4 Reasons to Swipe Right on Your Company
It’s all in good company, right? Your office is basically your second home, so enjoy it! Find a team that brings out the wild child in you. Escape the expectations of work, and appreciate the people. Take it from a Cards Against Humanity Connoisseur… It’s important to let loose and have fun. That’s one of our core values in the office! Not feeling excited yet? You will with these 5 tips on game-changing company cultural experiences!
Keep it Real: Let’s be real. Communication is everything. Why do you think relationships don’t work out? Maybe it’s because they were too afraid to speak their minds. Sure, the truth hurts sometimes, but so does miscommunication. A productive work environment will ask scary questions, and make it open to discussion.
A strong company culture stems from conversation. We can be so hard on ourselves, and maybe we have a right to be. With 360 feedback, you are able to learn about yourself and how people view you. Yes, it’s tough to bring up that elephant in the room. If you allow light conversations with teammates both above and below you, you are creating rapport for more important chats to follow. Make the conversation open and easy.
Speak up and have a voice. Nothing feels worse than feeling unnoticed in your office. 360 feedback allows you to be the change. Let’s face it, you sometimes need to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly, to get to greatness.
Play Time is Never Over: Work hard, play hard. We get it. It can be difficult to balance a working day with fun when you’re maxed with projects. Want to know something crazy? That’s when you should drop everything! Go on a run, take a walk, even play some cards with your team. Break into a dance. Bring out your inner Gaga or Sinatra. Have a designated space in your office for people to take a breath.
You need to get out of your head and let the positive energy flow through. 10 minutes a day on careless activity will stimulate creativity. Do you know where I was found last week? Hiding under a desk during a little hide n’ seek. You probably thought… hmm she’s the CEO? Well, that’s why I am. I can read a room and grasp the energy of the office. I have learned to take a step back and observe. You know what I saw when we played? Laughter and smiles, which carried on the rest of the work day. Now that’s what I call productive.
Talk with Purpose: I like getting the 411 from my team or grabbing a cup of coffee with an old friend. Other times, I find myself so engaged in conversation, that I forget to speak myself. The sad truth is that most people aren’t aware of verbal cues. You might not even realize that you are dominating a conversation. People just want to be heard. Take the time to listen.
People will open up to you if you let them in. It’s not about how much you say, it’s about the impact that you have when you do. The better the listener, the more insight you have to problem solve.
Become Squad Goals: There’s a reason why your employees were hired. They had a spark, and it’s time for you to ignite it. Every person brings something different to the office. That diversity deserves to be celebrated! Come on guys, I work at a marketing agency. You don’t think I am surrounded by social media on the daily? Enough about the woo woo of technology. Talk in real time! Put your cell phones down, look up, and embrace the people sitting right next to you.
Yes, LinkedIn can connect you. So can every social media platform in the book. We are in a digital world, of course. But nothing beats face-to-face interactions, especially ones with your colleagues. You spend about as much time with these people, if not more than your friends and family, so make the most of those around you.
Do you know what’s sexy? Knowing about other people’s interests. Apply that same swiping-right attitude with your colleagues. Grab a drink, watch the sunset or go on a walk. Tear down the coworker wall, and build that relationship.
One other thing. These people sitting next to you are actual human beings. They like to watch rom-coms, eat a gallon of ice cream on Sundays, and dance like nobody is watching. They might be coworkers, but they are also worth getting to know as friends. Give yourself reasons to want to go to work. You deserve it!
Time sure does fly when you’re having fun. Now go play!