Fun@work helps stimulate the workforce.

Fun@work was set up as an intranet 'experiment' at Abbey National, a 30,000 person bank in 2000. It was the most visited site within their intranet over a two year period with daily interaction and virtual coaching to hundreds of staff leading to proven improvements in motivation, lower stress levels, re-engerisation and higher stimulation.

Fun@work works!!

I work on the phones and need this site to keep me going when I'm stressed out and the days are long. All my team check the site everyday for updates and we are very disappointed when you haven't updated. Shelley

The outcome is difficult to quantify. Visits are one good measure and fun@work was one of the most visited sites on the company intranet (see below). But it is almost impossible to be sure if it had an effect on staff turn-over, since several organisational factors were changed simultaneously. So 'proof' that it did make a difference, is based on qualitative feedback and the visits rate. A selection of feedback is shown here, justifying each claim. Almost fifty other comments are included here:

Intuitively the claims are supported by University research. Testing subjects both before and after a thorough laughing session have found that laughing lowers the blood pressure, releases natural pain killers (endorphins), and boosts the immune system.

Humour is beneficial to the human spirit as well as the body, but is there a place for humour and fun in the workplace? Yes of course there is! Let's just look at what we've mentioned so far, a boosted immune system, that translates into a healthier work force, meaning less sick days away from work. Lower blood pressure, combined with the release of endorphins, means a more relaxed person. And a more relaxed person has higher productivity, is more efficient, more accurate, has higher energy and works with greater purpose.

Sent: 17 August 2001 03:13 PM Subject: Your web.site! It has become apparent that your creativity web site is being used widely across the Dept. that I manage. Having viewed the web site I am a little confused about what part such a web site has in the workplace - particularly as it is being used during working hours. It has been fairly difficult to track down the site as it does not appear to be advertised in the normal way and I wonder how on earth my people have come across this. I would welcome your views and your advice about how I can curb the use of your site during time my area is paying for! Name: A worried fan! Send: 14 November 2001 I have just had my one to one with my line manager. We get on fairly well and we were having a bit of a laugh. She then changed her tone and said she had noticed me looking at this site. She was not happy about it as she thought that it was a waste of time. I said that I had happened onto it by accident and had only glanced at it for about 5 minutes,(a very humorous 5 mins may I add!). She said she understood that but she was going to put forward a proposal for this site to be removed as it wasted valuable business time. She has placed a ban on our part of the branch from looking at it. PLEASE tell me that this site is not going to removed. Also, is it right that my manager can place a ban on us from looking at this site? Thanks. Sent: 21 November 2001 12:56 PM To: David Weeks Subject: Managers Maybe we should have a name and shame of bad managers in this organisation. Until managers accept responsibility for low morale things will not change. I was horrified to read about the manager who was going to apply to have the site removed. Such small minded and inhuman thinking does not deserve to be rewarded or encouraged. Making staff work harder but stop for shorter periods is not the way ahead. If his manager does foward the request on, please let all of us who do read the site know who to, and we'll pass on our own requests. Sent: 27 November 2001 12:56 PM Subject : fun@ work I am the kind of person who likes to enjoy themselves. I think that a happy person is much more likely to work well than an unhappy one which is why I love this site so much! For example at the moment, I am in the middle of a very boring task involving piles of paperwork. I needed inspiration so have decided to visit MAP!! I am a branch manager for a branch that shall remain anon and have personally introduced this site to everyone in the branch and have found that people are much happier in themselves and achieve better results. With regard to the message from 'worried', perhaps managers such as myself who believe in the site should compare figures as I bet I know whose figure would average out higher! To all staff who are enjoying this site, I think its marvellous, motivating and most importantly FUN!!, which is something we all need to integrate into our work lives.

I have just discovered this site and congratulate you on it. Everyone needs a little pick me up every so often and after reading a couple of these (fun items), it brought a smile to my face and a positive head on me. I'm set up for the week now!

David, just wanted to say cheerio and thanks for keeping me remotely sane during my time here. If he doesnt already, your boss should really acknowledge the diference you make to our working day.

Thank u david for feeding my brain with so much humour, keep up the fab work

Superb!!!! The site is brillant , keeps you alive during long boring days .l would say make it easier to access as l found it by mistake...but like you say mistakes can lead to good fortune.

Yours is an excellent site and most people around here look at it. As you are aware we need more updates even though I appreciate your time is limited. The time these updates are most needed is Monday morning when most people need cheering up!

I find your site inspiring, informative, humourous, refreshing and a positive aspect of working here

What can I say??? This is a Brain saver.
How many times a week do we all go brain dead sitting here in our jobs like battery hens!!
Thanks for the light at the end of the tunnel.
Keep up the good work!! Your site is a great laugh & always manages to make me smile. : )xx

I would like to take this chance to say how much I enjoy your site and many of my colleagues (myself included) go into it on a daily basis. It does help a boring day go much quicker as well as putting a smile on my face.

I was just in need of a little lift and I used your 'thoughts' in the laughter section of the website. Great!!

This site is a fantastic idea and deserves proper recognition from management. Your work has lifted my spirits countless times when I thought I couldn't face another call. I leave the company next week and your site is the one thing I'll miss about the place. Keep up the good work, everyone I know in teleservice who has seen your site loves it!

What can I say? Magnifique, fantastic, awesome. I was all set to leave the company, but this site has corrected my negative mind-set. I now regularly "think outside the box". And my fellow workers have noticed a change in me too!
Bravo, David. Long may your good work continue.

Without the stimulation of this website I believe my brain would stop working completely. Thanks for all the effort you put in.

I just had to write to let you know that the new section (Inspirations) is, well, inspirational. It`s exactly what I need to keep me going during the dark days. I have been lifted beyond belief and would like to congratulate you on the section. I hope to be able to add to it myself in the near future. Once again, thank you.

The creativity site is fab - funny, stimulating and intriguing. The inspirations was great + almost brought a tear to my eye.

Everyone here in Belfast thinks your site is great and it's what keeps us sane everyday. I know we do get really bored in call centres and I feel myself going brain dead everyday. This site is one of the things that I actually look at as soon as I come into work. I personally would crack up if it weren't for brain teasers and jokes. After all call centres are not the place to inspire creativity!!!

I hadn't realised how much of an impact the Creativity Website had had on me until last Friday........ I found myself challenging my assumptions - something I definitely would not have done before my daily ritual with the Creativity website. And now that I've begun to learn this new skill, the real test will be to apply it to my working day. Watch this space!

The whole site is fantastic! I just found it on a (Rare) quiet afternoon. Particularly liked Corporate Fool - I've put it on the wall and shall point it out to my manager next time I tell it how it is!

WOW This made me laugh so much, I ended up ruining my mascara!! At the end of a very long tiring friday this made me smile. Thanks

The site is absolutely brilliant and I hope it stays, it gives us something different to talk about within the team, in between calls, and something to keep our minds occupied. Keep up the good work!

Hi, great site. I have been accessing the site since it first started and really like the changes you have made recently. Its good to see that someone is finally using our intranet to spread a bit of non-work fun. Keep up the good work, lots of us are behind you.

This site really must be changing the way I think, cos I haven't had a clue about many of the other puzzles before this one. Keep up the good work - you're clearly one of the companys more valuable assets.

Mental Athletics Rocks!

Keep up the good work its about time someone put something like this on the net and everyone is chilled out alot more.

I think your website is wonderful. If I'm doing a repetitive task (I'm in an admin job) I'll often get quite tired as the day wears on, but visiting this site keeps my brain ticking over & wakes me up again!

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that your idea for a morale booster website is just what we need.Within our call centre there are a lot of people off with stress & very fed up in general,to have such a website would give them a booster when they are at work.I love what you do already,more would would be great.Please pass on my comments to the HR Director so that he can give you the much needed resources that us staff need.Yes the ones at the bottom need stress relief too,we just can't afford it! Well done David Weeks ( and the rest of the team ) for your website, you deserve more intranet recognition & space. THANKYOU & KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, DON'T EVER LEAVE US!
(author note ...there ain't no team!)

I would just like to say thanks as you managed to stop me from cracking up on my shift today's as I found mental athletics and had a really good laugh and tried them out.
Keep up the good work and update with more if u can please.

I have to say how much of a pleasure the mental athletics programme has been. I have really enjoyed "stretching my brain muscles".

I particularly enjoyed reading the quotes section of map as this is one of my quirks, so I thought I would send you one of my favourite quotes, unfortunately I don't know who or where it originates from!
" inspiration comes too infrequently to be wasted" I couldn't agree more!!!

Just a quick note to say how interesting your site has proved to be over the months. it certainly makes a change from the dry and dusty manuals and work updates that proliferate everywhere else!!

I want to particularly thank you for week 8 challenge - being critical is usually equated with being negative - people just never want to find out what positive stuff one might have to say when they think one is being critical. It is the first time that I feel this is being acknowledged!

The site is it is a very well run site and is very good at enhancing creative thinking. I have only been here for about a month and the site has been a good introduction

AMAM Never mind your web site your ethos is just brilliant. Congratulations!! I think every new start should be directed to your site on their first day.

I have seen a number of managers enjoying this site.

I was delighted to see so much creative feedback. please, can we all be put in touch with each other - we obviously all have similar genetic make-up - funny bones, eggheads, itchy feet, and twinkles in the eye - perhaps we can help create a new environment to suit this constitution.

Hi it's me again, just wanted to thank you for putting my mind bender on the web page, and to let you know how wonderful it is, but if you don't mind me saying I want you to put more things on the web page as I enter it every day and I like to see new things all the time, but that's just me, I really like my brain to be taxed even though some times I'm a bit slow at thinking but this sight helps its brill. thanks a lot and keep up the good work.

I only just discovered this island paradise last week and thought it was a breath of fresh air amongst the stuffiness of business sites, a window of escapism, a respite from a dull day etc.

We here in telesales love the website, especially the fun section

Just thought I should drop you an email to let you know how much your site has contributed to my belief that there are some individuals at work that still have the spark or creativity within them and best of all a sense of humour.

I've very much enjoyed your site and often discussed the puzzles theories etc with others both inside and outside the business. Last Friday I printed off the family fortunes to regale friends with over our usual Friday drink, the ensuing hilarity it caused made me realise that there is nothing better than laughing with friends at the end of the week. I thought Maureen would need first aid she laughed so much.

This message doesn't really have a purpose I just want to say how great the creativity web site is especially the humour section, (it's cheered me up many a time) keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is very good and different we will be advising the Group Training Team to view this in our next communication

The site is fantastic !!
Very humours ( which we need) and informative.
Thanks for making the intranet fun.

You don't know me, but i feel i must write and say how much i have enjoyed looking at your website. I only discovered it today, and have been dipping in every now and then. It's great fun and very easy to navigate. I shall be spreading the word, as I think that if more people took a little time to 'have a play', we would see the benefits.
Anyway, thanks for a witty and informative site.

This message doesn't really have a purpose i just want to say how great the creativity web site is especially the humour section, (it's cheered me up many a time) Keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!