It’s that time of the year: drafts, beer, bets and money. Fantasy football has begun.
This 16-week craze has caused a lot of companies to worry about employee productivity, with many sources citing extreme revenue loss (in the billions!) from players using work hours to manage their teams from laptops, phones, and tablets.
Instead of perpetuating the unproductive atmosphere with employees hiding their leagues, company leaders should embrace it! Bringing fantasy football into the workplace can increase employee engagement, strengthen relationships, and teach healthy time management– if done correctly. Here’s how leaders can turn this productivity drain into a gain at their organizations:
1. Spearhead a League
The c-suite and managers need to be part of the solution and participate! Leadership should create a company-wide fantasy football league and encourage EVERYONE to play. This shows employees it’s OK to be involved, sparks healthy competition between staff, and starts conversations between management and coworkers that may not be happening. It ultimately becomes a workplace benefit that strengthens relationships across all levels of a company.
2. Host the Draft at the Office
It’s not enough for managers to coordinate a league… they need to execute the planning and creation! Reserve a conference room after work, order pizza, and host the draft in the office. This creates an environment that employees WANT to go, and helps people meet one another and build cross team camaraderie.
3. Manage Workflow
It’s key for managers to not only participate in the league with employees, but to manage accordingly. Be upfront with employees: let them know it’s OK to play, but set the expectation that deliverables still need to be accomplished. Ensure employees understand they are responsible for hitting their deadlines, but let them be in charge of their own time management.
