Team Love
Love is not a word that fits in seamlessly in the corporate world, unless of course you are talking about the love for work, work and more work. Yet our workplace friendships and connections do sport an element of love and affection. So many hours spent working on difficult projects and on tight deadlines draw us closer to our team members, those other prisoners of misery.
We learn to be patient with each other, adjusting and collaborating to accomplish goals and tasks. We may even go so far as to defend our team mates. As for workplace friends—the ones we make during our orientation and while working on projects and assignments—they progress from acquaintances to lunch/tea/coffee buddies to friends and, occasionally, to BFFs.
The people that we work with slowly trickle from our workplace into our personal lives as we share ourselves with them. They figure in our social plans, celebrations and fun getaways. We like them, grow fond of them and incorporate them into our lives as an extension of loved ones. On Valentine’s Day, most people celebrate romantic love. However, it is also a great day to celebrate the more platonic kind of love we feel for our colleagues and workplace pals. Here are some fun ways that can be done.
Team effort decorating.
Getting HR involved in Valentine’s Day decorations for the whole office may be a gargantuan task, but you and your team can definitely spiff up your cubicles. Try crazy posters with customized lines specific to your team. Think inside jokes, team related memes and it will be something that the whole team can relate to and laugh about. You can pool in a bit of money and buy some decorations for your workstations. Make this a team thing.
The Valentine Treasure Hunt.
If HR is willing, you can organize a treasure hunt for the office staff. Divide everyone into teams and post clues on the notice board on the hour. You can really play this out with missions and activities thrown in. Working together to solve problems and complete missions can teach everyone about team work like nothing else can. By the end of the day, announce the winning team and be sure to have a delightful reward for their efforts.
Flowers, gifts and candy.
Why not get flower, gifts and candy sellers to set up a little booth in a room in your office? Encourage people to buy gifts, candy and flowers for their colleagues and workplace pals. It’s always fun to receive something. On Valentine’s Day, even more so! And giving, as we all know, is good for your soul.
Let’s Lunch!
Round up your team or your lunch buddies and go some place nice for lunch. A break from the cafeteria and formal office atmosphere will get everyone to relax out and open up. Or put together an after-work dinner, drinks and disco plan. A good evening out where everyone can let their hair down and have some fun! All of the above will help teams bond better even as everyone has loads of fun. Happy Valentine’s Day!
