Workers need to get a little weird, author says

On-the-job fun can help boost performance

By Anita Bruzzese
Gannett News Service

John Putzier thinks it's high time people got weird in the workplace.

"A weirdo is anyone not like you," he said. "So being truly weird is being true to yourself. You're not really concerned about what others think, but you're just focused on what you do best."

Mr. Putzier, a workplace performance specialist in Prospect, Pa., said if more people would let their weirdness shine through, then the workplace would be more fun. People would be happier, perform better and it would ultimately lead to a healthier bottom line. "You're not just having fun" for fun's sake, but for the business' sake," he said. "Why do you think the dot-coms had people who put in such long hours and didn't make that much money? It's because those employees loved what they did and who they did it for. It's why they got out of bed in the morning."

So while it may have seemed strange that dot-coms had employees who dressed up for Halloween or roller skated to meetings, it was all part of the atmosphere that encouraged weirdness, and benefited from it, Mr. Putzier said.

He said if employers put more effort into getting workers to enjoy the time spent on the job, then it would lead to higher retention of key players, and help recruit top talent.

In fact, he so believes in the world of weird that he's written a book (Get Weird, Amacom) that details some ideas he has for making the world of work a little less predictable.

Examples:

• Rock on. Charter a bus for employees and their partners to a concert.
   
• Feed me. Food always seems to be a great treat for everyone, so set up the fixings for ice cream sundaes, get a popcorn machine, ask everyone to bring a favorite, "junk food" to celebrate the end of a big project.
   
• Make the connection. Schedule a short presentation on self-defense, financial planning or child safety employees during a lunch break. Just make sure the time isn't used to sell anything.
   
• Make life easier. Employers can get a dry-cleaning company to pick up and deliver clothes; provide shoe shines while sitting at a desk working; offer onsite haircuts or manicures, or have a service available to "run errands" for workers.
   
• Take a break. With employees in more cramped quarters in order to operate more efficiently as a team, finding some personal space can become important in order to maintain sanity.