Hi J.D., Perception engineering is a great phrase. Apple is brilliant at this.

Hi Megan, What a great compliment. Laughter is infectious and motivating. The key is to help other release their laughter too.

Hi Suzen, Yes! The culture of the company is probably more important than the actual work.

Hi Nadia, Fear only makes people hide from their greatness. We need to let people be themselves and have fun.

Hi Sue, That’s why we need to push for change in the workplace. The more people that speak up the better work environments will become.

Great article. I can think of a few people who could learn a few things from this article. You have to wonder about the emotional and people smarts of bosses who forget that their employees are people, not robots, and that maintaining a healthy emotional atmosphere (by allowing for some fun) in a work place is crucial to the overall productivity and well being of employees. It is in fact possible to have fun at work and still be professional and productive, but sadly some individuals are hung up on some very outdated notions about work and professionalism and would rather make others miserable than rethink their own limited views.

You are so right. I have worked in places where my boss was like a warden and it added so much stress to the work environment. People were afraid constantly and that never really did anything. I mean…no one really did their best because they were so scared and stressed. So I think it is vital for employers to bring fun into the job. Happy workers produce great results and that is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Thanks for this awesome post! I’ll be forwarding!

At my last job, I was one of the loudest laughers there, rivaled only by an owner, who traveled a lot. Whenever the two of us were gone, I’d get emails from all sorts of people about how quiet the office was, and how they missed my laugh. (It was such a nice feeling!) We really were able to let loose in that office, within limits, and still be productive. Plus, laughter lightens the mood. You could always tell when it was somber day; walking through the halls felt harder, heavier… As if the air was thicker.

I remember traveling to our corporate office in San Francisco for the first time and that office was the polar opposite of ours. NO ONE SPOKE above a whisper. NO ONE LAUGHED (unless it was Friday). People had the look of prisoners, sitting in their short cubicles that exposed them to the harsh office elements (no privacy at all in that place). Ick… Did they get work done? Sure they did, because that’s all they could do. Did they like their jobs? I didn’t get that impression.

I’ll definitely send this around to people I know — it’s a great article! Bring the FUN back!

It’s also a great reminder that we need to do whatever helps us be our best whether it’s play at our work or live our value on the job … that’s how we sustain our passion and passion may be the most important thing we have to sustain us for the long haul.

Sooo true! Many of us are still stuck in the industrial age view that work is hard and not fun, so if you’re having fun, you must not be working or not be productive. When in most cases, the opposite is true.

Eduard