When did it get so serious?

"And acting so damn mysterious… got shades on your eyes and your heels so high that you can't even have a good time."

Now then if you can’t name me the song, then we can’t be friends..

But when did adulting and working in business mean that we had to be so serious.

There was I this morning – on an actual Monday -  having a right good chortle with my work colleague, friend, Jennie. So much so I had tears streaming down my face as we sent each the new video messaging options on whatsapp. (Well, to be fair I was mainly laughing at her.)

Now Jennie is one of my biggest clients, and I also count Jennie as a friend. She’s someone I can be myself with, laugh with and also negotiate fees and budgets with.

And it got me thinking about the power of that there fun in the workplace.

Many moons ago, in a corporate world I thankfully no longer inhabit, someone told me I'd probably get further in my career if I was a bit more serious. They suggested I should listen to Radio 4 (I told them I'd never be grown-up enough for that). Their words quieted me, made me think that if I wasn't serious, I wouldn't be taken seriously.

So, I donned the power suits – because that's how we women showed we deserved a place at the table in the early 2000s – and I worked really hard on my serious side. But you know what? It stopped me from showing up as me, the real me, driven by fun, laughter, and joy. Enjoying what I do and showing it.

There was a turning point - eventually

Thank crunchie, I did the work, chucked the power suits; the Dynasty shoulder pads were no more and stopped listening to Dourpuss Doris, and started leaning into who I am and what I stand for – showing up for what I believed in and leading from my values – not someone elses.

And Blimey O Riley, with the promise of a smirk, the twinkle of an eye, and a smile creeping in, I discovered something powerful: joy isn't just nice to have in business – it's essential.

Joy Matters. Fun Matters

We've got to challenge this notion that seriousness equals success. It doesn’t. It doesn’t mean that we’re a proper grown-up. There’s a zeitgeist of sorrow and suffering at the moment; I call it the woe is me movement. Now I am not suggest we go full on PollyAnna – I’m the Queen of keeping it real but I am suggesting we lean into some fun.

1. It Boosts Productivity: Research from the University of Warwick found that happiness makes people about 12% more productive

2. It Sparks Creativity: A study in the Journal of Positive Psychology showed that people in positive moods are better at divergent thinking, a key component of creativity

3. It Improves Problem-Solving: Researchers at Stanford found that a positive mood can help people see the big picture and come up with more innovative solutions.

4. It Creates Psychological Safety: And this for my is the biggie…Google's Project Aristotle found that psychological safety was the most crucial factor in high-performing teams. It's a lot easier to feel safe when you're not worried about maintaining a serious facade all the time. Within my coaching business we approach a whole heap of challenges, of limiting beliefs and emotional states but with a foundation of ease, fun, being relaxed, clients can approach these uncomfortable emotions feeling safe and secure.

Bringing Fun Back to Business

Now then; for Karen in the back, I'm not suggesting that the old GP should go all Chuckle Brothers when you finally manage to get an appointment and they’re upping the HRT because that would not work out well. I’m not suggesting we should turn performance reviews into comedy routines. But I am proposing that most of us could seek to create a bit more joy in our adulting, in our business lives.

So it brought me all the joy when my lovely client, Jo had completed her Coach in your Pocket programme with me and left me her review that started with “First and foremost - working with Sarah is fun.”

Let’s bring the fun back and see what happens to our productivity, passion and potential.