Play Makes Business More Successful (Achievement Nudge about Fun in Business)

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Last Updated on October 7, 2024 by Bill Truby

Do you have fun in your business? If you don’t, you may not be as successful as you could be.

Achieve Better Business Success by Having FUN!

There is a psychology of “play” that has been studied for a long time. Play makes games fun. If there is no fun, people don’t want to play. But what makes games fun? We now have the answer.

And…what makes this interesting to me, and inspires this Nudge, is that I found an interesting parallel about the science of play as it relates to business. Following are the key points. As you look at them with me, maybe you’ll have an “ah-ha!” moment like I did…

  • Fun increases with success. Though you can have fun playing, the more you win, the more fun you have.
  • There are rigid rules for the games you play. It’s no fun to play with someone who breaks the rules. “Fun” is directly proportional to clear, rigid and enforced rules. To ensure fun, some games have umpires, judges or referees to ensure the rules are enforced. This makes the game fair and fun for everyone.
  • On a team, everyone knows what role they play in the game. There is typically a lot of training for each role and how it interacts with others. And this training is done before the game is ever played. However, when individuals don’t know what to do, or what other team members are doing, it is not fun. Unclear roles can actually jeopardize the ability to be successful, and that definitely decreases the fun factor.
  • Collectively, each person playing the game knows what the goal is, and what to do to get to that goal. Unclear game plans are discouraging and chip away at the fun factor.
  • Leaders of people who play games are encouraging, supportive and decisive. Everything they do is for the good of the team. And they are clear about expectations. Team members are always accountable or they are benched.

(Got the “ah-ha!” yet?) If not, let me spell it out. Most businesses unknowingly create an environment that is exactly opposite of what is needed to have fun.

In a typical business, rules, or agreements with other team members, aren’t always clear. Or, if they exist, they aren’t rigidly held. Roles and responsibilities are unclear. Training is weak. There isn’t alignment around specific goals and the game plan to reach those goals. Leaders don’t give team members the support, inspiration and appreciation they need.

Imagine playing a game like THAT! No fun, right?

It’s almost counterintuitive. But the elements most leaders and managers shy away from, including becoming more clear, more structured, and more rigid, are exactly what’s needed to create more fun and success. So…LET’S HAVE SOME FUN! And in so doing, we’ll become more successful. (High five!)

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Bill Truby

Founder and President of Truby Achievements