Fun Works!

“If it ain’t fun, it ain’t worth doing!”
—J. R. St.John

Somewhere in childhood, the campaign to sap every shred of fun out of life begins in earnest:

• Hallways are not for running or sliding!
• Hair dryers are for hair! Not for paper towel boat races!
• Banisters are for safety, not sliding!
• This is a public place! Behave yourself! Be quiet!
• Television is a distraction from homework!
• The keyboard? Strauss, not Sousa!
• Get and stay clean! Wear the nice dress! No stains!
• Pull that tie together! Off your knees! Head Up! Mind the creases!

Probably why there’s an entire industry around fun: weekend running, theme parks, cool cars, travel, food, theater, performances of all kinds, art and collecting, private jets! You know, fun! Inside many a professional, lives a repressed child.

Hmmm. Meetings and Presentations? Is there a potential for more fun in the meeting room?

Variety/Novelty
What if, instead of the standard “conference room neutral” décor, you take the time to decorate the pitch room in advance? People can experience entering a tropical paradise, a lofty perch on a mountain lookout, a high tech hideaway — or name your preference. If they can “wrap” a bus, you can do the room — and net the impact on the team’s imagination. That’s fun!

What if you break the room into teams and give each their role to play in the presentation? “How novel; we don’t just sit back passively listening; we participate!”

What about an introductory sound track, to introduce the big idea as a musical theme?

What about “Props” to communicate the place, circumstance or atmosphere around the client’s new business undertakings?

You can talk about it. Or you can take the theme there and have some fun in the going!

Fun can create the unique difference of style that sets you apart from the competition.

Freedom to Choose
What if you prepare the material for the presentation in sections, listing them on the wall — then give the team the opportunity to debate the order in which they want to slice and dice “their” experience? Freedom to Choose. Or list all the components of the presentation and let the audience dictate (and orchestrate) the entire show? Perhaps you dictate the issues in question, set the terms of debate, then direct the participants as they argue the issues reaching conclusions which they “own” in a completely personal, new and fun way…

How about good food from a better deli on the table — you’ll draw interested players in faster!

Competition
Loser buys the Winner’s Choice! What if you set the terms at the outset? “There will be a Test. Low Team Score Buys!” Rigorous attention would pay off. While participation would likely peak.

Or perhaps you say, “I’ll deliver this new sales presentation twice. Then you guys will compete to see who picks it up fastest and best. “Top prize is $100 and Bragging Rights! Winner buys lunch, and brags.”

What if your meetings become full of Novelty, Choices and Competition? Fun? Are you kidding? Better get a bigger room!

Applications

1. Individual
Adulthood pushes one against the “wall of time pressure and necessity,” removing the variety, the silliness, the joy of experiment and the fun. Take a new path to work. Check out a new neighborhood in town. See a play instead of staying in with Netflix. Heck, Buy the damned convertible!

2. At Home
“The Grind” affects families too. Mess with the weekly schedule! Declare a week without electronics and read or perform for one another. Establish “Dinner for a Fee” night and require the children to “exchange” for the meal with non-monetary means. Foot rubs, musical rendition, or interpretive reading: their choice. Also works between childless partners… Non-monetary means… Hmmm.

3. At Work
Make it “Worth Coming to Your Meeting” because it’s different, it’s creative, it’s competitive — Fun! And watch your stock improve at work.

Meetings. Presentations. Part of the day-to-day rhythm which lulls the repressed child in everyone into a hypnotic trance called “Work!”

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Adults have one big advantage over the repressed child: they can re-write the rules with FUN as a major component!

Novelty. Choice. Competition. The simple components which make childhood play so absorbing, also command a high level of attention for adults.

Fun Works!

Dessert:
Enjoy the Beach Boys
Singing Fun, Fun, Fun!

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