make fun at work

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Make Work FUN:139 Ways to Lighten Up

Your Workplace By Ann Fry and Terrill Fischer

Copyright 2003 Ann Fry and Krug Publishing. All rights reserved.

Cover image and BooksOnStuff logo use clip art that is Copyright 2001 by Microsoft Corporation.

A BooksOnStuff Publication

Books

Stuffn

.com


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TABLE OF CONTENTSTABLE OF CONTENTS 3

INTRODUCTION 4

AWARD IDEAS 5

IDEAS FOR THE BREAKROOM 5

CELEBRATION ACTIVITIES 6

COMMUNICATION IDEAS 7

CONTESTS 8

ENVIRONMENT IDEAS 10

IDEAS TO PROMOTE IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY 11

IDEAS TO LIGHTEN UP MEETINGS 13

OUTSIDE EVENTS 14

RELAXATION OPPORTUNITIES 14

TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES 15

STRESS STOMPERS 16

JUST PLAIN FUN IDEAS 17

ANYTIME! 21

ABOUT HUMOR UNIVERSITY 22

ABOUT THE AUTHORS AND HUMOR UNIVERSITY FACULTY 22

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER 22


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INTRODUCTION

Were glad we got your attention. We all know people who areterminally serious. Black hole serious. No humor available. They drag anovercast day, if not a dark cloud, around with them.

Maybe theyre just humor challenged. They have an occasional goodmood or creative day sometimes, but other times they have those terribly serious days.

Then there are those people who try very hard at humor but have nosense. Or humor. Thats a bad combination.

Whatever kind of humor impairment, though, we all know people whoneed to lighten up. Now this may be shocking news for you, but -- someof them are you.

In this guide to humor you will find many, many devices that work well. Youll like some more than others and some will suit your style andsituation better. If you implement one or two of these ideas a week for thenext six months, you can improve the way you work, and quite possibly the way you live.

This doesnt mean you should settle for only the ideas that arecomfortable to you. Try a couple that feel risky. You might surprise yourself.

Please note that not all of these ideas are going to be fun for you. Someare best for individuals, some for groups, some for entire companies.

The most important thing is to have fun with these ideas and later on

share them with some of your serious friends or co-workers. Remember,we dont stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing!

Have fun!!Terrill and Ann


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AWARD IDEAS1. Payday : Give out more than just paychecks on payday - give the

employees a special gift, like a candy bar with their checks.2. Employee Dollars : Award an employee dollar to employees

who do something special or exceed company expectations. Eachmonth the employee with the most dollars gets movie tickets,dinner, and a plaque with their name as Employee of the Month.

3. Person Overboard Award : Reward employees who go over and beyond for their customers. The Person Overboard Award is alife-saving ring, which the president presents to an employee at aspecial ceremony.

4. Awards for Worst Customers : If you have difficult customers,have a contest to see who can identify the worst customer of the week. The winner gets a free bottle of champagne and youexperience improved morale because your staff is working to please you and to win the award.

5. Worst Hairdo Day : Give out an award for the worst hairdo of theday, like an appointment at a Spa. (Let everyone know ahead of time to wear their worst hairdo.)

6. Pass out Special Fortune Cookies : Have them specially bakedand include fortunes that are special to your company a great way to announce promotions, gifts, etc.

7. Good job Stickers : Have staff give stickers to their supervisors when they do a good job and vice versa. They can wear the stickersor collect them on a sheet they post over their desk.

IDEAS FOR THE BREAKROOM

8. Finger-Painting Murals : Put up a large piece of Kraft paper inthe breakroom, set up finger-paints and let em rip. Great stress-reliever and creative, fun outlet.

9. Games in the Breakroom : Keep board games, puzzles and smallarea games like ring toss in the breakroom for entertainment.


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10. Percussion Instrument Day (or String Instrument Day): People bring in their favorite percussion instrument (or string instrument)and there is a jam session in the breakroom for 15 minutes in theafternoon.

11. Peanut Butter and Jelly : Put out huge vats of peanut butter and jelly, loaves of bread and knives in the breakroom. Let people makesandwiches whenever theyre hungry. Top it off with barrels of Oreocookies.

12. Ping Pong Table : Have a ping pong table or two available forplaying. It fits many categories e.g. stress stomping,communication (deals are often made this way), celebration, etc.

13. Video Games : Have a play station or video game system. Gamescan include individual choices or games for two. They can beaggressive or not.

14. TV and Videos : A great idea is to have funny videos like ThreeStooges, Candid Camera shows and other short-segment videos.These get people laughing and put them in a good mood. A great way to spend a break.

CELEBRATION ACTIVITIES15. Pizza Parties (or Bagel Parties, or Candy Bar Parties): Foodalways lightens up a serious occasion - make sure its safe foodand doesnt create ptomaine poisoning.

16. Christmas in July : Celebrate a little holiday cheer with yourfellow workers. Sing a few carols and give each other a smallpresent or stocking stuffer to break up the summer routine.

17. Celebrate Hiring Anniversaries : We celebrate birthdays, so why not celebrate the anniversary of when people were hired, by having a little party. Make them feel special for being with thecompany.

18. Road Warrior Celebration : Throw a party for the person withthe most frequent flyer miles or most car miles - they need it because theyre never home long enough to have a party of theirown.


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19. Ice Cream Service : Bring in your favorite ice cream server toserve cones of ice cream for afternoon breaks.

20. Lemonade/Popcorn Service : Serve these free, especially on late workdays or when people put in a lot of overtime. The smell of popcorn alone will put them in a better mood.

21. National Tortilla Chip Day : Have a Mexican fiesta whereeveryone brings in a Mexican dish. You could even hang a piatafor everyone to take a whack at and have it filled with candy,quarters, and other goodies for everyone to snag when it bustsopen.

22. Build a "Submarine Sandwich Day" : Have everyone bring adifferent meat, cheese, spread, etc. The goal is to build the perfectsub that everyone can enjoy consuming.

COMMUNICATION IDEAS23. Storying Around : Tell stories walking down the hallways, riding

in the elevators, going up or down the stairs. But you must stop thestory when you arrive at your destination. You can pick it up again when you leave. This is great for enhancing your story telling ability

and adding humor and adventure to everyday situations.24. Give a Standing Ovation : Alleviate someones stress or pain by

gathering a group of co-workers and give that person a standingovation when they come into a room. Watch their face light up.

25. My Way Coupons : From the song sung by Frank Sinatra, My Way. Make coupons that say my way. Give each employee 3 of them, and tell them that they can use at least one anytime they want to have it their way. Watch how no one will give away theirlast coupons because they want to save it for something very

important.26. Rule of Three Approach to the Benefits of Your

Argument : You use a set-up with two straight messages followed by a third that is humorous and unexpected. For example, This cargets great gas mileage, it has a full automation system to tell you when something is wrong, but it wont tell you when youre lost.

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27. Creative Excuses : When you are late for a meeting, or make amistake on something, try making up ridiculous, creative excusesfor your mistake. What have you got to lose? Its better than beating yourself up. Just be willing to take responsibility.

28. Funny One-Liners for Your Voicemail : Make sure your voicemail has a funny message for anyone calling in. It lightens up theirday.

29. Email Pal : Have an arrangement with a funny friend to send eachother fun emails during the day just to keep spirits up.

30. Pass around a Compliment : Whisper a compliment to oneperson, have that person pass it, etc. See how it sounds when it getsto the last person and also see how its made many people feel greatto hear it.

31. Laugh Track : Record a laugh track on your voice mail. Have itcome on first, before the message. Its bound to be contagious.

32. Flower Power : Buy a flower and anonymously place it onsomeone elses desk just to make them feel betterto boost theirself-esteem. Guess what, youll feel better every time you pass theirdesk knowing you made them happy.

33. Pencil Power : Sharpen peoples pencils anonymously and leavethem on their desks. Theyll really appreciate the secret angel in theoffice.

34. Graffiti Board in the Bathrooms : A graffiti board can be set upfor people to write funny sayings, messages (e.g., help, Imtrapped), jokes, etc. (Be careful to set rules here, like cleanlanguage required, no sexual jokes, etc.)

CONTESTS35. Joke-a-thons : Plan running joke contests or have a live open-mike style joke-a-rama. Warning: Make sure you set rules fornon-offensive, clean joke telling.

36. Stupid Human Tricks (a la David Letterman): The winner could wear a hat that says, I can do the stupidest thing.


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37. Wear Your Underwear on the Outside Day : Pretty self-explanatory. If a woman wins, she gets a gift certificate to VictoriasSecret and if a man wins, he gets one too.

38. Doughnut Ring-Toss : A novel way to play the ring-toss game -and you get to eat the doughnuts, but only if you play on a cleansurface. The winners get a free doughnut each day for a week.

39. Baby Picture Contests : Have everyone bring their own baby picture, post them on the bulletin board and have contests to see who can identify the most people from the pictures. Appropriateprizes might be a photo session with a top photographer or anawesome picture frame.

40. Funny Memos : Instead of dry, serious memos invite employeesto say what they need to say in the funniest way they can. Have acontest for the funniest memo of the week. The prize could betickets to the local comedy club.

41. Stupid Idea Contests : Have a contest where you award thelamest idea for how to improve a work situation. The winner has to wear a hat that says, I had the stupidest idea.

42. Scavenger Hunt : Pit individuals or teams against each other witha list of items to collect. Give them 15 minutes and reward theperson/group who collects the most.

43. Paper Airplane Contests : Let people (individually or in groups)create the most aerodynamic paper airplanes possible and fly themto see which go the distance. Prize can be a model airplane kit.

44. Dance Contests : Bring in a boom box, move the tables in the breakroom and have a 15 minute dance party. Have winners in a variety of categories - worst dancer, best dancer (individual), bestdance couple, most original, etc. Take pictures of them in action

and post on the bulletin board or print in the newsletter.45. Funny Trash : Have a contest where everyone rummages through

their trash and comes up with the funniest thing they threw away. Winner gets a free latte.


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46. Paper Clip Art : Create chains and pieces of art with just paperclips. Have a contest. Prize is a gift certificate to Office Depot orOffice Max.

47. Daydream Contest : Have people share their most outrageousdaydream (if they dare). They can post a written description on the bulletin board anonymously.

ENVIRONMENT IDEAS48. Dress Down Friday (or Monday or Middle of the Week): Who

says it has to be Friday? The point is people act different in casualmode than on suit days.

49. Suggestion Box : Have a suggestion box that really collects funideas. Read the top three ideas at a staff meeting.

50. Role Switching - Bosses/Employees : For one hour/day theemployees tell the bosses what to do and the bosses becomeemployees. Of course you want to get the input of the bosses whenmaking decisions just as the bosses should get the input of theiremployees.

51. Plays and Skits : Take an issue that needs to be resolved or play with a situation that the company recently dealt with and have a

fun afternoon event of skits or plays that employees put on. Its agreat way to have closure on a difficult time and a great way to hypesomething new.

52. Decorating Allowed : Let people decorate their cubes/offices, tomake them individual to their personal taste. Let them cover their walls, select their colors, etc. The way a person feels about theirenvironment makes a huge impact on their productivity.

53. Common Areas : Paint the common areas (reception area, break room, conference rooms, etc.) bright colors to liven up theenvironment. Have plants and flowers all around these areas togive a sense of aliveness.

54. Music : Pipe in music in the common areas and in the work areas.Let the staff select the styles of music they desire. Perhaps there can be a music selection committee. An alternate suggestion is to let

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individuals have music in their own cubes/offices radios or CDplayers, etc.

55.

Feng Shui : Hire a Feng Shui expert to consult on furnitureplacement and design decisions. This Japanese art of placementis built on the belief that energies flow best in certain patterns anddirections.

56. Assess the Humor Quotient or Laughitude of Your Workplace : Hire a humor consultant to survey your staff on theirhumor attitudes. Once the survey gives you data on how lightenedup your employees are, let the humor consultants (at www.humoru.com ) write your improvement prescription and coach

you to greater results.57. No-Whining Area : Create Whining-Free areas around your work

environment, where whining is off limits. If anyone is caught whining in these areas they have to put a dollar in the Whine Pot.Once a quarter the money is used to have a wine and cheese party.

IDEAS TO PROMOTE IMAGINATION ANDCREATIVITY

58. Improv Games : Unless every move or conversation of your day isplanned, youre improvising all day long. Improv games help you bemore spontaneous, learn to roll with the punches and laugh andhave a great time. You can find a list of improvisational games onthe web at www.comedysportz.com

59. Transform an Object : Take an ordinary object and transform itinto something else by telling a story about what else it can do orusing it in a creative way. (This is great for creative thinking.)

60. Create Funny Headlines : Look at whats going on at work thatis major news, and create an amusing headline and story that youcan share with your co-workers or staff.

61. Develop an Alias : Create an alias or evil nickname for theunpleasant side of your personality. Have people call you by youralias when that bad side of you shows up to provide some levity.
http://www.humoru.com/http://www.humoru.com/http://www.comedysportz.com/http://www.comedysportz.com/http://www.comedysportz.com/http://www.humoru.com/


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62. Start Your Own Association : Create your own association thathighlights a quirk about yourself. Enlist other members who share your quirk. e.g., The National Association of People Who DontKnow What they Like.

63. Visualize People in Their Underwear : When you areconfronted with someone who is yelling at you, just visualize them wearing a big diaper or polka dot boxer shorts. They wont know youre doing it, it wont shut them up, but it will take the charge off the confrontation for you.

64. Be Each Other at the Office : Pretend to be someone else, put onan accent, and take on the role of someone else while answering

your phone. You could be a rich Texan, a cab driver from New York,or even Elvis.

65. Invent Your Own Buzzwords : Use your imagination to invent your own words for the various tasks you do at work. Look at the words used to describe situations around your office and think of new terms for them. We call this mooseticating.

66. Ambiguity in Conversations : Make a conscious effort to findambiguity in everyday conversations-both your own and others. Beon the lookout for words where a second interpretation is possible,e.g. credit card machine says to put the card in strip down, faceforward (I better put my clothes back on!)

67. Cartoons : Take cartoons and white out what they say and makeup your own captions based on your work environment. Dont only use Dilbert use any comic strip and adapt it.

68. Hide and Seek : A person with a problem goes into hiding to comeup with solutions for their problems. After 30 minutes others seek him out and the problem must be solved. You might even establisha small hiding room.

69. Be an Expert for a Minute : Each person takes on an expertise insome area, and pretend that they know everything for that minute

70. Fun Committee or Minister of Comedy : Appoint a minister of comedy to oversee humor in the workplace and/or select a fun


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committee to plan events for the company. The important trendhere is to involve employees, not just management.

71.

Complain to Yourself by Leaving Messages on Your Voicemail : Some examples are: "Hi Bob, this is Bob! What a bummer day. I was late this morning and my boss yelled at me, andright now I feel like a cockroach about ready to get stomped. Talk to you later... BYE!

IDEAS TO LIGHTEN UP MEETINGS72. Gibberish Meetings : Much of what we say is gibberish anyhow,

so why not designate a part of the meeting where everyonecommunicates in their favorite gibberish - watch and see how well you understand each other anyhow.

73. Sing-A-Longs : How about starting every meeting with a songeveryone can sing together - like childrens songs or contemporary songs or your favorite rock and roll song, e.g. the Rolling Stonessong, You Cant Always Get What You Want. (With this song youd not only be singing but also learning a REAL lesson for yourpersonal development).

74. Games Show Events : Next time you have a big event or meeting,create a game show environment like Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortuneor Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Build morale and promote funand creativity by spotlighting the hidden talents of your co-workers.

75. Backward Meetings : Start with the last thing on the agenda and work backward all the way to the opening. It provides a fun way torun a meeting and break out of the old routines.

76. Props Distribution : Distribute clown noses or Groucho glassesor Dr. Spock ears to all employees and have them wear them to the

next employee meeting or whenever they need a chuckle.77. Accent Interviews : Start a meeting off with pairs of people

interviewing each other using accents. Invite them to find outsomething about their partner they never knew before, e.g. whattheir favorite midnight snack is, who their cartoon hero is, whattheir favorite Christmas present of all time was, etc.


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78. Talk Show Meetings : Instead of a meeting, set up a talk show scenario. Have a host, take questions, etc.

79. Conduct Your Meeting as an Opera : Everyone must sing his orher comments in the form of an aria.

OUTSIDE EVENTS80. Shut Down Days for Outside Activities : Or, go to skeleton

staff. Take the whole office bowling in the middle of the day, orhave a catered picnic in a park. Use your imagination on this one, but know that its a great morale builder. People love it. Theimportant thing here would be the element of surprise - announceit and do it without notice.

81. Movie Days : Similar to above - rent out a theater and take the whole crew spontaneously. Or, rent the theater on a weekendmorning and invite them to bring their families along. Make sureeveryone gets popcorn and a soda.

82. Family Day : Have staff bring their families to work for the day tosee what they do; or have an outside family event day (as above). Work/family balance is the hot issue of the new century.

83. Dunk the Bosses : Rent a dunking booth for an afternoon andgive the employees the opportunity to soak their bosses.

84. Adult Camp Scenario : We have camps for kids so how about acamp for adults for the day. There would be activities for all theadults to engage in to make them feel like kids again. For somegreat ideas on setting this up, check out: www.campcamelot.com .

85. Bicycle Riding : Ride your bicycle to work or during your break.Better yet, if you have a bicycle built for two, take turns givingothers a ride.

RELAXATION OPPORTUNITIES86. Happiness List : When things start to make us upset we must to

be able to tap into what makes us happy instead of brooding. Start
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your own happiness list. It could include things that make youlaugh but need not be limited to that.

87.

No Talking Hour : For one hour, impose a vow of silence andallow yourself to be quiet with everyone else. You will find yourself becoming relaxed and calmer in the silence.

88. Siesta Times : A 15 to 20 minute nap on the job makes peoplemore energetic, recharged and less moody. Set up a small roomfilled with soft, long massage tables or sleeping bags, with somerelaxing music and let them have a little peaceful nap. Its a lot better than dealing with a tired, irritable co-worker.

89. Turn off the Computer : For 20 minutes have a department ordivision turn off their computers and play a game that everyone canget involved in playing.

90. Nurture Your Plants : When you care for your plants, its a good way to lighten the mood, relax. You can even talk to your plants without fear of them talking back.

91. Toys for Desks : Every desk needs at least a couple of fun toys toplay with during a tense moment, while on the phone, with an iratecustomer or just because. Good desk toys include: koosh balls,slinkys, nerf balls and baskets, wind-up toys -- anything to give youa laugh break or tension break.

92. Pet Days : Bring your pets to work. Some companies are already allowing this everyday. You could begin experimenting. LetMondays be dog days, Tuesday be cat days, Wednesday be birddays, Thursday be fish days, and Fridays could be safari day.Good luck!! Pets really help us to relax.

TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES93. Buddy System : Assign everyone a humor buddy that you can go

to when you need a laugh or a chance to look at something in amore lighthearted way.

94. Cooking Contests : A great team project - each week a differentteam concocts a snack or meal to share with others.


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95. Blind Trust Walk : This is great for developing trust in teams.Have one person blindfolded and another person leading thatperson on a walkabout. They can walk inside or out. Add texture by having the person touch certain items along the way.

96. Twister or Knots : Play these human puzzle games with yourteam.

97. Murder Mystery : Someone sets up a scenario of a presumedcrime. Teams work together to solve the mystery.

98. Silent Tension : Great for team building. Take 5 minutes to besilent, but you must act out whatever it is youre trying to express. You could even have someone do sound effects.

99. Spontaneous Shoots : Bring your Polaroid or digital camera to work and take spontaneous pictures of your teammates, especially when theyre snoozing in a meeting.

100. Create Ally McBeal Co-ed Bathrooms : Try it for a day - it will make for some great stories later on.

101. Kindergarten Day : Have a show and tell session during the day where you bring something you want to show your co-workers. Youll discover some wonderful fun things about your co-workers.

STRESS STOMPERS102. Water Balloon Fights : You might want to do this one outside -

excellent stress reduction experience.

103. Stress-out Exaggeration Day : An opportunity for people toblow up - not as in firearms, but as in exaggerate their stress.They can jump up and down, be shaky, fearful and act out theirstress response. Everyone will laugh.

104. Sacred Cow Hour : Take all of your so called sacred cows andslaughter them in a room designated for it. Have fun killing themoff.

105. Beat the Dead Horse : Have a toy horse doll which can be usedas the dead horse. Use it anytime someone starts to beat a deadhorse issue by passing it to them.


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106. Play the Blame Game : For 15 minutes you get to blameeverybody and everything that hasnt gone right for you at work.Blame the President, the traffic, and your dog. Dont hold back, letit all hang out and then after 15 minutes let it all go and takeresponsibility.

107. Newscaster : Express your upsets as the 10:00 news headlinestory. Include an on-the-scene report, sporting report, weatherreport, market report, fashion report, etc. Get others to play with you by taking on the various roles of the newscast. This game helps you highlight the absurdity of your upset.

108. Stress Trash Collection : At 4:00, have managers go around to

their employees with huge garbage bags, inviting employees totrash their stress into the bags. Then, put on a twistee and tossthe bags. Their stress goes with the bag.

109. Distribute Funny Band-Aids for Injuries : Whenever someoneis injured, they have to wear kids Band-Aids neon ones, ones withdinosaurs, etc.

110. How TV Shows Can Help Your Work Day : Pick out yourfavorite sitcom and plug your stressful situation into it. Have peersplay the parts with you and play out the scenario the way the TV cast would.

111. Relay Races in the Hallways : These are great tension-breakers- you can do funny walks, office chair rolling races, who can walk fastest with their foot in a trash can while holding their office chair,etc.

112. Basketball : Place a regulation-size basketball hoop in the middleof the break room or the rotunda of the building for inside play or if more practical, on a court outside. In addition to stomping stress,this is great for building teams and releasing creative thought.

JUST PLAIN FUN IDEAS113. Theme Days : You can have film noir day, or Star Wars Day, 60s

Day, or come dressed in your favorite hobby garb, etc. Its a chanceto know another side of your co-workers and what interests them.


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114. Silly Walks : On the old Monty Python shows, we saw a variety of silly walks. Create a time of day when everyone walks down the hallin a silly way.

115. One-Minute Parades : Have the staff dress in their tackiest bestand parade through the offices. Then vote on the winners.

116. Character Day : Come as your favorite character from a movie,cartoon, TV show, or politics. Award prizes for best characters.(Similar to Theme Day)

117. Personalize New Equipment : Create some humor for all theequipment that you work with, like your computer, printer, copier,etc. You can give them pet names or put your favorite toys, props,or cartoons on them.

118. Bring Your Toddler to Work Day : Everyone enjoys seeingpeople differently than in their typical work role. Watching theminteract with their babies is really special.

119. Bizarre Recipe Days : Once a quarter, have people bring in theirmost bizarre recipe and have them swap with someone else. They can follow through with preparation if they want.

120. Have Fun Classes Available : Offer classes in face painting,clowning, finger-painting, or something similar.

121. Hire Kids as Consultants : Talk to kids about how to solve someof your issues at work. Youll be surprised at the solutions they come up with practical, simple and direct.

122. Have a Big Band-Aid to Pass out for People Who Band- Aid the Problem : In addition to this being fun, its acommentary to the person receiving it. A great way to givefeedback in a lighthearted way.

123. Joke Books : Have joke books around to refer to when you need achuckle.124. Internet Bookmarks : Bookmark all the funny sites youve found

on the Internet so you can take a humor break whenever you feellike it.


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125. Ceiling Hole Count : If you have those tiles on your ceiling thatare full of holes, count the number on one tile and compare what you get with the next person. See if you agree. The loser gets a set of math flashcards to spruce up their counting skills.

126. Play Jump Rope in the Hallways : Have two people turn therope, maybe double ropes and jump in.

127. Hopscotch : Set up a hopscotch pattern in the hallway.128. Mismatched Socks Day : Everyone wears two different socks.129. Learn a Magic Trick : Learn a simple feat of prestidigitation in

other words, learn a magic trick that you can show off to your

friends and co-workers.130. Candid Camera Day : Pretend youre Allen Funt (yes we know

hes dead) and spend one day videotaping people doing funny things around the workplace.

131. Play Marbles : Put together a marble game on the tile floor of the bathroom. There can be one in the mens room and one in theladies room, unless its the week youre experimenting with thecoed bathroom. Women can play jacks instead if they prefer.

132. Play Darts : Set up dartboards (the Nerf kind) on various doors or walls throughout the workplace. Let people shoot the Nerf darts asthey pass by. Great stress relief.

133. Whistling : Walk down the halls, whistling your favorite tunes. Or, your least favorite if you prefer.

134. Make Up Your Own First Aid Humor Kit : Fill it withcartoons, humorous pictures and fun sayings to keep at your desk.Then schedule five-minute humor breaks twice a day.

135. Word in Underwear : Think of a favorite word, write it down ona small piece of paper, fold it up and stick it in your underwear. Allday, only you will know its there and will laugh when you think of it. Have the entire workplace do it one day and everyone can becurious about each others words.

136. Have a Positive Day : Throw a Positive Day where everyonemust maintain a positive attitude. If anyone is caught being


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negative they must put a dollar in the Negative Pot. Once a quarterthe money is used to buy pizza or donuts for everyone.

137. The Ugly Sweater Contest : Award three people with the ugliestsweaters. Great for connecting everybody in a funny non-threatening way.

138. Decorate a Potato Contest : Have each employee issued apotato, with general instructions to decorate it however they choose, and give it a name. Vote for your favorites in 3 categories:Best Potato Pun, Funniest Potato, and Best Use of Potato as an ArtForm. Honor the winners with a ribbon and a fresh bag of McDonald's French Fries, at a quick team meeting with snacks.


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ANYTIME!

And the last Way to Lighten Up the Workplace, fitting in all categories

139. LAUGH!!! Just laugh, for no better reason, other thanit makes you feel better. You dont need an excuse tolaugh JUST DO IT!

We hope you had fun reading this. Now, add a few ideas of your own! If youre willing, e-mail them to us wed love to receive them.

If you would like to find out more about how humor and fun can enhanceproductivity and improve morale, please contact us at:

Humor University P.O. Box 300567 Austin, TX 78703

For quicker information: [email protected] (512) 472-1855Fax (512) 476-0540

To visit our website and subscribe to our free email Humor Tips: www.humoru.com
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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ABOUT HUMOR UNIVERSITY Bringing humor to the workplace is just one of many majors at Humor University, a virtual university, committed to eradicating terminal seriousness from the world.Humor University brings laughter and an appreciation of the benefits of humor to peoplearound the world through their web site at www.humoru.com , their tele-discussion classes(classes held over the telephone), independent study classes and workbooks, coaching and,primarily, their on-site presentations at conferences and in corporate and agency settings.

In this e-book, you get a simple introduction to many of the suggestions that the Humor Ufaculty make when facilitating culture changes within companies. The faculty believesthat the company that plays together stays together. So, why not give it a try?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS AND HUMOR UNIVERSITY FACULTY Terrill Fischer, Dean of Humor Ann Fry, Dean of Fun

Ann Fry has been a psychotherapist, an administrator, and a college professor. She worksnow as a professional speaker/trainer, an executive coach and does a bit of improv on theside.

Terrill Fischer describes himself as a Recovering Serious Person. Hes a businessconsultant, a trainer, a stand up comedian and performs improv with ComedySportz.

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER At Krug Publishing, we believe that learning never ends and that knowledge should beshared. Krug Publishing helps people get their expertise out of their heads and into thehands of the people who can benefit from it. We believe that almost everyone is an expertin some area or passionate about some topic. When people share their expertise andpassion, the entire community benefits.

If you are an expert in any area, please contact us to learn more about how we can help you

to produce, market, and sell your knowledge. Send a brief email to [email protected] , and we will get in touch with you to discuss how we can work together.
http://www.humoru.com/http://www.humoru.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.humoru.com/


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