Creating a Culture of Joy

Let me ask you a question, and I want you to answer me honestly:

When was the last time you gave a high-five to someone at work?

Ok, a little awkward, I know. How about this one:

When was the last time you sang, out loud, on your way to lunch?

Annoyance factors, a penchant for karaoke, and terrible song selection aside, these questions may just seem like they identify weird personality quirks, but in reality they are indicators of a workplace that fosters a culture of joy.

According to Forbes and a study by Accenture, here are the top 4 reasons people leave their job:

1. They don't like their boss (31%)
2. They don't feel empowered (31%)
3. Negative internal politics (35%)
4. Lack of Recognition (43%)

Now look at how a culture of satisfaction, humor, and gladness affect these 4 issues:

1. It's difficult to hate you as a joyful boss (unless you are incompetent, in which case you have larger issues than not being liked).
2. It's easy to empower other people when you yourself enjoy the people you work with.
3. Negative internal politics begins to subside as a culture of joy takes its place.
4. Part of what it looks like to create a culture of joy involves recognizing the efforts of others.

The question is not should there be a culture of joy in the workplace, but rather how do we as leaders create this culture?

Here are just a few ideas:

1. Find out what makes your team laugh and foster that. For the team that I lead, it's 70s & 80s music (Toto is amazing), video games, obscure culture facts, and travel. There are days when you can catch us communicating solely in Journey lyrics and Legend of Zelda references.
2. Be a joyful leader. If you can't be glad about your work (not just what you've done, but what you're doing), how could you possibly expect your team to be glad? Are you happy with what you're doing and where you're going?
3. Don't let gladness interfere with efficiency. You, and your team, should know that there is a time to laugh and a time to be serious about the work at hand. As a leader, your job is to make sure that the team reflects the appropriate emotions at the appropriate times.
4. Give high-fives. It takes people off guard, as it's not a typical workplace gesture, but it's great for fostering a sense of cheer around work. It's a literal human touch factor that is both workplace friendly and says "I'm proud of you and recognize the work that you're doing."
5. Schedule joy. Put times of rest, celebration, and happiness on the calendar. Get away from the office. Do something outside of work together. Party after a product launch or after a milestone is reached. Eat together. And put this on the calendar. Make celebrating part of the job description.

What are some ways that you foster joy at your job and among the people you lead?