100+ Coworkers Later: 3 Key Habits of the Happiest Teams (Part 1)

As a travel optometrist, I’ve had the privilege of working in 5 provinces, at 20 different offices, with over 100 Coworkers.

Among the happiest (and strongest) teams, I've noticed 3 key habits that consistently show up.

Habit #1: Embrace Playfulness

One of our team members came to work decked out in orange. He wore an orange watch, orange belt, orange vest, and yes, you guessed it, a bright orange pair of glasses.

He's clearly obsessed with orange.

"Elton John rocks orange frames!" he exclaimed, as our team laughed together.

When patients asked about his glasses, he lit up, saying how much he loves these glasses that help him stand out.

He sold five of those orange frames that day.

Intrigued by this idea, the whole team decided on an "odd frame of the week" to see how many odd frames they could dispense.

It was a small dose of playfulness which added a moment of joy and brought the team even closer.

No sales targets. No metrics. Just having fun.

Playfulness is not only a pillar of well-being; it's also a crucial driver of work happiness.

Having fun at workplace is not trivial. Growing body of evidence shows that fun is a critical contributor to employee health, well-being, and performance:

• Stress reduction
• Improved relationships
• Higher levels of creativity and job satisfaction

Finding small moments of joy and laughter not 0nly protects the team against burnout, but also helps the team thrive.

Simple Ideas, Big Impact

A coworker came in one day and asked me, "hey, what’s that one song that makes you feel happy?" After some thinking, I answered, "Fly me to the moon" by Frank Sinatra.

A week later, I heard that song playing in our office. It turns out she asked everyone the same question and put together a playlist for the whole team.

I've worked with another team that hosts a murder mystery book club during Monday lunch hour.

And yet another team bonded over their shared love of baked goods and tries a different bakery every week.

The possibilities are endless.

The "Mandatory Fun" Trap

If you’re a practice owner or manager, you might be tempted to implement one of these “fun” initiatives at your office.

The problem is that mandatory fun is not fun, especially when it's forced from your boss. It has to be voluntary.

What that means is that it's up to you, as an individual team member, to bring small moments of play and fun.

So here's a key question:

What small bit of fun, play, or creativity can you bring to your workplace?

Look out for part 2 article coming soon!