Seriously Fun

Fun is a great firestarter. When kids don't want to eat, you make the meal fun by adding colour or shaping it into a clown face. When kids don't want to learn, you turn it into a game. Inside every adult is a kid.

John McInroy (@JohnMcInroy) is doing a lot of good from an idea that was fun. He and his friend started wearing red socks on Friday to remember each other. The idea spread and became Red Sock Friday (@redsockfriday). We all witnessed the Ice Bucket Challenge and how quickly that spread. Because an issue is serious doesn't mean we have to be serious in our approach to raising awareness or in rallying the troops.

My inner kid loves Movember. It initially started as a bit of fun from a bunch of aussie mates. Seeing that there was very little awareness about testicular and prostate cancer, they decided to try create Movember as something similar to what is being done for breast cancer. The mo becomes the pink ribbon - but on your face. Since then MoBros and MoSistas have raised about £270 million across 21 countries supporting 581 projects.

I have worked for three companies and all three have been incredibly generous in their support for Movember. It has been a wonderful team building exercise and a great way to create a bit of office banter. It has also been particularly useful where offices are spread around the world. A little bit of healthy competition and a reason to send amusing updates helps people get to know each other.

I have tended to spice things up a bit by adding a forfeit. In 2010 I dressed as Charlie Chaplin to our Year End Party after reaching my target, the following year I ended up in drag with waxed legs, and the next a bald, grey-mo'ed Gandhi. I moved companies in 2013 and Movember was a particularly useful way of getting to know everyone. I wasn't quite brave enough to have an extroverted forfeit having only arrived two months before the start of Movember, but the firm was full of incredibly generous people and we managed to rally over 20 participants from around the world despite being predominantly client facing. The idea of Movember is now mainstream enough that executives participate.

With 10 days to go till the start of Movember, it would be great if you could start the office banter and get some teams together. Below is a clip from the founder of Movember telling the origin story.

If you are keen to join in, please do sign up, if you want to join my team - sign up here http://moteam.co/comoaltion.

2010-2011-2012

2013