There are very few businesses in the country that haven’t felt the effects of the current economy. And while most employers are scrambling to maximize external communication in order to stay afloat, other businesses are focused on those closest to the company, their employees.
Job security is top-of-mind among some employees, and when those fears set in, morale decreases. Public relations agency Peppercom, understands that and realizes in order to successfully service your clients, you need happy employees. So to keep happy employees, they brought in comedian Clayton Fletcher to Peppercom for a few hours and give his shtick. His stand-up routine not only makes employees laugh, it gives them a few hours to focus on something other than the declining economy.
This strategy is not to give employees a few hours off from work, it’s to help them turn everyday business situations and hard conversations with clients into not-so-stressful experiences and helps them to think on their feet. A sense of humor can really make a difference and it can show others that it’s not always bad right now, sometimes you just have to enjoy yourself, enjoy what you do, and laugh.
Would this strategy work for you? I know at Arment Dietrich, Inc. we find time to ‘have fun.’ In fact, our anniversary party is this afternoon — we’re pulling out the Catch Phrase for some intense inter-office competition.