Looking back over the past year, it is exciting to see how things have started to change a bit in our office. There has been a definite shift towards ramping up our office culture initiatives, and I dare say, it is having a nice effect around here.
At Varsity we are lucky to have an exceptionally friendly, warm group of people who actually enjoy hanging out with one another. And we naturally have each other’s back, not only because we work, solve problems, jump hurdles, and climb mountains (which is no stretch of the imagination if you have ever worked in Information Technology) together, but because there is a camaraderie there and mutual respect. In my opinion, the stronger the camaraderie the better co-workers will support one another, and in our environment it is all about teamwork. But this camaraderie has to be nurtured, otherwise it will just get lost or forgotten.
In all of our busy work environments it becomes so easy to get caught up, slip into our individual work tunnels, and forget to come up for air. But I believe that in order to sustain and even build upon our motivation and drive, workers must break away every now and then to have some fun and connect with one another.
As someone who truly believes in the benefits of active cultural engagement and building a bonded group of workers, the fact that our team truly looks out for one another is encouraging. But a dynamic office culture is something that has to be nurtured and woven into work life in a way that doesn’t distract or become taken for granted, which can be easily avoided with just a bit of creativity and opening up the floor for everyone to contribute ideas. I believe that in addition to sustaining a more supportive group of employees, when integrated into an organization authentically, it can have a profound effect on employee happiness, performance, and overall satisfaction.
Here are a few highlights from the holiday season and a couple of volunteer days (always a blast to do with coworkers). Stay tuned for office culture ideas and updates on team building activities.
Awesome volunteer experience at GLIDE in the Daily Free Meals Program
