Why Teams Forget to Have Fun (And How to Fix It)
In 1727, the word fun first appeared in print. Nearly 300 years later, it feels like many workplaces have forgotten its meaning. Not the word itself, it still pops up in slogans, team-building flyers, or Slack emojis. But the human experience of joy, play, and unburdened laughter in groups has quietly slipped away from modern teams.
This is not a minor concern. It’s not about free snacks or Friday trivia. What’s at stake is the oxygen of creativity, the resilience of collaboration, and the fact that we simply cannot thrive in cultures of perpetual seriousness.
Why Fun Matters in the Workplace
Fun isn’t a distraction. It’s a driver of creativity. Psychologists call it a “positive affective state,” one that reduces stress hormones like cortisol, boosts dopamine, and opens the mind to new ideas. For teams, it acts as social glue: building trust, lowering defensive postures, and encouraging creative risk-taking.
Neuroscience shows that play and laughter aren’t just side effects. They’re preconditions for productivity. When employees feel safe enough to laugh, they also feel safe enough to suggest bold, unusual ideas. Fun is the engine of innovation, not the opposite of work.
Lessons from Teams That Got It Wrong (and Right)
The Corporate Cautionary Tale: A global consulting firm cut “non-essential” social gatherings in 2020. Productivity initially improved. But within 18 months, surveys revealed declining morale, higher turnover, and a creative drought. Reintroducing informal rituals, such as Friday photo challenges or playful icebreakers, helped the culture bounce back.
Healthcare Example: A pediatric ward in Sweden added “laughter breaks” for staff. Results included lower burnout, fewer sick days, and stronger collaboration under pressure. Fun here wasn’t optional, it improved performance and well-being.
The Startup Experiment: A Berlin software team replaced quarterly hackathons with a “bad idea day,” where the only rule was to present the most ridiculous idea possible. Out of the laughter came unexpected solutions, including a product tweak that became a top seller.
The Cultural Blind Spot
So why do organizations neglect fun? Because seriousness is often equated with professionalism. Many workplaces fetishize the grind, mistake stress for dedication, and quietly shame leaders who show levity. But dismissing joy as childish or distracting is a critical oversight. Teams that forget how to have fun risk lower engagement, innovation, and overall resilience.
Practical Steps to Bring Fun Back
Create Shared Experiences: Virtual trivia, online scavenger hunts, or themed challenges get employees interacting beyond work tasks.
Encourage Micro-Moments of Play: Short, daily rituals, such as fun polls, quick creative prompts, or playful photo exercises keep energy high.
Celebrate Creativity: Recognize unusual ideas and inventive approaches, not just deliverables.
Leverage Technology: Online workshops or team-building activities, including creative smartphone photography sessions, allow hybrid and remote teams to participate fully in hands-on, playful experiences that boost collaboration and creativity.
How Creative Smartphone Photography Fits In
One of the most effective ways to reintroduce fun and creativity into your team is through engaging, hands-on workshops. My online smartphone photography sessions combine team-building exercises with practical skills, allowing employees to collaborate, explore, and capture creative shots together even remotely. It’s a unique approach that strengthens bonds, encourages experimentation, and proves that fun and productivity can coexist.
Whether it’s capturing playful moments at the water cooler, experimenting with textures and light, or turning everyday office items into imaginative compositions, these workshops make creativity accessible to every team member while boosting engagement, collaboration, and a sense of shared achievement.
Conclusion
The first appearance of fun in 1727 marked a recognition of something fundamental: we need joy. Today, organizations risk forgetting not just the word, but the practice. Fun is not a perk. It’s a necessity for creativity, engagement, and long-term team success.
Reweaving play, laughter, and lightness into your team culture doesn’t just make work enjoyable, it makes work more effective. And when teams remember how to have fun together, they remember how to thrive together.