(Inspired by Nelson & Tamayo, Work Made FUN Gets Done!)
Most leaders treat “fun” like a perk.
A little add-on.
A shiny side dish meant to make the main course (work) go down easier.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Fun that’s disconnected from meaning isn’t fun. It’s noise.
The book Work Made FUN Gets Done! calls this out perfectly, and it couldn’t align more with what I see inside organizations every week. Leaders try to entertain their people. But entertainment isn’t engagement and it definitely isn’t connection.
Because people don’t remember activities, they remember how those activities made them feel.
Connected.
Competent.
Valued.
Part of something that matters.
You can serve the world's best pizza at the world's worst meeting, and guess what? You still have a bad meeting… now with grease stains. Clever themes won’t rescue a broken communication flow, a swag bag won’t magically boost retention. And a half-hearted team-builder activity won’t fix the tension sitting under the surface.
Meaningless fun is a sugar rush.
Meaningful fun is a strategy.
The real shift happens when you design experiences that intentionally connect people to:
- Purpose — Why we’re here, why it matters, what we’re building.
• Progress — What’s moving, what’s next, what we can celebrate.
• Each other — Trust, humanity, belonging, psychological safety.
• What’s next — The decisions, clarity, and momentum required to move forward.
When you focus here, things change. People show up differently, their conversations get braver. Ideas surface and culture becomes something people feel, not something written on your About page.
This is the backbone of how we work at E3 Planning.
I don’t use fun as entertainment.
I use fun as a communication tool: a way to deepen meaning, spark alignment, and make the work itself feel worth doing. Because when the experience is designed well, your people don’t need to be convinced. They’re already leaning in.
And leaders who embrace this approach see the difference immediately:
Higher alignment. Faster buy-in. Better results.
Every. Single. Time.
So let me ask you…
Where have you seen “fun” fall flat?
And what’s actually worked in your world?
I’d love to hear!
And if you're ready to turn your next gathering, rollout, or strategy moment into something people actually remember, let’s talk.