How many people do you know, were caught out by April fool jokes this year? Seth Godin played one of the best practical jokes when he blogged that Amazon was launching Kindle Zero a free tablet for all Prime members. Google pranksters were also out in full force with at least six witticisms catching out the gullible: Google announced the launch of a “Treasure Mode” function on Google Maps enabling the treasure hunter in all of us to find the lost bullion of Captain Kidd. Watch the video it’s a real hoot. The brilliant Google NoseBETA – The latest Google innovation, we are tricked into believing, is an “internet sommelier” allowing us to smell objects found off the internet using our mobile device. And, our personal favourtite the Google App Levity Algorithm provides business leaders with a tool to get more out of their memos, emails and meeting schedules. The HR Memo is algorithmically transformed into “The New Hotness”
All good fun and you can see a round up of these and other fab April Fools Day jokes for 2013 here.
By the way there is even a Museum of April Fools Day Hoaxes that lists the Top 100 April Fools Day jokes of all time, there really is something for everyone on the Internet!
When looking down the Top 100 list it’s interesting to note how many businesses clearly love a bit tomfoolery and yet for 364 days of the year fun is not how we’d describe corporations and that’s a real shame.
Fun is a great positive disruptor in the workplace. Not only is it a motivational force but also inspires creativity and innovation.
It’s not surprising that Google actively pushes the Puck-ometer. Google’s offices and culture places fun center stage. More places of work should have a fireman’s pole or foofy slides. But that is not essential as fun is an attitude rather than a thing. Passion, quests and storytelling all support an ethos of fun in the workplace.
As 2013 takes a stronger foothold, think about all the fun you could have in the workplace and how much fun you may not be having. Is “Fun” a corporate value at your company? If not challenge this. Rather than something non-corporate think of fun as the essence of all great competitive disruptions and show this video to your boss because there is a generation of young upstarts who expect strategy, business and success to be fun.