Are you a Harry Potter fan? I am. I love the movies, but haven’t read the books yet (I know, any die-hard fans would be appalled). My husband has suddenly gone on a “read all the books NOW” craze and has flown through the first three in a week. But I can’t say that I spend a lot of time at work discussing Harry Potter. But apparently, it has become something more than a little water cooler chatter.

According to Entrepreneur.com’s article Potter Casts Petrificus Totalus Spell on Workplace (nice title, by the way), the Harry Potter craze that has swept the nation for the past few years has escalated with the release of the fifth movie, The Order of the Phoenix on July 11th and the release of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on July 21st. And with that escalation has come a bit of, shall we say, distraction during business hours.

Everything from all night reading sessions to Harry Potter lunch gatherings, adults are clambering to discuss their magical obsession with Potter, just as any child. Even Entrepreneur.com’s Senior VP and editorial director is taking the Monday after the release of the final book off to either finish it or recover from reading it all weekend. In fact, many people have the same idea - using vacation time to feed their obsession and not detract from their work.

Others, like the seven devoted fans in an engineering society in Atlanta, took a half day off work to get in line for the premier of the fifth movie. And let’s not forget about the release parties. Barnes & Noble’s 800 plus stores across the nation will be having a midnight release party and costume contest the day of the final books release.

In addition, rather than have this craze pull away from the quality and quantity of work that staff are producing, many business owners are embracing the fact that their employees will discuss and obsess over Potter with or without their help. In other words, if you can’t beat them, then give a little (or something like that).

Consider scheduling a Harry Potter discussion group or luncheon for the devoted fans in your company. Or, if you’re afraid that your employees may be spending too much time on the Harry Potter fans sites like MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron, then consider adding a blog discussion to your own intra-office network (limiting submissions, of course).

Or, take a hint from a video software company in San Diego. Their recreation committee rented out a movie theater for a private screening of the fifth Harry Potter movie, the day before it’s official release, for employees and one guest. About 275 people attended and it was a smash hit. According to the art director, “It was crazy… There was even a waiting list and phone chain for people who couldn’t show up. Everybody loved it.”

You can’t go wrong with aiding your employees in embracing their passions. And who knows, if you weren’t a fan already, you might just become one.

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