How about this: Put a fake “Office Olympics” sign on the door, but the whole event is a 5‑minute Pomodoro timer. When the timer starts, a tiny LED on the wall goes from red to green, and a loud “victory” sound plays. Everyone thinks they’re competing in a silly game, but actually they’re just doing focused bursts of work and then getting a quick break. It’s a joke that keeps the room buzzing, and the Pomodoro structure actually boosts productivity. If you want to amp it up, have the “coach” (you, impersonating the boss) shout encouraging lines like “Go, team, go!” just before the timer hits zero. The prank sticks, the work gets done, and you’ve got a laugh.

Sure thing, just mimic the boss in a whisper and slip a fake “motivational” coffee cup—just a coffee cup with a sticky note that says “You’re a rockstar!” It’ll be so subtle the interns won’t even notice, but the whole crew will feel the hype. Good luck with the leaderboard!