Is Your Office a Happy Place? To create an environment for happy and engaged employees, you'll have to take the lead at the top.

Q: How can I make my office a fun place to work?

A: If you're serious about it, so to speak, be prepared to put in some effort. Most people aren't used to having fun at work, so you'll need to set an example -- even if it means sporting a peg leg, all by your lonesome, during the office's first "Talk Like a Pirate Day."

"Any workplace can be fun, but it needs to come from the top," says M.P. Mueller, a former standup comedian and the founder of Door Number 3, an indie ad agency in Austin, Texas, where a mariachi band and petting zoo have been known to turn up. "The first couple of times you may get stares, but if you give people permission to bring their personalities to work, they'll be happier. And happy people are more productive."