How Meaningful Breaks Can Help You Get More Done
Fun should be a top priority.
It shouldn’t be relegated to the bottom drawer, the one you open only when all the real work is done.
It’s not a distraction or a diversion.
That’s what Dave Crenshaw teaches in his new book, The Power of Having Fun: How Meaningful Breaks Help You Get More Done (and Feel Fantastic!). Dave is the founder of Invaluable, Inc., a coaching and training organization that helps transform businesses.
Dave recently spoke with me about his mission to have more fun in your life and, yes, even at work.
“Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun.” –Randy Pausch
Fun isn’t something many executives talk about, but its benefits are important to individuals and to organizational culture. Why do we have fun all wrong?
The first issue is the emphasis on “fun” rather than “having fun.” The distinction is important because I view fun as an action. It’s something that we must make a part of our daily schedule. While others put emphasis on humor and culture, I put emphasis on planning and follow-through.
It’s the action of having fun―taking a break and doing something meaningful and enjoyable―that makes the real difference. Then we move beyond concept and theory and into implementation. The real “power” of having fun is in the doing of it!
The second issue is one of the biggest mistakes nearly every business leader makes. Leaders are tempted to think that everyone else will like to do what they like to do. For instance, the CEO may decide to hold a company bowling day…which is great—for the 40% of people in their company who love bowling.
Instead, leaders should become facilitators of unstructured, self-directed fun. For example. LinkedIn has one day each month for employees to recharge their batteries. While these “InDays” have a monthly theme, there’s a ton of latitude for employees to select activities for themselves.
Leadership Tip: become facilitators of unstructured, self-directed fun.
I see the major differences being less of a generational issue and more of a life-situational issue. For example, I put a lot of emphasis in the book on creating “Family” Oases. I then define family very broadly, to include your traditional family―if you’re close to them―as well as best friends, parents, siblings, boyfriends/girlfriends, the grandparents you never forget to visit on weekends, your party-animal roommates, and even your trusted dog Sparky.
Those who are unmarried and without children are more likely to define these Family Oases in terms of time spent with friends and even co-workers. At the moment, most millennials find themselves in this life-situation. However, once they transition into marriage and children, their priorities―and their definitions of “family fun”―begin to change as well.
The good news is, no matter your life situation, you and your loved ones can still receive the same benefit from carefully choosing, planning, and enjoying having fun together.
“Winning is only half of it. Having fun is the other half.” –Bum Phillips
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