Take The Challenge

It’s time to get ready for a Fun Friday! With Friday, 12th April being ‘Walk on Your Wild Side Day, ’ it’s a great time to step out of your comfort zone and do something fun at work and home that no one expects you to do. Accept the challenge ‘to find and embrace your wild side and share the moment with us’ - take a quick pic of you doing something ‘on the wild side’ and share it on our social media. Don’t forget to tag us so we can be a part of your ‘Walk on Your Wild Side Challenge’. The rewards will include making the rest of us smile.

Thomas and Ruth Roy at wellcat.com are the creators of this celebration. They recognise that "what others would think" is the dumbest reason not to do something and suggest that it denotes a lack of courage. You can see this day as an opportunity to do something fun you've always wanted to try and never done out of fear.

The fun vs fear factor is an integral part of my ethical leadership 4D approach (longer, wider, deeper and lighter) – a perspective I encourage all of us to adopt. Being ‘lighter’ involves harnessing the wisdom and power available from encouraging more joy, light, levity and laughter rather than taking ourselves so seriously that our businesses are dull and/or grey, stress-filled and unhealthy.

Lighter and Deeper

As an investment adviser, I ‘engage’ with fund managers and companies to encourage them to adopt a stronger 4D perspective and implement associated practices, such as transformational leadership development. This engagement is intended to help funds and companies perform better and our investment clients’ money matter more. We aim to create more sustainable wealth and well-being and to transform money, business and the world. I wholeheartedly encourage fund managers to ask company leaders they are considering investing in: How are those companies investing in developing the ‘lighter’ and ‘deeper’ sides of ‘human capital’ and specifically what they are doing to be more fun?!

For example, I’m involved with an approach that offers a workshop titled ‘Are We Having Fun Yet?’ The key takeaways from this workshop are:

Embrace joy and playfulness as transformative forces.
Cultivate a ‘light touch’ in navigating life’s challenges.
Uncover the profound truths that often hide behind moments of laughter.
Discover the art of balancing depth and lightheartedness on your inner journey.

It Can Pay to Laugh

Describing work as “often a humourless endeavour”, The Harvard Business Review highlights that whether we are earnestly attempting to solve big problems (and solving the world’s environmental and social problems certainly qualify as “big”) and/or striving for good financial returns, “jokes and laughter often seem out of place. But levity can actually help us achieve those serious goals”.

Research shows leaders with any sense of humour are seen as 27% more motivating and admired than those who don’t joke around. Their employees are 15% more engaged, and their teams are more than twice as likely to solve a creativity challenge — all of which can translate into improved performance.

Humour is about making things lighter, and in these challenging times, it can be extremely powerful, especially in the workplace. We need to laugh together, which not only releases three of the four ‘feel-good’ hormones (endorphins, dopamine and oxytocin) but could even positively affect the immune system. It affects our physiology and behaviours. A large-scale Norwegian study conducted over 15 years found that people with a sense of humour have a much better chance of survival if severe disease strikes them. They also live five to eight years longer on average.

According to research from institutions as serious as Wharton, MIT, and the London Business School, every smile brings business benefits. Laughter relieves stress and boredom, boosts engagement and well-being, and stimulates creativity, collaboration, analytic precision and productivity.

Research from the Bell Leadership Institute of 2,700 employees in various workplace settings over two years found that humour is highly regarded. When asked to describe the strengths and weaknesses of senior colleagues in their organisations, “sense of humour” and “work ethic” were mentioned twice as much as any other phrases. People are used to associating laughter with the best medicine, but they are often surprised that “sense of humour” is the phrase most frequently associated with the best leaders. Leaders rated most highly are those who have fun and work hard to get the job done.

We know that this translates to financial performance too. If the leaders are rated more highly, the team is healthy, happy and productivity is increased, then the company is most likely going to produce better returns.

Meet the ‘Joy Gang’

One of my inspirations for incorporating ‘lighter’ in my ‘model’ is Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, which I researched as a case study for my PhD back in the 90s. Back then, the company’s founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, were rockstars of ethical investment and socially responsible business. A key part of Ben & Jerry's philosophy and successful business formula was summed up in their slogan that appeared as a bumper sticker and on T-shirts: "If It's Not Fun, Why Do It?".

Back in those ‘good old days’ the company had a 'Joy Gang' - a company culture initiative with the mission to infuse joy and fun into everything they did. Activities included an Elvis Day, during which employees participated in look-, sound- and sneer-alike contests. Fred "Chico" Lager, the former CEO of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, describes coming to work in a white stretch limo, dressed as the “Las Vegas Elvis” in a “jumpsuit with flashy epaulettes”.

In his book ‘Ben and Jerry's: The Inside Scoop - How Two Real Guys Built a Business with a Social Conscience and a Sense of Humour' Chico notes that not all musical-themed Joy Gang events were as successful as Elvis Day. The celebration of Barry Manilow’s birthday bombed, mostly because they kept playing “Mandy” over the PA system!

Other Joy Gang activities included Halloween, Valentine's Day, Jungle Party (where every employee dressed up in jungle outfits), a Wild West Party, Vegas Night and Dead Day (in honour of the Grateful Dead's last Vermont concert). There was also their annual Dress-Up Day. Unlike conventional businesses that back then had a Casual Day once a year, Ben and Jerry's employees had to dress up in business suits.

Initiatives like the Joy Gang were examples of leadership and conscious culture creation. Lager notes, "If we're not consciously creating our culture, it devolves into cynicism - the prevailing mode of the national culture."

Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe

Another source of ideas is ‘My Tribe Print & Promo’, a pioneering Native American, Female-owned company nestled in the heart of Southern Georgia, USA. Their motto is ‘Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe’. They are “dedicated to delivering top-quality promotional products and printing solutions while advocating for the preservation of Native American culture, highlighting the struggles and successes of Native American tribes, businesses, and individuals”.

Their suggestions for Walk on Your Wild Side Day come with a Disclaimer that they are intended to be humorous and not taken seriously:

…It’s time to let your hair down (or put on a wig), take a walk on the wild side (or jump on a pogo stick), and unleash your inner animal (or wear a onesie).

…it’s a day to break free from the ordinary and do something out of the box. Whether you want to wear your pyjamas to work and/or eat dessert for breakfast, today is the day to let loose and have some fun.

But how can we celebrate this wacky day while staying true to our professional selves? Fear not, my wild friends! Here are some promotional product ideas to help you walk on your wild side without jeopardising your reputation at work:

Animal-themed Stress Balls: Squeeze a flamingo, hug a hippo, or embrace an elephant to let off some steam and show off your wild side.
Crazy Socks: If you’re feeling adventurous, wear a pair of socks with crazy designs or animal prints. Your coworkers might not notice at first, but once they do, they’ll be in awe of your wild fashion sense.
Wacky Hats: Go wild with a hat that is as crazy as you are! Whether it’s a pirate hat, a unicorn headband, or a Viking helmet, your headwear will be the talk of the office.
Funky Tote Bags: Ditch your boring briefcase and carry your stuff in a tote bag with a funky design. Who knows, it might even inspire your coworkers to walk on their wild side too!

Walk on Your Wild Side Day is the perfect opportunity to break out of your comfort zone, show off your wild side, and have some fun with promotional products. Just remember to keep it safe and appropriate for the workplace. Happy celebrating!

More Suggestions

The internet has more fun suggestions for ‘The Walk on Your Wild Side Day’ including:

Do something out of the ordinary for you.
Do something daring.
Have you ever watched someone do something and said to yourself, “I’d never do that!” Well, Wild Side Day is the day to do it.
It can be small or significant, from changing the look of your outfit to permanent tattoos and piercings.

Here are ten ideas:

Wear a funny hat all day.
Dye your hair a different colour.
Wear red lipstick all day.
Wear animal print or bold colours.
Go to work dressed like a gorilla.
Dress up as a movie character or rock star and go to work.
Catwalk the entire day at your workplace.
Sing karaoke, go dancing.
Ride a motorcycle, a skateboard, or an electric scooter.
Cook a wild and exotic meal.

But please don’t do something dangerous or illegal. Rather, think of something the normal and usual “you” would not do. Then, kick your shoes off and go do it… go wild. After you have performed this wild and crazy thing, don’t forget that you have social media bragging rights.

The Hippie News

To share a personal example, my most recent ‘Wild Side Production’, which has now had a couple of ‘performances’, is ‘The Hippie News’. My co-host, Miss Iss-Ipi (Serene Chellie, a.k.a. Professor Chellie Spiller), joined me. Here’s an excerpt (believe me, it is much better live!):

Rodger: Tonight’s news is brought to you by Parson’s Pest Control – Do you have rats, bed bugs and roaches? Well, Parsons will help you get rid of the rats and bedbugs, and help you smoke the roaches.

Chellie: Leading the news tonight, parliament has today passed a new law, making marijuana legal and haircuts against the law.

R: There has been a large protest today by the group “Hippies against Capitalism”. Protesters say they're against capitalism because money doesn't grow on trees.

… C: And researchers have also answered the perplexing question: “Why do hippies make good accountants?” They discovered it was because hippies are from a counter-culture.

There’s Always Happy Socks

If, like me, you enjoy the fun of wearing ‘Happy Socks’ – the latest offering is a Special Edition of ‘Elton John Happy Socks’. My favourites are the ‘Rocket Man’ socks for which the website promotion says:

It's gonna be a long, long time, before touchdown brings you 'round again to find, that you're not the one they thought you were at home. You're a rocket man! Take your fashion to the outer limits of space with these special edition Elton John socks.

The 3-Pack Gift Set ‘’Rocket Man’’ is inspired by the song “and iconic fashion accessories - platform shoes and star-shaped glasses - lead your steps on the path to becoming your own legend”.

Happy Socks have a significant commitment to sustainability and an interesting story about their journey.

The Elton John Special Edition Happy Socks have arrived in NZ stores in time for ‘Walk on Your Wild Side Day’. So, if all else fails and you want to make some effort, the Happy Socks promise is that “Fun, colourful socks will brighten anyone's day!”.

And It Need Not End on Friday!

The bigger challenge is to keep on walking on the wild side. This could include using Friday to commit to something bigger – like the following example from a blog titled: ‘What I Learned from Taking a Walk on the Wild Side’ by speaker, trainer and author and “medical lifestyle-medicine physician” Dr Jenny Brockis:

Lou Reed’s song “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” from his 1972 Transformer album is one of my all-time favourites. While the song is about individuals surviving on the fringes of society, for me, it’s also about knowing who we are and the choices we make, not just to get by, but to challenge ourselves to do something different, something exciting and participate in something bigger than us. Like signing up to participate in a charity walk for women’s heart health and The Heart Foundation.

An upcoming New Zealand example is The Heart Foundation’s ‘My Marathon – The fundraising race where you set the pace’:

Source: Heart Foundation

Challenge yourself to walk or run 42 km (or more) during the month of May to raise funds for heart research and to help save lives

You can do it on your own, or rally a team of friends, whānau or colleagues.

You decide the pace, and you decide the place.

Whatever your pace, we’ll be there to encourage you every step of the way – while you do your personal best to help win the race against heart disease.

The website includes the following suggestions for ‘Workplaces’ along with a comprehensive ‘Workplace Guide’:

Looking to build team spirit?

Challenge your workmates to walk or run 42 km (or more) during May and help raise vital funds for life-saving heart research as you go. Whether you’re working from home, the office or somewhere in between, MyMarathon provides a fun way to compete and connect as a team.

What’s more, it’s free to register and it’s easy to take part – all you need is a pair of walking/running shoes. You can create one team and take on the challenge alongside your colleagues or create multiple teams and compete against each other!

We’ll be there to support your workplace every step of the way with lots of easy templates and shareable resources to make your fundraising simple.

Together, you’ll walk or run a marathon during May, improve staff health and well-being, and work together to help save Kiwi hearts.