Make it Fun!

I’m a social creature… an experiential learner. It’s no wonder I wound up in an industry where brands and corporate messaging are brought to life through experiences. Throughout the past 20 years in the event business, I’ve found that the best lessons are the ones I’ve learned from my real life that I’ve been able to translate into running a company. I’m here to share them with you and I hope you find them helpful as well.

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Make it Fun!
— January 13, 2010 by Jeff Kalpak

On Project Runway (yes, I’m a reality show fan), host Tim Gunn says, “Make it work!” I love that mentality. Do the job — just figure it out — get it done.

But how about making it fun along the way?

More than ever, making it fun shouldn’t be a nice to have. It should be a requirement of any work environment.

When you are under pressure, don’t you naturally seek out the people who make you smile at work? “I need a good laugh,” is a common request of anyone who has had a tough day at the office.

I’ve been writing lots of recommendations lately — for past interns, employees, colleagues on Linked In — and it’s so much easier to write a recommendation for someone who makes the work experience fun. These are also the people who get better results. There’s a lot to be said for a good attitude.

Years back, I asked a treasured client of mine who is an expert in performance evaluation for some tips on putting together reviews for our staff at BKA. He said, “you can have all the measures you want, but in the end, you can sum up any person’s review by checking off two boxes. Are you good at what you do? And, were you enjoyable to be around when you were doing it?”

Life is a series of events. I hope your events are flawlessly executed by people who make it fun.

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