3 Things Your Workplace Can Learn from Parks and Recreation

The TV show Parks and Recreation recently ended and while I was sad to see it go, the final episodes were awesome and very satisfying.

I have admired the show for a while not just for being very funny and moving but also for how much the cast and crew obviously loved their work.

Here are 3 lessons any workplace could stand to learn from the cast of Parks and Rec.

3: Have someone nice at the top

In this clip Chris Pratt talks about the positive atmosphere they had on the set and how that started with their biggest star (#1 on the call sheet) Amy Poehler.

2: Give people freedom to screw up

Here the cast talk about the freedom they have to improvise lines because the set is “a super-safe environment” as Jim O’Heir who plays Garry/Jerry/Larry/Terry on the show puts it.

I love that – it reminds me of an article I wrote previously about Why You Should Celebrate Mistakes at Work.

1: Praise each other

Here are two clips from a late night show where the cast plays a game in which they have to toast each other in 20 seconds.

Could your team do something like this?

I think we all know that the world of movies and TV is not necessarily very happy. Just for contrast, here’s a list of movie co-stars who hated each other’s guts.

So to see a group of people who clearly love each other  working together to create something amazing is all the more encouraging and I think there are some lessons here for workplaces all around the world.