Getting grins with photo safaris, flowers, and ugly ties

Here are a few ideas from "Work Like Your Dog," by Matt Weinstein and Luke Barber, to make your workplace more fun.

*Hold a drawing where the winner gets driven to and from work in a limo.

*Have the company president do your job for a day while you supervise.

*Instead of writing out checks for the holiday bonus, give out cash, close a few hours early, and take employees to the mall for a shopping spree.

*Bring a bottle of sparkling apple juice to work on alternate Fridays and toast the successes and failures over the past two weeks.

*Send pizza to the homes of employees who have worked overtime so they don't have to cook dinner.

*Bring in a bouquet of flowers for a co-worker. Tell him or her to keep it for 30 minutes and then pass the bouquet on to to someone else and tell that person to do the same.

*Organize a "Photo Safari," where each team - armed with a disposable camera - has to bring back photos of themselves in unusual situations, such as sitting in a police car.

*Sponsor an ugly tie or ugly shoe contest and let customers and suppliers be the judges.

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society