morale | Journey

Managing Basketball Team Spirit in the Workplace

By Asia Johnson on Thursday, March 9, 2023

March marks the start of spring. It’s also jam-packed with basketball thanks to the NCAA Men and Women’s Division-I Basketball Tournament featuring dozens of college basketball teams competing for top bragging rights.

While it’s a fun time of year for sports fans, some businesses are concerned that employees will be distracted by their game brackets or streaming devices watching games rather than being productive during working hours. A WalletHub article claims businesses lose $13.8 billion annually due to distracted workers during the tournament.

Here are some ideas for encouraging a work environment that is both productive and flexible enough to allow for some sporting pleasure during this time of year. (more…)

Workplace Relationships

National Have Fun at Work Day

By Job Journey on Monday, January 26, 2015

These days there’s a national holiday for just about everything. On Wednesday, Jan. 28, it’s National Have Fun at Work Day.

Work is usually a place where we’re serious and focused on deadlines, meetings, and the hustle and bustle of work life. But, having a little fun is good for the soul and productivity. Here are a few ideas to shake stress off and make the day fun!

Dress up.
No, not in your typical business attire. Pick your favorite TV show or movie characters to dress up as. Maybe don your best 1950s gear. Get creative and clever with it, because this is a day to be silly.
Have a potluck or go out for a long lunch.
What better way to have fun at work than with a potluck? Each person could make their favorite dish and then there could be a contest for the best recipes. The winners could be featured on Facebook or in the employee newsletter. Or, how about the entire team picks a new restaurant to visit? Take time to really sit and chat. Relax and enjoy getting to share time with your co-workers.
Host games throughout the day.
Make a day of it with your very own office Olympics. Different departments can compete against each other to see who earns a trophy and bragging rights. And if playing all day is not possible, maybe every hour or every other hour there could be an activity. Get creative and encourage teamwork!
Give back.
Why not do some volunteer work on this national day of fun? Spend the day with your co-workers giving back and making a difference in your community. Many nonprofits rely on volunteers to help fulfill their missions and would gladly accept the help.
Take pictures.
Who doesn’t love a photo booth? Plus, they’re very cost effective to create. Usually all you need is a flat wall or doorway and some streamers. Throw in some hats and various props, grab someone who can snap some pictures, and you’ve got a fun way to document the day!

National Have Fun at Work Day doesn’t have to cost a fortune or consist of elaborate activities. A little bit of creativity can go a long way! Let the good times roll!

How do you celebrate National Have Fun at Work Day? Let us know in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

At Work Cube Life The Daily Grind

5 Ways to Say Happy Birthday at Work (Without Breaking Your Budget)

By tiffany monhollon on Monday, February 9, 2009

If you’ve ever felt that one day blends into another at work, then you know that any excuse to shake things up and break from the norm is a great way to lift spirits and help your team bond. While each workplace differs on the reasons why and how they celebrate, a popular trend is
celebrating employee birthdays. Though some people dislike the attention and others choose not to celebrate for religious reasons, most people in the workplace enjoy a small birthday party.

But in times like these, budgets are tight for businesses and employees alike. So, here are five ways to celebrate birthdays at work without going broke.

1. Sign a group birthday card. Depending on the size of your workplace or team, a card signed by your group can be a simple way to help everyone save a few bucks. Another idea is to create an electronic group greeting card that everyone can customize. GroupCard.com makes it easy to make sure everyone has a chance to sign an electronic card and will schedule the delivery date for you.

2. Bake, don’t order cake. Having a monthly cake to celebrate employee birthdays is a time-honored tradition in many workplaces, but the costs can add up fast. Employers may be looking to cut budgets on items like these, but that doesn’t mean birthdays can’t be sweet anymore. One idea is to have team members bake cupcakes, cookies, or other sweets to bring to celebrate co-worker birthdays.

3. Have a potluck picnic. Instead of catering in or going out for a restaurant meal to celebrate a co-worker’s birthday, a budget-friendly alternative is to have a potluck picnic or lunch. Having everyone bring a themed dish is a great way to build camaraderie within your team and celebrate while keeping budgets in check.

4. Throw a re-gift party. If your team has a tradition of buying gifts for each other but can’t afford to this year, try a unique spin on the popular “Dirty Santa” holiday gift exchange. Have a re-gift party in honor of your team member’s birthday and ask all team members to bring a white elephant gift to exchange (just make sure they don’t bring a gift they received from a co-worker!). Other variations of this idea include having a themed gift swap. Simply select a theme, like funny things under $1, your favorite candy, or a secret recipe. Then, use the gift exchange game rules to provide an inexpensive but fun party game that gets everyone involved and preserves the gift-giving spirit.

5. Host a tournament or game lunch. Another way to celebrate birthdays at work is to schedule a game hour or tournament. Playing cards, board games, or word games can be a fun way for your team to celebrate while not spending a lot of money.

To keep team morale high, especially in times like these, it’s important to make sure we don’t cut celebrating from the workplace when budgets get cut. So, try using some of these ideas to celebrate birthdays in your workplace, or suggest these ideas to your team the next time you’re looking for a much-needed morale boost on the job.

Tag Archives: morale