Fun Works

Fun Works by Leslie Yerkes.

Dick Richards trumps the fish.  Browsing through Fun Works I notice the first story is about the fish place in Seattle.  I wanted to shelve the book.  Corporate America embraced the fish place.  It bought its workers the book.  "Read it.  We will be a fun place to work.  File a weekly report.  Fun surveys at month's end."

But, as is my custom, I read the pages towards the book's end.  (Rosemary hits me when she catches me doing this).  I notice that Dick writes a page on what fun is to him at work.  Dick trumps the fish.

Thank God for friends like Dick.  This is a good book.

Actually, there are two other reasons that I dug into this book.  Berrett-Koehler, the publisher.  And the fact that Leslie works in Cleveland.  I remember reading a Fast Company article in November of 2005, about BK.  (FC's archives are screwed up.  The article isn't available).  I believe it was how they interacted with their authors that caught my attention.

Leslie originally published Fun Works in 2000.  She discusses eleven principles that are found in fun companies to work for.  Here are a few:

• Give permission to perform
• Trust the process
• Value a diversity of fun styles
• Expand the boundaries
• Hire good people and get out of the way (my favorite!)
• Be authentic

Each principle gets a chapter and a case study on a company that best exemplifies it.  As the book was originally published in 2000, Leslie includes a 2006 update.  She includes a page of reflection following the updates.  This produces a nice, clarifying effect.

A couple more distinguishing characteristics of Fun Works.  Plenty of white space.  White space helps me get physical with my books.  Pictures, graphics and an overall clean design sets this book apart.

There is a fun / work fusion inventory at the book's end.  I see this survey as a perfect complement to Marcus Buckingham's Measuring Stick survey from First, Break all  the Rules.  The manager takes Leslie's test and the workforce takes Marcus's.

Pick up a copy of this book and see what kind of fun folks are having at work.

Comments

[David Zinger]

Dave,

Fish seem to be a big theme for you. I resented some of the Fish philosophy and the imposition of fun. I visited the actual Fish place in Seattle with my kids a few years back and they were not having a good day. I love fun but as a relationship, play, and invitation.

David

[dave]

"the imposition of fun." that is a perfect articulation David!

My original feelings about the whole fish movement were in disgust to how corporate America seem to use it as a platform. Now I am not so sure that the fish place didn't end up being just that. In the beginning it might have been random and spontaneous. But now it is expected of them and that changes everything.