{"id":920,"date":"2010-01-06T16:00:20","date_gmt":"2010-01-06T21:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.achievemax.com\/bookreviews\/?p=920"},"modified":"2012-10-22T17:57:36","modified_gmt":"2012-10-22T21:57:36","slug":"fun-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.achievemax.com\/bookreviews\/fun-works\/","title":{"rendered":"Fun Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FunFun Works: Creating Places Where People Love to Work<\/a>\"\"
\nby Leslie Yerkes<\/p>\n

Books on this subject have been around for decades. I have many of them on my own bookshelves and have seldom referred to any of them in the spirit of research, study or bench marking. I\u2019m afraid you\u2019d hear similar remarks from the average CEO, manager, leader, supervisor, HR specialist, etc. However, the business world and its challenges are changing, and I think it\u2019s time we revisit this subject of having fun at work. What better time to do so as experts all agree that we are rapidly approaching an era of difficulty in attracting and retaining talent at a time when potential employees have so many choices.<\/p>\n

Another interesting trend has emerged recently as more and more organizations are seriously pursuing the status of “Employer of Choice.” I can attest to the fact that this pursuit is not grounded in a sudden concern for the welfare of employees at every level. I see growing evidence that wise leaders and organizations everywhere are realizing the importance of creating a culture or environment that encourages employees to enjoy their daily routines, look forward to coming to work, manifest more creativity, and, therefore, enhance productivity. The bottom line for the organization, of course, is progress, growth, profitability, and longevity. If it\u2019s that easy, why doesn\u2019t every business simply create this unique, obviously productive culture? The operative word here is “unique.” By the way, it\u2019s also not that easy. However, one of the key ingredients in creating and sustaining this desirable environment is undeniably simplistic. Allow your people, at every level, to have fun at work! What a radical concept\u2014that fun and work are not mutually exclusive!<\/p>\n

I mentioned earlier that there have been many books published on this subject. However, the majority of them contain excessive “fluff” and are little more than a collection of stories that illustrate random examples where others have brought fun into the workplace. I suggest you\u2019ll find this book much different.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s begin with the author. Leslie Yerkes brings much to the table as a savvy management consultant. She co-authored the best-selling 301 Ways to Have Fun at Work<\/em>. She then toured the country conversing with people and giving speeches on her book. She\u2019s researched companies who are known for their successful integration of fun and work. She then visited each one of them and talked face-to-face with as many of the founders and current staff as was possible. She took photos and collected visual memories that led to the stories in this book. She not only knows what she\u2019s talking about\u2014she believes it wholeheartedly!<\/p>\n

In this guidebook, Leslie shares 11 Principles of Fun\/Work Fusion that she discovered in her research studies:<\/p>\n