Bored at Work

By Pamela S. Stevens

Bored, unmotivated and un-stimulated employees lead to low productivity, lack of progressive ideas and high turnover. It makes sense to get out of this destructive rut and engage, motivate and stimulate employees to increased productivity, progressive and creative ideas and job satisfaction.

Not only are bored employees unmotivated but they also are unexcited and unengaged and if they work directly with clients, this is a business killer. If they do not work directly with clients, it is an idea and productivity killer.

The first sign of employee burnout is simply decreased or stagnant productivity

Other signs of trouble include:

• Change in attitude - Employees that were once excited about their job turn into robots or stop volunteering ideas.
• Rumors - The rumor mill, whether accurate or not is a bad sign, often employee discontent can spread through the office like a bad virus and infect everyone's morale.
• Over Reactions/Stressed-Out - Employees that ”snap” are stressed-out. Stress can lead to extra ”sick” days and ultimately depression, anxiety or anger.
• Tardiness/ Bad Attendance/ Schedule Fluctuations - Happy employees rarely call in sick, don't dread coming to work and show up on time.
• Increase in Errors - Not only do stressed out employees make more errors, they also just don't care.

Keeping in mind that money is not always the best or realistic motivator, what else can make employees more content, excited, productive and creative?

Although personal motivations vary, generally motivation factors include:

• Achievement - It is nice to feel like something is accomplished or completed. Repetitive work, where nothing seems to change or ”happen,” makes people feel like they are not accomplishing anything and they begin to ask, ”what's the point?”
• Possible Solutions: Set goals, introduce variety, put in place rewards or initiate a little healthy competition. Another way to break up the routine is through cross training.
• Recognition - Often people feel like they do all of the work and get none of the recognition. On the flip side of not receiving recognition, employees may begin to believe if nobody sees the good things I do, what's going to make them see the bad things?
• Possible Solutions: Employees should be personally recognized for their individual or team accomplishments. Find ways to make employees feel like a valuable team member as opposed to an anonymous cog in the machine. All employees should feel value and appreciation from the front desk greeter to the CEO.
• Responsibility - Responsibility goes hand in hand with accountability and recognition. If people don't know what they are responsible for, then how do they know what they are suppose to be doing? Moreover, how would they have a sense of responsibility towards the team?
• Possible Solutions: Clearly define expectations and designate each team member an area of responsibility that is related among all members.
• Advancement: It is hard for people to get motivated when they feel like they have nowhere to go. If there is no room for advancement, the employee merely punches the clock until they can find something better.
• Possible Solutions: Implement career paths and opportunity for advancement. This is especially applicable in large companies; small companies may not have room for formal avenues of advancement. Make career paths logical and based on merit, not based on favoritism or personal relationships, these kinds of advancements lower morale.
• Respect: Most people spend more waking hours at work than with their families or doing things they enjoy. They feel like they are sacrificing their life to work or only work so they can afford their life. Recognize that employees are putting in eight to twelve hours of their valuable time each day for the company. If they are hard working, yet do not feel respected, soon they will be calling in sick, looking for another job and not caring about production or the development of new ideas.
• Possible Solutions: Being marginalized, under appreciated and disrespected at work is a big deal. Sometimes all it takes is an acknowledgment, a personal thank you or an unexpected reward to improve attitudes.

What about fun in the workplace?

Some have been bold enough to say that 15 minutes of laughter per day actually increases productivity!

Controlled experiments have shown that laughter increases the immune system activity, decreases stress hormones and increases blood flow. So, what does that mean in the work place? Less stressed out employers, and less stressed out employees are more productive, get sick less and are more flexible to new ideas. It has also been shown that employees that laugh together form a stronger sense of ”team.” Remember the old saying ”All work and no play, makes Jack a very dull boy” -maybe they knew what they were talking about.

When thinking about adding humorous or de-stressing aspects to the office, remember that moderation is key. Additionally, you cannot force anyone to have fun or participate in a physically straining activity, so incorporate a variety of ideas that appeal to different physical abilities and sense of humors. Use production and morale as indicators as to whether particular ideas are effective or not.

Here's some things companies have tried to de-stress their employees and add a little play or reward to the work place:

”No Cost” Rewards:

• ”Reserved Parking” for someone that goes the extra mile
• An extra long lunch given unexpectedly
• Time off for personal or family responsibilities
• Put work on pause and play computer games against each other or a corporate trivia game
• ”Humor” walls where people can post jokes or cartoons
• Personalized workspaces to foster creativity
• Have a dog day where employees can bring their pooches to work ( believe it or not Google and Burton Ski Boards allow dogs in their offices everyday)
• ”Mini-breaks” or ”exercise-breaks” in which people go for short walks or ”run the stairs” to wake up or let out a little angst
• Nap rooms
• De-stress rooms with punching bags or other distressing devices

Other Play/Reward Ideas:

• A putting green at the office
• Massage chairs
• ”Play” such as water or paint gun wars or ”paper” fights
• Use an anonymous blog or book where people can freely write down their ideas about motivators or rewards
• Movie days/nights, arcades visits, bowling, amusement parks
• Trips-Vegas? Hawaii? Or visit a local sailing spot or fishing hole
• Lunch out or brought into the office
• Celebration parties
• Corporate sports teams
• Involvement in the community, such as forming a team for ”fun runs” or volunteer work

TopTenREVIEWS knows the value of play, competition and flexibility, we have had a corporate Vegas trip, movie days with lunch, parties, trivia games with real money rewards, ”Corporate Olympics”, a softball team with spouses and gym memberships. In addition, our unique addition to the office, a professional high jump pit, why not? And, when all else fails, we initiate Scorched3D and launch a few missiles at each other, all in good fun of course.

References

• All Business, (n.d.). Making the workplace fun. Retrieved Mar. 17, 2006, from Business Advice Web site: http://www.allbusiness.com/business_advice/articles/11357.html.
• Career Journal, (n.d.). Fun workplace benefits haven't become extinct. Retrieved Mar. 17, 2006, from Executive Career Site Web site: http://www.careerjournal.com/hrcenter/articles/20050204-saranow.html.
• Entrepreneur .com, (2002). Create a fun workplace to encourage employee loyalty. Retrieved Mar. 17, 2006, from Management Web site: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,302543,00.html.
• Entrepreneur .com, (2000). Having fun yet?. Retrieved Mar. 17, 2006, from Management Web site: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,324665,00.html.
• Entrepreneur.com, (2005). How to prevent and rescue burnt out employees. Retrieved Mar. 17, 2006, from Management Web site: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,324665,00.html.
• Inc.com, (1997). Perks you can afford. Retrieved Mar. 17, 2006, from Inc.com Web site: http://www.inc.com/magazine/19971101/1359.html.
• University of Maryland Medical Center, (n.d.). Laughter is the best medicine for your heart. Retrieved Mar. 17, 2006, from Feature Stories Web site: http://www.umm.edu/features/laughter.htm.

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