5. Have Fun!

A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts. - Richard Branson 

Fun  noun  light-hearted pleasure or amusement(source: on-line Compact Oxford English Dictionary) 

Fun! Don’t be ridiculous. Doing business must be taken seriously if success is desired. There are always things to do, places to go, people to meet.  It’s a tough world out there; survival of the fittest and all that. 

Take Bob as an example. He works hard, always has done, and he’s successful. An expert in his field he exudes confidence earning the respect of those he comes into contact with regardless of position, culture or belief. While he enjoys his work and the benefits it brings is he having any fun in the process?  Let’s take a look. 

When Bob works he is focused on the job, even if that involves simply meeting his secretary to organise his diary. He participates in the usual greetings and small talk to create trust and build relationships. When asked ‘how are you?’ Bob’s response is surface level and as expected, driven by a desire not to cross the invisible boundary between business and pleasure. His professional life is clearly delineated from his personal, which aids his focus and keeps his private life private.  This is a common behaviour and quite understandable. 

What about the fun factor?  Granted, not everything we do is fun. That’s not reality either in business or life in general. The fun comes from the experience we have of something and that stems purely from our attitude. You’ll attract the attitude you display. 

Fun is a state of mind and there is fun to be had everywhere. That doesn’t mean raucous office parties or making ridiculous comments during serious conversations. It can be as simple as wake up and smell the coffee to remind you that not everything has to be quite so difficult. 

Test it out with our simple exercise consciously monitoring the effect it has on you and those around you.

Day 1:

Go to work as normal displaying your best ‘I’m not having any fun’ behaviour. This could be as simple as passive non-committal responses to ‘Good morning’ or when asked ‘How are you?’  The aim here is to exude a humourless, sombre, possibly downbeat attitude. Observe the impact and effect closely. Write down the outcomes:

• Others responses both verbal and physical
• What you attract, eg: has there been a noticeable increase around you of other downbeat humourless people?