Austin The Importance of Fun in the Workplace Copenhagen Dubai London Madrid Melbourne Munich New York Nice Holly Cummins IBM Cloud Garage @holly_cummins Raleigh San Francisco São Paulo Singapore Tokyo

I’m from the IBM Cloud Garage.

Is this a fun talk?

Is this a fun talk? No. It’s a talk about fun. That’s different. Obviously.

10 step plan to achieve FUN. 1. Quantify and Qualify your FUN metrics 2. Create a Chief FUN Officer (CFO) role 3. Gamify your daily tasks to make them more FUN 4. Enthusiastically high five everyone each morning for FUN 5. Install a FUN ball pit 6. Inject a FUN word of the day into conversations 7. Wear FUN clothing, something with flair 8. Create FUN certificates with gold star systems - relive the fun of kindergarten! 9. Nominate FUN assessors for each team 10.Laugh Out Loud (LOL) once a day in the office, others will enjoy your FUN @holly_cummins http://ibm.biz/bluemixgaragelondon @karianna

10 step plan to achieve FUN. 1. Quantify and Qualify your FUN metrics 2. Create a Chief FUN Officer (CFO) role who thinks this is a good idea? 3. Gamify your daily tasks to make them more FUN 4. Enthusiastically high five everyone each morning for FUN 5. Install a FUN ball pit 6. Inject a FUN word of the day into conversations 7. Wear FUN clothing, something with flair 8. Create FUN certificates with gold star systems - relive the fun of kindergarten! 9. Nominate FUN assessors for each team 10.Laugh Out Loud (LOL) once a day in the office, others will enjoy your FUN @holly_cummins http://ibm.biz/bluemixgaragelondon @karianna

Are you brave enough? , Having fun at work @holly_cummins http://ibm.biz/bluemixgaragelondon @karianna

Are you brave enough? I’m not :) @holly_cummins http://ibm.biz/bluemixgaragelondon @karianna

Wait. Where’s “fun-loving”?

Wait. Where’s “fun-loving”? We keep fun a secret.

What is Fun?

“Fun is a point on the intersection of engagement levels and social interaction for a given activity.” Fun: An Exploration in its Relevance to Interaction Design - Elise Woolley, 2010

Exploration Photo by Linearahandmade@etsy

Puzzle Photo by William Warby

Play

Game

Work?

Exploration focussed investigation

Play flexible for its own sake Exploration focussed investigation

Play flexible for its own sake Exploration focussed investigation Puzzle a goal and rules

Games a winner and rules Play flexible for its own sake Exploration focussed investigation Puzzle a goal and rules

Games a winner and rules Work a goal Play flexible for its own sake Exploration focussed investigation Puzzle a goal and rules

Positive affect

It feels good

Computers are fun.

Exploration Photo by Linearahandmade@etsy

Hello, World Exploration Photo by Linearahandmade@etsy

Puzzle Photo by William Warby

Exception in thread “main” java.lang.NullPointerException: WhyWhyWhyIsThisHappeningNullPointerException at StackTraceExample.method111(StackTraceExample.java:15) at StackTraceExample.method11(StackTraceExample.java:11) at StackTraceExample.method1(StackTraceExample.java:7) at StackTraceExample.main(StackTraceExample.java:3) Puzzle Photo by William Warby

Game

Game

It feels good

Why are most of our workplaces Not Fun?

The 1980/90’s Management Model Very hierarchical Control favoured over autonomy Technology seen as a cost centre

http://www.defenceimagery.mod.uk

the value of fun in the workplace

IBM Watson IoT Centre, Munich @holly_cummins

IBM IoT Lab, Munich

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” — Aristotle @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

Research shows: Fun is good for business.

Research shows: Fun is good for business.

Studies have shown… Employee fun

Studies have shown… Employee fun

Studies have shown… Less sick leave Employee fun

Studies have shown… Less sick leave Employee fun Harder working

Studies have shown… Less sick leave Employee fun Harder working More productivity

piglet litters grow faster if they play more

https://hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence

“Your brain at positive is 31% more productive than your brain at negative, neutral or stressed. ” https://hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence

https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/eproto/workingpapers/happinessproductivity.pdf

“Individuals [who just watched a comedy video] have approximately 12% greater productivity.” https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/eproto/workingpapers/happinessproductivity.pdf

How much fun can you expect to have? https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulesson/3065570366

How much fun can you expect to have? (Yes, this is a picture of lots of fungi. You’re welcome.) https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulesson/3065570366

“I love the smell of napalm in the morning …. smells like victory.” Bill Kilgore, Apocalypse Now

“I love the smell of napalm in the morning …. smells like victory.” Bill Kilgore, Apocalypse Now Is everyone having fun?

Fun. What could possibly go wrong?

Fun. What could possibly go wrong?

Fun. What could possibly go wrong? 2008: A developer had a lot of fun with Groovy.

Fun. What could possibly go wrong? 2008: A developer had a lot of fun with Groovy.

Fun. What could possibly go wrong? 2008: A developer had a lot of fun with Groovy. 2009: The others who had to maintain the code had less fun.

Enjoy fun. Responsibly.

_ How to achieve fun Warning: This is our context and our experience of Fun. Your workplace culture may be different.

Step 1. Find un-fun things. Get rid of them.

Step 0. Stop prohibiting fun. Obviously.

“Please stop sending emails telling people you are sharing cake.”

“If you’re in the office after 5:30, you need to be doing work.”

“Why are you smiling? Work isn’t a place to be happy!” - a prowling project manager

Step 1. Find un-fun things. Get rid of them.

A process being unfun is a red flag that it’s not adding value.

Step 1. Find un-fun things. Get rid of them. … because they’re probably waste.

Get rid of the stuff that stops us doing what we enjoy.

@holly_cummins Fun Not-Fun Programming Meetings Collaboration Criticism Just doing it Process/Ceremony Learning Repeating Designing Sizing Doing Status reporting Interactions Interruptions Making a difference Being a cog #IBMCloudGarage

@holly_cummins Fun Not-Fun Programming Meetings Collaboration Criticism Just doing it Process/Ceremony Learning Repeating Designing Sizing Doing Status reporting Interactions Interruptions Making a difference Being a cog #IBMCloudGarage

We can fix these. @holly_cummins Fun Not-Fun Programming Meetings Collaboration Criticism Just doing it Process/Ceremony Learning Repeating Designing Sizing Doing Status reporting Interactions Interruptions Making a difference Being a cog #IBMCloudGarage

We can fix these. Findable documentation Streamlined process Self-generating status MVP Fun Not-Fun Programming Meetings Collaboration Criticism Just doing it Process/Ceremony Learning Repeating Designing Sizing Doing Status reporting Interactions Interruptions Making a difference @holly_cummins Being a cog Pair programming #noestimates Automation Self-directed teams #IBMCloudGarage

We all hate being told what to do. Usually, because we know it’s wrong. Let people make their own decisions.

Step 2: Add fun

Your brain needs breaks. Breaks with exercise are even better @holly_cummins http://ibm.biz/bluemixgaragelondon @karianna

Your brain needs breaks. Breaks with exercise are even better @holly_cummins http://ibm.biz/bluemixgaragelondon @karianna

Can our job be fun? @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

Games a winner and rules Work a goal Play flexible for its own sake Puzzle a goal and rules Exploration focussed investigation @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

Games a winner and rules Work a goal Play flexible for its own sake Puzzle a goal and rules Exploration focussed investigation @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

gamification @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

(management loves) gamification @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

what can be gamified? @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

TDD

Build gamification

Build gamification (Strictly speaking, productization of build gamification)

@holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

@holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

7186 new lines of coverage @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

7186 new lines of coverage 1000 new tests added @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

7186 new lines of coverage 1000 new tests added 230 issues fixed @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

7186 new lines of coverage 1000 new tests added 230 issues fixed 10 years of tech debt resolved @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

7186 new lines of coverage 1000 new tests added 230 issues fixed 10 years of tech debt resolved @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

7186 new lines of coverage 1000 new tests added 230 issues fixed 10 years of tech debt resolved @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

what dazzling reward achieved that? @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

what dazzling reward achieved that? @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

what dazzling reward achieved that? 1 free lunch ➡ 230 issues fixed @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

metrics matter @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

remember, you get what you measure @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

gamification is so motivating it will drive people do the wrong thing @holly_cummins #IBMCloudGarage

Play

Children learn through play. Adults do too.

Quirkiness

Quirkiness How do a production-train slack-integration nicely:

Feedback matters.

_ Failing at Fun

31% of us dislike teambuilding activities. http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Strategy/Meeting-Strategies/When-Teambuilding-Fails/

How to ruin an office party? Take attendance.

Failing at Fun Forgetting to fix the other stuff.

A layer of fun

A layer of fun … on top of a terrible workspace …

A layer of fun … on top of a terrible workspace … is still terrible.

_

_ Fun is important. Recap on achieving fun: 1. Get rid of un-fun things 2. Add fun things Doing 2. without 1. is going to fail.

Austin Copenhagen Dubai London Madrid Questions? Melbourne Munich New York Holly Cummins IBM Cloud Garage @holly_cummins Nice Raleigh San Francisco São Paulo Singapore Tokyo Toronto