The Importance of Fun in the Workplace

@BuildStep FeatureBuildItem feature() { return new FeatureBuildItem(FEATURE); } @Record(STATIC_INIT) @BuildStep
public void helloBuildStep(HelloRecorder recorder) { recorder.sayHello("World"); } @Record(RUNTIME_INIT) @BuildStep LogHandlerBuildItem addLogHandler(final MinecraftLogHandlerMaker maker, BeanCon return new LogHandlerBuildItem(maker.create(beanContainer.getValue())); } /** * Makes the interceptor as a bean so we can access it. */ @BuildStep void beans(BuildProducer<AdditionalBeanBuildItem> producer) { producer.produce(AdditionalBeanBuildItem.unremovableOf(MinecraftLogIntercep producer.produce(AdditionalBeanBuildItem.unremovableOf(MinecraftService.cla } @BuildStep AnnotationsTransformerBuildItem transform() { return new AnnotationsTransformerBuildItem(new AnnotationsTransformer() { public boolean appliesTo(org.jboss.jandex.AnnotationTarget.Kind kind) { return kind == org.jboss.jandex.AnnotationTarget.Kind.METHOD; } public void transform(TransformationContext context) { if (context.getTarget().asMethod().hasAnnotation(JAX_RS_GET)) { context.transform().add(MinecraftLog.class).done(); } } }); Holly Cummins Red Hat @[email protected] the importance of fun in the workplace

@[email protected] #RedHat

@[email protected] #RedHat first things first.

@[email protected] #RedHat first things first. why is there a duck
on the title slide?

@[email protected] #RedHat first things first. why is there a duck
on the title slide? answer: science.

@holly_cummins #RedHat

350,000 participants ranked jokes (world’s largest scientific experiment)

controlled experiments show: ducks make jokes funnier

funniest joke in Belgium:

why do ducks have webbed feet? funniest joke in Belgium:

why do ducks have webbed feet? to stamp out fires.
funniest joke in Belgium:

why do elephants have flat feet? funniest joke in Belgium:

why do elephants have flat feet? to stamp out burning ducks. funniest joke in Belgium:

@[email protected] #RedHat ma’am, this is a wendy’s.

@[email protected] #RedHat ma’am, this is a wendy’s. ma’am, this is
a technology conference.

@[email protected] #RedHat second things second.

@[email protected] #RedHat second things second. why am i qualified to
talk about fun in the workplace?

@holly_cummins #RedHat 2016

@holly_cummins #RedHat 2022

@holly_cummins #RedHat Let’s talk about your career.

@holly_cummins #RedHat “Hi boss! YOW London was great!   I
learned so much that will help me be a better employee! I know you wanted to do a code review of my 10 most salient lines of code and then maybe fire me, but let me tell you about how ducks are the funnest animal instead!”

@[email protected] #RedHat Specialty: Having fun at work

@[email protected] #RedHat Are you brave enough? Specialty: Having fun at
work

@[email protected] #RedHat Are you brave enough? I’m not :)

@holly_cummins #RedHat Wait. Where’s “fun-loving”?

@holly_cummins #RedHat We keep fun a secret. Wait. Where’s “fun-loving”?

@holly_cummins #RedHat Puritan confronts ale drinkers Howard Pyle

@holly_cummins #RedHat what is fun?

@holly_cummins #RedHat Fungi.

@holly_cummins #RedHat Fungi. A Fun Guy.

@holly_cummins #RedHat "Fun is a point on the intersection of
engagement levels and social interaction for a given activity.” Fun: An Exploration in its Relevance to Interaction Design - Elise Woolley, 2010

@holly_cummins #RedHat How do you measure fun? Excerpted from Elise
M. Woolley, B.S., Fun: An Exploration in its Relevance to Interaction Design

@holly_cummins #RedHat That was called the Funtinuum.

@holly_cummins #RedHat That was called the Funtinuum. If you remember
just one thing from this talk …

@holly_cummins #RedHat Photo by Linearahandmade@etsy Exploration

@holly_cummins #RedHat Photo by William Warby Puzzle

@holly_cummins #RedHat Play

@holly_cummins #RedHat Game

@holly_cummins #RedHat Work

@holly_cummins #RedHat Exploration focussed investigation

@holly_cummins #RedHat Play flexible for its own sake Exploration focussed
investigation

investigation Puzzle a goal and rules

investigation Games a winner and rules Puzzle a goal and rules

@holly_cummins #RedHat Play flexible for its own sake Work a
goal Exploration focussed investigation Games a winner and rules Puzzle a goal and rules

goal Exploration focussed investigation Games a winner and rules Puzzle a goal and rules jokes laughter

@holly_cummins #RedHat Positive affect

@holly_cummins #RedHat It feels good

@holly_cummins #RedHat fun happiness joy laughter delight silliness jokes

@holly_cummins #RedHat Programming is fun.

@holly_cummins #RedHat We get to control stuff when we program.

@[email protected] #RedHat programming is fun

@[email protected] #RedHat programming is fun making is fun

@[email protected] #RedHat programming is fun making is fun being useful
is fun

@[email protected] #RedHat programming is fun making is fun puzzles are
fun being useful is fun

fun learning is fun being useful is fun

fun learning is fun code is squishy and awesome being useful is fun

@holly_cummins #RedHat Photo by Linearahandmade@etsy Exploration

@holly_cummins #RedHat Photo by Linearahandmade@etsy Exploration > Hello, World

@holly_cummins #RedHat Photo by William Warby Puzzle

@holly_cummins #RedHat Photo by William Warby Puzzle Exception in thread
"main" java.lang.NullPointerException: WhyWhyWhyIsThisHappeningNullPointerException at StackTraceExample.method111(StackTraceExample.java:15) at StackTraceExample.method11(StackTraceExample.java:11) at StackTraceExample.method1(StackTraceExample.java:7) at StackTraceExample.main(StackTraceExample.java:3)

@holly_cummins #RedHat Game

@holly_cummins #RedHat Katie Bouman, discovering that her algorithm for imaging
black holes worked.

@holly_cummins #RedHat Katie Bouman, discovering that her algorithm for imaging
black holes worked. It feels good

@holly_cummins #RedHat Why are most of our workplaces Not Fun?

@holly_cummins #RedHat The 1980/90's Management Model Very hierarchical Control favoured
over autonomy Technology seen as a cost centre

@holly_cummins #RedHat http:/ /www.defenceimagery.mod.uk

@holly_cummins #RedHat processes control us Photo by Michal Matlon on
Unsplash

@holly_cummins #RedHat processes control us Photo by Michal Matlon on
Unsplash dumb

@holly_cummins #RedHat the value of fun in the workplace

@holly_cummins #RedHat Research shows: Fun is good for business.

job satisfaction is the no. 1 predictor of organizational performance

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” Aristotle

@holly_cummins #RedHat “so, what was said on the conference call?”

“I have no idea …

“I have no idea … but they were laughing, so the project is OK. ”

“I have no idea … but they were laughing, so the project is OK. ” a team that doesn’t laugh together doesn’t want to work together

@holly_cummins #RedHat laughter:

@holly_cummins #RedHat laughter: defuses tense situations

@holly_cummins #RedHat laughter: defuses tense situations creates team cohesion

@holly_cummins #RedHat laughter: defuses tense situations creates team cohesion is
a nice muscle workout

@holly_cummins #RedHat Studies have shown... Employee fun

@holly_cummins #RedHat Studies have shown... Employee fun Less sick leave

Harder working

Harder working More productivity

@holly_cummins #RedHat https:/ /hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence

@holly_cummins #RedHat “Your brain at positive is 31% more productive
than your brain at negative, neutral or stressed. " https:/ /hbr.org/2012/01/positive-intelligence

@holly_cummins #RedHat https:/ /www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/eproto/workingpapers/happinessproductivity.pdf

@holly_cummins #RedHat "Individuals [who just watched a comedy video] have
approximately

@holly_cummins #RedHat play helps creativity we work in a creative
industry

@holly_cummins #RedHat piglet litters grow faster if they play more
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/8746156155

@holly_cummins #RedHat “my contractors are in their zone of competence.”
fun: cause and correlation

@holly_cummins #RedHat How much fun can you expect to have?
https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/paulesson/3065570366

@holly_cummins #RedHat How much fun can you expect to have?
(Yes, this is a picture of lots of fungi. You’re welcome.) https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/paulesson/3065570366

@holly_cummins #RedHat Fun. What could possibly go wrong?

@holly_cummins #RedHat Fun. What could possibly go wrong? 2008: A
developer had a lot of fun with Groovy.

@holly_cummins #RedHat Fun. What could possibly go wrong? 2008: A
developer had a lot of fun with Groovy. 2009: The others who had to maintain the code had less fun.

@holly_cummins #RedHat Limits to Fun Photo by Joshua Hoehne on
Unsplash

@holly_cummins #RedHat Limits to Fun • Fun has business value.
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

• Logical extension: only do activities if they’re fun and enjoyable! Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

• Logical extension: only do activities if they’re fun and enjoyable! • Uh, no. Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

@holly_cummins #RedHat Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash

@holly_cummins #RedHat balance

@holly_cummins #RedHat Just because it's fun, doesn't mean it's good.

@holly_cummins #RedHat https://twitterisgoinggreat.com/

@holly_cummins #RedHat `

thanks, Manu Corbet!   https:/ /twittoons.com/

@holly_cummins #RedHat https://twitterisgoinggreat.com/

@holly_cummins #RedHat psychological safety

@[email protected] #RedHat “It was truly the most amazing, supportive, wonderful,
empowering place I’ve ever worked”   – Andy Piper

@[email protected] #RedHat “It was truly the most amazing, supportive, wonderful,
empowering place I’ve ever worked”   – Gergely Orosz

@[email protected] #RedHat #LoveWhereYouWorked

@[email protected] #RedHat watch this space …

@holly_cummins #RedHat "I love the smell of napalm in the
morning .... smells like victory.” Bill Kilgore, Apocalypse Now

@holly_cummins #RedHat "I love the smell of napalm in the
morning .... smells like victory.” Bill Kilgore, Apocalypse Now Is everyone having fun?

@holly_cummins #RedHat who are we including in our laughter? who
are we excluding? https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/davefayram/4266804988

@holly_cummins #RedHat Enjoy fun. Responsibly.

How to achieve fun

Step 1. Find un-fun things. Get rid of them.

Step 0. Stop prohibiting fun. Obviously.

@holly_cummins #RedHat “Please stop sending emails telling people you are
sharing cake.”

@holly_cummins #RedHat “If you’re in the office after 5:30, you
need to be doing work.”

@holly_cummins #RedHat “Why are you smiling? Work isn’t a place
to be happy!” - a prowling project manager

Step 1. Find un-fun things. Get rid of them.

@holly_cummins #RedHat   A process being unfun is a red
flag that it’s not adding value.

Step 1. Find un-fun things. Get rid of them. ...
because they're probably waste.

@holly_cummins #RedHat We all hate being told what to do.
Usually, because we know it’s wrong. Let people make their own decisions.

@holly_cummins #RedHat Fun Not-Fun Effective tools Bad tools Programming Meetings
Puzzles Mysteries Collaboration Criticism Just doing it Process/Ceremony Learning Repeating Designing Sizing Doing Status reporting Prototyping Hardening Interactions Interruptions Making a difference Being a cog

Puzzles Mysteries Collaboration Criticism Just doing it Process/Ceremony Learning Repeating Designing Sizing Doing Status reporting Prototyping Hardening Interactions Interruptions Making a difference Being a cog We can fix these.

Puzzles Mysteries Collaboration Criticism Just doing it Process/Ceremony Learning Repeating Designing Sizing Doing Status reporting Prototyping Hardening Interactions Interruptions Making a difference Being a cog Streamlined process Pair programming #noestimates Self-directed teams Automation We can fix these. Knowledge sharing Self-generating status MVP

@holly_cummins #RedHat Pair programming

@[email protected] #RedHat Status for all to see.

@[email protected] #RedHat Keep stories small, so status is self-reporting. Daily
stand-up. Keep it short. Status for all to see.

@[email protected] #RedHat #noestimates Estimates are rarely accurate. Why bother??

@[email protected] #RedHat Testing should not be something we do only
at the end. TDD is fun.

@holly_cummins #RedHat Automation Computers don’t expect to have fun (yet).
Let them do the tedious tasks. Bonus: Automating stuff is fun (yay!). With permission of Richard Greenhill and H

@holly_cummins #RedHat Toil https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/seat850/3341460975 SRE is a whole discipline
dedicated to eliminating toil from ops because toil isn’t worth it.

@holly_cummins #RedHat “devops helps make our lives humane and win
in the marketplace.” -Gene Kim

@holly_cummins #RedHat continuous delivery should feel easy and fun

@holly_cummins #RedHat continuous delivery should feel easy and fun if
it doesn’t, maybe you’re doing it wrong?

@holly_cummins #RedHat Fast feedback matters.

Step 2: Add fun

@[email protected] #RedHat Your brain needs breaks.

@holly_cummins #RedHat Can our job be fun?

@holly_cummins #RedHat Play a goal Exploration

goal Exploration focussed investigation Games a winner and rules Puzzle a goal and rules

@holly_cummins #RedHat gamification

@holly_cummins #RedHat gamification (management loves)

@holly_cummins #RedHat The Fun Theory “something as simple as fun
is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better”

@holly_cummins #RedHat 7186 new lines of coverage

@holly_cummins #RedHat 7186 new lines of coverage 1000 new tests
added

added 230 issues fixed

added 230 issues fixed 10 years of tech debt resolved

@holly_cummins #RedHat what dazzling reward achieved that?

@holly_cummins #RedHat 1 free lunch ➡ 230 issues fixed what
dazzling reward achieved that?

@holly_cummins #RedHat metrics matter

@holly_cummins #RedHat remember, you get what you measure

@holly_cummins #RedHat gamification is so motivating it will drive people
do the wrong thing

@holly_cummins #RedHat employees are not stupid they may notice they’ve
been gamed

goal Exploration focussed investigation Games a winner and rules Puzzle a goal and rules jokes laughter

@holly_cummins #RedHat Easter Eggs https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/47142913712

@holly_cummins #RedHat Play Children learn through play.

@holly_cummins #RedHat learn skill while “playing on the job” use
skill later on for real work

Failing at   Fun

@holly_cummins #RedHat 31% of us dislike team-building activities. http:/ /www.successfulmeetings.com/Strategy/Meeting-Strategies/When-Teambuilding-Fails/

@holly_cummins #RedHat fun is not a formula

@holly_cummins #RedHat fun may wear out

@holly_cummins #RedHat some people like evening socialising, some people hate
it

@holly_cummins #RedHat how do you know you’re having fun if
you’re not measuring it?

@holly_cummins #RedHat How to ruin an office party? Take attendance.

@holly_cummins #RedHat Failing at Fun Forgetting to fix the other
stuff.

@holly_cummins #RedHat A layer of fun

@holly_cummins #RedHat A layer of fun … on top of
a terrible workspace …

@holly_cummins #RedHat A layer of fun … on top of
a terrible workspace … is still terrible.

@holly_cummins #RedHat photo by Marco Verch, https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/454818

@holly_cummins #RedHat my least fun project: photo by Marco Verch,
https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/454818

@holly_cummins #RedHat my least fun project: agile coaches photo by
Marco Verch, https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/454818

@holly_cummins #RedHat my least fun project: agile coaches games photo
by Marco Verch, https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/454818

@holly_cummins #RedHat my least fun project: agile coaches games laminated
architecture diagrams photo by Marco Verch, https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/454818

@holly_cummins #RedHat my least fun project: agile coaches games laminated
architecture diagrams 1000 row requirement spreadsheets photo by Marco Verch, https:/ /www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/454818

Fun is important.

Fun is important. Recap on achieving fun:

Fun is important. Recap on achieving fun: 1. Get rid
of un-fun things

of un-fun things 2. Add fun things

of un-fun things 2. Add fun things Doing 2. without 1. is going to fail.

thank you Holly Cummins Red Hat @[email protected] slides

The Importance of Fun in the Workplace

The Importance of Fun in the Workplace

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