Posts Tagged ‘Humor at work’
Seven Ways to Reward Employees without Breaking the Bank (Plus a bonus for when you have funds)
The downturn has left many companies short of funds; leaving employee rewards programs in the dust. Yet, ignoring achievements leaves people upset and feeling unappreciated, reducing productivity and employee engagement. Here are seven ways to reward employees for free, plus a bonus for when a little funding trickles through. Enjoy.
Surprise them with an early end to the day: Show your appreciation for all their hard work by giving them a little time off to rest and re-energize. After all, who wouldn’t rather be on holiday?
Bring in treats: Make work a more enjoyable environment with surprise food at break time – candies, ice cream or fresh fruit work wonders. Not only will this reward employees- it could also give them the nourishment they need to boost performance.
Recognise Effort and Creativity: The employee of the month is cliché but it works. Create a method of public recognition for employees, such as a notice board or wall of honour.
Give out Personalised Thank you Notes: This takes only a few minutes, yet is a great recognition. Write a personal note to an employee by hand, referring to them by name and accomplishment, and thanking them for their contribution.
Reward Good Work with Better Tools: Hand out comfort ballpoints or novelty erasers to employees who perform well as a reward for excellent use of materials before.
Special Spaces: Make a special space in the workplace such as a relaxation room and encourage employees to use it. This will give them a place to de-stress and recover their energy.
Take it outside: Do something unique for employees such as taking a meeting outside to a park or patio. Everyone will appreciate the fresh air and your attempt to shake things up.
And when you have Funds for Employee rewards, remember:
Purchase Appliances: Items like kettles, microwaves and fridges may have an upfront initial cost, but in terms of cost per use and employee satisfaction, they have the highest value.
The Healing Power of Humor
The Healing Power of Humor is a must read for anyone who has ever faced life’s challenges. Allen Klein shows you how to use humor effectively even in somber moments because laughter helps lighten the load.
Allen is no stranger to pain; he gained his inspiration from losing his beloved wife in a three year battle with a rare liver disease . He discusses how it is not always easy to laugh away your troubles and it can often take work to find the hilarity on the really difficult days. However, once you can find the humor in your situation, it suddenly feels less daunting. As Klein
The healing power of humor is an easy read with 14 small chapters, one lesson for each day. Each of these details a technique and ends with a ‘learn to laugh’ exercise giving you a practical way to incorporate laughter into your life. Having tried a few of the techniques, I can say that Allen isn’t kidding when he says that “in two weeks you will have shed some pounds of excess gloom”. Try the joke-jitsu exercise, which like jujitsu the martial arts form, allows you to gain advantage over your opponent, or in this case the bad situation, by adding humor to it. For example “The bad news is that we had a flood at the warehouse. The good news is that the water is being diverted into the new employee swimming pool”
For those with demanding jobs and personal lives, these techniques will help improve your ability to deal with stress. As Allen said, “By focusing our energy elsewhere humor can diffuse our stressful events. It releases built up tension and pops the cork off such things such as fear, hostility, rage and anger.” In addition to being good for your health, the stress busting abilities of a good laugh can make you a more patient manager
Power of Humor: Making it work at the office
I have spent a lot of time in hospitals lately as my dad deals with severe radiation burns. Despite the challenges, stress and lack of resources within the healthcare system, I’m amazed at hospital staff who use humour
* Prior to surgery in August, staff had to put a hair net on my dad. When they gave him an unattractive cap, they joked about having to take his picture. Next when they had to get him slippers, they promised him the ‘Armanis”. It was the perfect way to help lighten the stress of surgery.
* While my dad was waiting for one of the many tests, scans and procedures, one of the nurses told him “Running away was not allowed”.
* An orderly, who took my dad for a CT scan, walked in calling him ‘handsome’ in the most respectful yet fun way. Once he found out my dad’s last name was Woods, he started calling him Tiger after the famous golfer. My dad and those around him laughed especially in light of the recent controversy surrounding Tiger.
If hospital employees can use humor
1. Find funny quotes instead of making up your own humor. There are many sources but try these two to start http://thinkexist.com/quotations/funny/ and http://www.quotes-museum.com/
2. Share a funny story. It’s easy to find funny stories or news however the best stories are ones that involve you. Laughing at yourself allows your colleagues to see your humility, ability to take yourself lightly and your sense of humor. Just ensure the story is appropriate for the office and won’t risk offending anyone.
3. Repeat a great one liner or joke from a show, movie or comedy routine. A few good examples for the office are” “Houston, we have a problem” (Apollo 13), “I’ve got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” (Wizard of Oz), or “Show me the money” (Jerry Maguire). Obviously it’s up to you to find an appropriate time and place to use any line.
The more you practice using humor at work, the more you’ll see its workplace benefits.
Want us to bring laughter that reduces stress and boosts morale to your organization, email us info@watershedtraining.ca.
