I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of fun at work lately. I work in an organization that has centered fun as a core value. But I find myself wondering – does it have to be fun to be great? Does it have to be fun to be energizing? Does it have to be fun to engage me? Don’t get me wrong – I’m not about to argue that I’m somehow anti-fun, that should I find myself grinning stupidly (or uncontrollably giggling) at work in the context of work that I’d feel put out or cry foul (oh, this evil feeling, spare me from this laughter, this smile!). Of coure not. That would be ridiculous. Yet what I will suggest is that making fun a goal (or worse, a command) misses the point. I would be delighted to work in a place where I found myself having fun. But to approach a day with “today I will have fun” doesn’t seem right. I think some of this comes down to where we put responsibility for the type of day we’re having. Is it all me? Do I launch into a day and make it a good/bad one entirely by what p.o.v. I take on things and the choices I make throughout the day? Or is the mood of the day also affected by things outside my control (although I may contribute to them) – by organizational culture, for example? I watched a great video the other day – an interview with Simon Sinek – in which he does a fantastic job providing a sort of short-hand that explains organizational culture (the story of the barista). One coffee counter makes the employee feel motivated and makes them describe loving their job; another coffee counter makes the same person feel bound by rules and a narrow focus on output and profit over the people who work there.

One might say of that barista that he has fun at the one place – and that’s clearly true. But what makes him have fun isn’t the mindset of having fun: what makes the difference is that at the “good place” this employee feels seen and appreciated and valuable as who he is (not just what he produces or how much he sells). And as Sinek points out, it’s not just that the employee is appreciated by his co-workers, but that his manager and any manager who passes by makes a connection with him that establishes his value to them as the person he is doing the job he’s doing. Sinek describes this as the leadership environment of the good job, which focuses on how leadership creates an environement in which an employee can be their “natural best” at that job and succeed (and have a good time doing it).

This is very different from saying “go have fun!” or “make your own fun” (or – implied – “if you’re not having fun, it’s on you”). I don’t disagree that we bring our own crap with us to work and that “stuff” I carry might bog me down. But I do disagree that I bear full responsibility for how a day at work goes.

I think part of the challenge is the “fun” part. When I search online for “fun at work” I find, predictably, a zillion sites (and the AI’s could fabricate a zillion more) talking about ways to lighten up at work, methods for increasing engagement, connecting to others, etc. And yes, I agree, those are the things to focus on – the term “fun” is a distraction. I have worked jobs I also loved. In those jobs, I was engaged, had strong co-worker connections and sometimes it was also fun. But when I think back to why I was so engaged, I recall how in those roles I wasn’t just an “employee,” I was a participant in creating the organization’s culture. I had ideas that I could run with, I was given ownership over things that were critical to the organization, and I was allowed the freedom to build connections with others that strengthened work-friend ties.

When my work matters, I feel engaged. I can sometimes create a temporary sense of full engagement (even flow) by sinking myself into work I’m good at. But eventually, if I do too much of that in a vacuum (no recognition, no sense that the work has impact), it stops being capable of creating that energy.

When I do something that impacts the organization, I expect, not just my boss, but the organization to recognize my achievements. I expect (and I should think my colleagues do) that good work isn’t chained to hierarchy and siloes – that good work bubbles up with its own kind of joy and calling out accomplishments feels as common and simple and routine as opening email or Slack.

What I want from work is energy, an energy that bursts from feeling engaged and engaging with others who are engaged. Every times one runs into a “not there” or “not that” or “that’s someone else’s job,” one feels deflated, a bubble bursts. Of course roles have responsibilities – but in a healthy (great) organization, we don’t see our roles as threatened by good ideas and collaboration – in fact, those things energize us.

Don’t tell me to have fun. Engage me fully and let me shine as much as I am capable and I’ll finding myself having it without trying. Work can be great. It takes good colleagues and an energizing leadership environment to make it so.