Fun is Good

How to create Joy & Passion in your workplace & CareerMike Veeck & Pete Williams

About Me & my

writter

• Mike Veeck runs six minor-league baseball teams, and for each of them he's drafted a business plan that begins with three simple words: "Fun is good." The fun-is-good philosophy not only has worked to make an evening at one of his ballparks--full of laughs, zany promotions, and free giveaways--enjoyable for everyone; it has transformed a half-dozen money-losing or start-up teams into a thriving $25 million business.

• In this book Veeck, son of legendary baseball owner Bill Veeck, shows why an injection of fun, creativity, and passion is so essential to business success.

FUN IS GOOD philosophy begins and end with

• Throughout, the book is peppered with vignettes, where we hear firsthand from people who have benefited professionally and personally from the fun-is-good philosophy and how they have applied it specifically to their own industries and careers.

• Veeck's program will likely be most effective in service-oriented businesses where the joy of work diminishes in the struggles with disgruntled customers and demanding bosses.

 

Fun Is Good

TheoryPART I

The Right attitude For the people who work with fun is

good philosophy, fun is an attitude. An experience. It's why everyone from head groundskeeper to the president and co-owner is passionate about coming to work. Having fun on the job makes these employees more creative, more productive, and ultimately more satisfied. They don't take themselves too seriously. They treat each other with respect. And they make every day an event.

Positive Attitude 1. Deal with tough times2. Built rapport with clients3. Improves the

environment in the office4. Efficiency and creativity

and confidence5. Helps to take the first

step – as people are trained to believe that the failure rate is high when you make that leap

Attitude is contagious , whether positive or negative

Lesson 1

What is your

• Does your passion relate to your career• If not can the expertise and the passion from

that hobby be applied to your job• Wrong approach to our career – We look at

what’s out there, and then try to fit ourselves to that role- shouldn’t it be the other way round?

• Passion is cornerstone of fun is good philosophy, and if you let it be your guide, you’ll achieve success.

• The key is that if you go to a job that you love, the trip becomes the reward

• In job interview’s be inquisitive and ask questions

Lesson 2

Chiefs and Indians

• Its important to blur the line between chief and Indians. The chief need to go out and work the front lines so that the Indians know there’s not a single job out there that the chief hasn’t done.

• The key to any successful Fun is Good organization is that the Indians have to believe they can become chiefs. We move people around our organization constantly which helps them to acquire new skills and move up.

1. No designation or titles2. Design of office – open up the cubicles, don’t allot

space in the office depending on their title, create a harmonious atmosphere in which coworkers feel comfortable interacting

3. Give employees freedom4. A dart board, Nerf Basketball hoop or a pool table

can work wonders in the office. 5. Be accessible to employees so that they can give

suggestions

Lesson 3

How to apply Fun Is Good in

your life

PART II

The power of Irreverence

• Everyone wants to laugh at work. Don’t be afraid to poke fun at yourself or your company. Successful companies are viewed as irrelevant.

• Promote a causal Friday environment, not just the dress code. Everyone should feel comfortable suggesting ideas, no matter how outlandish.

• Every office needs a few “Good clubhouse” people to keep things lose

Treat people the way you'd want to be treated.

Get to know your coworkers and customers on a personal level. You will be amazed at the benefits

The Human Touch

Embracing Failure

• Don’t take failures so seriously. Learn from them . Recognize them as assets.

• Its never too late to start over.

• Staying in a bad job snaps energy and spirit. Get out as quickly as possible.

• You learn something from every job• Resignation is not quitting. It’s resigning yourself to

something better.• Unless it’s for poor performance, there’s no shame in being

fired.• Offer second chances. You might need one yourself some day. • Laughter is the key to overcoming the fear of public speaking.• Change isn’t just good. It’s a necessity.

Lesson

Philosophy of his dad and how he employed fun is good philosophy

in his career and business

Business is not about you Keep the office area clean Laugh at adversity Business is all about the customer satisfaction Be a Hustler Live a life of creativity Never lose your childhood curiosity Money has little relationship to enjoying life Be color blind, gender blind, age blind, and experience blind Speak to everyone, Including media. Public speaking is a

valuable skill

Fun Is Good Theory is

easy to apply but difficult to maintain

PART III

Every Day is Opening Day

• Constantly try to change, evolve and push yourself.

• Change is good.• Implement change to prevent a downturn,

not in response to one

Lesson

Childhood curiosity

Volunteer Work

Customer Service

Success

Key to Success

• Pablo Picasso once declared that “Every Child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”

• The solution to Picasso problem is startlingly simple: We just need to think like a little kid. The end result is that we regain the creativity lost with time.

Take Home Point