Work doesn't have to be a four letter word...

Published on Tue 24 Mar 2009

Despite the best efforts of politicians and CEOs to convince us there is something ennobling about it, for many of us, work is just a means of putting bread on the table - a portrait of the modern workplace which is a depressing one indeed. Commercial lexicon about working life has also traditionally been pretty negative - full of talk of attacking competitors, outflanking manoeuvres and offensive strategy.

So far so grim...

Over the past few years, however, a new vocabulary has emerged that embraces softer notions of creativity, intellect, freedom and - let’s not be coy - fun. And by fun, we’re not necessarily talking about David Brent fun, company endorsed silliness and a boss dressed in an ostrich suit cracking stupid jokes, but rather enjoyment in work, enjoying time with colleagues, relaxed, easy-going and a natural part of the culture of the business. Having a laugh with people you like, doing something you love.

Of course, there is a balance to be struck, as any company will know who has developed a policy to manage that 21st Century manifestation of workplace fun known as Facebook. The challenge in striking this balance lies in how to create the right environment for people to enjoy themselves, to empower them, to let them laugh and talk and make their own decisions. But without losing sight of the fact that what you do is a business and that everybody has a job to do.

How you do this is entirely down to how you view the culture of your organisation and the people who work for you. Most employees are able to know where the boundaries are of course, but often policies have to address the minority who push things too far. This is the tension that drives the debate about social networking which, at its best, allows people to enjoy their working day and can have important benefits for the business but, at the other extreme, means a minority of people spend too much time not doing anything productive.

The workplace has an important role to play in getting this balance right. How you design an office can encourage people to enjoy their day in a number of ways. By providing spaces for quiet work, for talking and meeting, spending time with friends, spaces to work, spaces to socialise, spaces to take time out, you can reflect a culture that recognises the complex needs of people and what they expect from work. In the same way, colours and images are powerful signifiers of a culture that lets people enjoy what they do.

For too long now the work that most people do has been portrayed by artists and writers as oppressive drudgery and by management theorists as a form of warfare. But our experience of work is a long way from those depressing characterisations. Approached in the right way, work is fun. It’s good to be around people you like. Good to do something worthwhile and rewarding. That’s why the faces of people in so many offices are so quick to smile.