How To Integrate Fun Into Your Company’s Annual Objectives

As we begin the year, many managers are planning their annual objectives and reviewing their approach to personnel management. It’s a time to think about performance measurement and the work environment you want to create for the coming months. In this context, Altrum interviewed a business performance expert for you: Jean-Luc Tremblay, high level manager turned author and speaker.

It’s well known that successful organizations manage to integrate the notion of fun into their corporate values. “Fun is associated with passion, which generates creativity and excellence. They used to see performance as a serious thing, but companies are starting to realize more and more that it is closely linked to having fun at work,” said Mr. Tremblay.

PERFORMANCE THROUGH FUN

To improve workplace wellness and performance, Mr. Tremblay created a management philosophy called Performance par le plaisir. His book by the same name was a best seller several times over! Performance through fun is the result of more than 20 years of observation in organizations of all sizes. It is based on 12 components, since “fun is not necessarily synonymous with laughter; rather, it’s the result of the combination of several elements,” says Mr. Tremblay.

WHERE TO START

To help you decide which objectives your organization should try to reach first, Mr. Tremblay suggests focusing initially on four key elements of a pleasant work environment:

1. Remove irritants
   There are always irritants, so start by identifying them, if you haven’t already done so.
2. Consult, listen to and involve employees
   Avoid ready-made solutions and foster employee engagement by involving them in finding solutions.
3. Be present and show recognition frequently
   Make sure you’re present and show recognition (individual and team).
4. Communicate on a regular basis
   To get them interested, meet with employees to maintain open communication (ideally daily, but at least monthly).

Jean-Luc Tremblay is emphatic: “If you put all these elements in place, employees are guaranteed to have more fun at work!”

ATTENTION: CERTAIN CONDITIONS APPLY!

As he warns: “Very often people think it’s up to the superior to make the employees happy, but it’s primarily their own responsibility.” To make sure objectives are achieved by year-end, both sides need to get engaged. “And remember, if you want it to be sustainable, fun should be part of a management philosophy, not just one-off initiatives.” Said Mr. Tremblay.

Fun is key to job satisfaction and employee loyalty, especially with the younger generations. As a complement to this article, please watch this short video to see how we help our clients improve employee performance.

Huge thanks to Jean-Luc Tremblay for collaborating on this article. Until next time!