#138: How to Make Work More Fun with Dr. Bob Nelson and Mario Tamayo
If you've read anything online lately, you've probably heard about the trend of "quiet quitting." People get sick of their current company and role and either outright leave or decide to stay and do just the bare minimum to get by.
One of the common reasons people get discouraged by their jobs is that they're not having any fun. And, spoiler alert: unhappy employees don't usually do good work. So, how can you introduce more fun into the workplace?
That's what Dr. Bob Nelson and Mario Tamayo are sharing in their book Work Made Fun Gets Done: Easy Ways to Boost Energy, Morale, and Results. They've dissected more than 400 low or no-cost ways to make the office fun, whether you're in person or hanging out virtually. And these are things REAL companies are doing, so you'll get good ideas that will actually work.
Highlights of our conversation
How Bob and Mario met at Disney World. (3:43)
Where the idea for Work Made Fun Gets Done: Easy Ways to Boost Energy, Morale, and Results came from and why the 2020s are the decade of having fun. (5:23)
Favorite examples of delivering fun that you can find in the book. (9:03)
Why recognition leads to repetition and how that results in better performances. (14:33)
What Bob has learned from writing his previous books that he was able to apply to this one. (19:24)
What to do if someone makes a mistake at work. Plus, the best way to use Work Made Fun Gets Done. (23:58)
Some of the cool physical challenges you can introduce into the workplace. (27:50)
Ways you can give your pets some love, from in-person to virtual work environments. (30:44)
The top ways people can have fun at work on an individual level. (36:58)
Where to find Dr. Bob Nelson and Mario Tamayo
Pick up any of the Bob Nelson books at discounted prices.
Learn more about Mario at Tamayo Group.
Support the Show!
Special thanks to Why Play Works for supporting this episode. Hosts Lucy Taylor, founder of Make Work Play and Tzuki Stewart, co-founder of Playfilled, explore how we can harness the power of play to boost resilience, improve well-being and foster collaboration, connection and creativity in the way we work. Listen at whyplayworks.com.
Your support helps keep this show going strong. Here are a few ways you can contribute:
Buy my book! Kind, But Kind of Weird: Short Stories on Life's Relationships.
Share this episode with a friend right now. Take five seconds and tell a friend about it. That really helps SO MUCH and I am eternally grateful. Thanks for listening!