Are You Having Enough Fun? Why Workplace Joy Matters More Than Ever

When was the last time you felt genuine joy at work? I’m not talking about a polite smile during a team meeting or a quick laugh at a colleague’s joke. I mean that deep sense of delight that makes you think, “This is exactly where I want to be.” At SkyeTeam, we’ve discovered something powerful: workplace joy isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic imperative. That’s why we’ve made it one of our core values, alongside collaboration and trust.

The Business Case for Workplace Joy

My journey with workplace joy started years ago while observing high-performing teams. I noticed a fascinating pattern: the most successful teams weren’t just productive—they genuinely enjoyed being together. As Eric, Ruby and I write in “You, Me, We,” strong relationships aren’t built solely in serious strategy sessions; they’re forged in moments of shared joy and authentic connection.

Ruby Vesely often says, “Lavish self-care is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.” The same applies to workplace joy. Too often, we treat joy like a reward—something we’ll allow ourselves to experience only after hitting our targets or completing our tasks. But here’s what years of working with leaders have taught me: joy isn’t the result of success; it’s often the catalyst for it.

Finding Flow: The Science Behind Workplace Joy

Psychologists call it “flow”—that magical state where you’re so absorbed in what you’re doing that time seems to disappear. It’s not about forced team-building exercises or mandatory fun (we’ve all endured those). Instead, it’s about creating conditions where people can become genuinely immersed in their work and connections with others.

Think about your own peak experiences at work. When do you perform at your best? Is it when you’re stressed, serious, or energized and engaged? Research consistently shows that people in flow states are happier and more creative, productive, and resilient.

Creating a Culture of Workplace Joy: The SkyeTeam Way

At SkyeTeam, we’ve developed “scheduled spontaneity.” Yes, it sounds contradictory, but here’s why it works: joy doesn’t just happen by accident—it needs space to flourish. We deliberately create opportunities for connection and delight in our workday. This might mean starting team meetings with celebrations, holding walking meetings instead of sitting in conference rooms, or encouraging random acts of appreciation.

The key is intentionality. Look at your calendar right now. Where could you create space for joy? It could be scheduling a coffee chat with a colleague you admire or turning your following project review into a collaborative brainstorming session. Even minor adjustments can transform how we feel about our day.

Ripples & Joys: Small Moments, Big Impact – Let me tell you about one of my favourite parts of working at SkyeTeam. We have this tradition at the start of our team meetings – Ripples and Joys. I know what you’re thinking: “Oh great, another forced team-building exercise.” But stick with me here because this is different.

Picture this: You’re in a meeting (yes, another meeting), but instead of diving straight into the agenda, someone shares how a client just had this fantastic breakthrough moment. Then someone else jumps in about something hilarious that happened during their last video call. Before you know it, the energy has completely shifted. This is the power of Ripples and Joys.

Here’s what amazes me: once one person starts sharing these moments of joy, it’s like opening a floodgate. Suddenly, we all have something to share—maybe it’s about nailing a presentation they were nervous about, finally figuring out that tricky Excel formula (we’ve all been there!), or even finding the perfect sourdough recipe!

I’ve seen this habit transform teams in ways I never expected. One of our executive clients started using this technique in their meetings – and you could see everyone light up with that shared sense of “Wow, what we do matters.”

The beauty of this practice is its simplicity. There’s no app to download, no complicated process to follow—just people sharing real moments that made them smile. And here’s the thing—once you start looking for these moments of joy in your day, you start finding them everywhere. It lets you see all the good stuff you might have missed before.

So why not give it a try? I promise you this: it’s hard to stop once you start. And before you know it, you might lead a mini joy revolution in your workplace.

From Theory to Practice: Your Workplace Joy Action Plan

Here’s your challenge (and yes, I want you to do this): Create three intentional moments of workplace joy this week. They don’t need to be grand gestures. Start a meeting with a question that makes people think and smile. Take a colleague for a walking meeting instead of a video call. Share a moment of delight in your team chat.

As I share with the leaders I am coaching: relationships are built in moments—not just in the big, dramatic moments but in the small, joy-filled interactions that happen every day. These moments of workplace joy aren’t just nice to have—they’re essential for building the strong, resilient relationships that drive success.

After years of working with leaders and teams, I know life’s too short for joyless work. We spend too much time at work not to make it enjoyable. When we prioritize workplace joy, we don’t just create happier teams—we build more successful organizations.

So, what moment of workplace joy will you create today?