, the office becomes a traditional workplace where people put numbers from one column to another, which certainly does not make the office life any happier. To avoid this give your space a personality! Hang on some picture on the wall or take your permanent marker and write some inspirational quotes that could be put on the wall.

The management will surely support this initiative because by giving the office some personality, people start to have fun and enjoy the job a little bit more.

Ask for flexible hours

Flexibility in work can go a long way because it allows having better work-life balance by achieving more. If your company provides flexible hours to the personnel, ask your supervisor if you can develop a special schedule that would allow you to come to the office when it is more convenient for you. Not only these schedules can contribute to better job satisfaction, they kill the office routine and enable to run more personal errands. Did you know that Google is among the companies that provide flexible work schedules?

Weekly activities There are a lot of ways to make the employees bond as a company. For example, a design firm called Model55 carries out weekly and monthly activities that allow to do just that; they include birthday celebrations, Kentucky Derby Races, and baseball opening day cookouts. These activities are organized on both weekends and working days to ensure that employees have free weekends when they need it, says the marketing strategist of the company. The interesting thing here is that most of the activities and events are employee-suggested, which shows how much value the company places into the personnel. If these activities are supposed to be great for bonding as a company, why would not use them?

Office-wide games

Many companies encourage the employees to engage in office-wide games that often include every member, including managers. It is usually done during breaks to have the personnel share some positive experience. The employees of Fast Company, for example, often engage in office-wide Jeopardy game, and someone always embarrasses themselves in front of the colleagues.

Break room

This trend has been already well-established in the office design around the world. Why do people love having rooms in the office that are not intended for working? This article from Startup Daily explains that these rooms reinvented the office space by establishing a unique, relaxed, and fun culture that shows how people interact with each other in workplace settings. In many cases, having such rooms does not just provide people with fun time but also improves performance; for example, playing ping-pong engages the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for thinking and strategic planning. In addition, such activities also contribute to better communication among the employees while playing. The employees at writing agency play table tennis during their breaks. Pitch this idea to your management and tell them about all the benefits of having a break room in the office.

Office exercises

Sitting in the chair in front of the computer might be very boring, especially for those who prefer an active lifestyle. Being in the office should not be a problem because many companies have even included exercises as a part of the everyday routine! For example, the Overit company encourages the office employees to take 2 minute breaks to exercise.

Keep the office comfortable and decorated

It is a known fact that clean and attractive office can have a profound effect on the interaction between the employees because it makes working in such space relaxed and comfortable. Both employers and employees share the responsibility of keeping the office clean and comfortable because it becomes their home for a significant portion of the day. No one wants the home to be dirty and uncomfortable, right? Making an effort to provide a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere by respecting the office is a great start.

If your office lacks some features that make it truly great for working, refer to your management and suggest some improvements. Eventually, you will see how better your office can be if properly maintained and decorated.

Create a culture of appreciation

The organization culture starts with everyone involved in the company and it strongly influences the performance and results. To improve the performance, the personnel should be motivated and their efforts should be recognized. Does this apply to your company? You can start establishing a culture of appreciation from the office level to elevate the entire organization by showing the appreciation for everything that has been done by your colleagues to help or motivate you. Being the polite one in the office will show your adherence to appropriate office communication and company’s culture, which can become viral to change everyone in the office. Saying simple ‘thank you’ to your colleagues will go a long way to creating more comfortable atmosphere of appreciation.

Pranks

Pranks are popular because they can be really funny if done appropriately. Like a good member of the office, you can prank your colleagues in an appreciable way. An office employee goes on vacation for a couple of weeks and his colleagues decide to wrap everything in his office into aluminum foil, including chairs, lamps, wall pictures, and even his table. Everything. When the man walks into the office, he cannot believe his eyes and start laughing along with everyone else. While there is nothing inappropriate about this prank, it helped to show that the colleagues missed him while he was away.

Why don’t you try something similar? Has anyone left for vacation in your office recently?

Stop negativity

Have you experienced negativity because someone has told you about something bad? In the office, such talks can be destructive to a good productivity because even one person can completely ruin the proper environment for an entire day. When you encounter this negativity, you should stop it before it is released to the group. Have a talk with the negative or frustrated person about the disadvantages of sharing negativity in the workplace and ensure that it never gets released.

Conclusion

Office life can be fun but you just need to jump-start it when needed. Many companies today already provide their office employees with numerous options for having an enjoyable experience there to improve their job satisfaction and performance. If your office does not satisfy you, try these things to make it better or have your manager read this article. Eventually, your managers can pick them up and make them a part of your everyday routine.