Fun In Projects? Ha. Humbug!
21. Jul, 2010 
6 Comments
We all learn important things from the people we work with. One of the first things I learned was to celebrate early. If you have the funds in your project budget for one team party, do it at the beginning of the project, not at the end. Celebrate you are going to work together.
Fun, creativity and team building. It does work, if it’s not done in an awkward, artificial, icky way. If you’re a jerk at work, being all fun and laughter for one evening doesn’t cut it. Actually, it will make the whole evening strange. Not in a good way.
Fun and creativity does have an amazing effect on how people work together. It’s actually a shame that fun and games are treated like an add on, a nice to have.
“We don’t have time for that.”
Or.
“You are not paid to have fun.”
Or. Better.
“The customer doesn’t pay you to have fun and be creative.”
The customer doesn’t pay for the air conditioning either.
Yeah. Yeah. We have a goal to satisfy. Sure. And yes, we are professional and serious.
But we can do that by boring the socks of our team, or by putting a smile on their passionate faces.
Remember I was going all over this “diversity” thing? You know.
“Diversity creates different viewpoints, different ways of problem solving, other ways of looking at the world in general. This clash of perspectives produces creative solutions.”
You know what? Forget that. Forget that I said that you need all kinds of people on your team. I was wrong.
You already have all kinds of people on your team. You just probably bore the heck out of them. Or are putting boundaries on their fun and creativity.
I changed my tune. I am currently more in the “use the beautiful cards you’re dealt with” camp.
So we need to party?
That was not the fun and creativity I meant. Although. Parties are always good. For everything.
I am talking about the use of multi media to align your communication.
I am talking about using movies or pirates as team metaphor.
This doesn’t cost extra time or money.
It does take fun and creativity from your leadership.
Suggestions needed.
I am looking for an occasion to put this online karaoke to good use. We all know. The secret to a successful project is awesome karaoke. Any suggestions?
Image by emilydickinsonridesabmx.
I once asked our graduate interns to update the team on the project status via the medium of interpretive dance.
They did an awesome job.
Now THAT is an fantastic new addition to my toolbox
Thanks.
Bas,
I love this comment ‘the customer does not pay for the air conditioner either’; that really makes the point. I am sure our customers want us to have air (I hope) and most of them want us to have an excellent team rapport and assume that we are doing everything we can to inspire that rapport.
I think celebrations early on do help people relax and get to know one another.
Some ideas for online Karaoke – hold a contest throughout the project and make it like one of those ‘idol’ or ‘talent’ shows where team members may participate as individuals or as teams and others vote for their favorites. Or start one meeting a month off with a Karaoke performance or other talent from the team. It would only cost time (yes time is precious) but as you already point out, when a team laughs together it opens so many other doors.
Thanks
Hi Margaret, great Karaoke suggestion!
“when a team laughs together it opens so many other doors.”
Oh yeah.
This one was done at Christmas, but could be done anytime. Everyone has a very low budget to buy someone else in the project team a present. Then, each member draws the name of another member from a hat. The idea of the gift is it should be fun but useless (what we would call crappy). Then gifts are given out anonymously. Takes the pressure off those team members who don’t like to perform.
Hi Huw, thanks for the suggestion. Yes, have to think off those who don’t want to stand in the lime light.