Hail To The Office Operator - Part 2

By
Daniel Spielberger
·
April 10, 2019

There’s nothing like the first day of spring. After months of cabin fever, you can frolic in the great outdoors, bask in the sun, and breathe that beautiful fresh air. If you’re working a 9–5, you will probably have to wait for the weekend to do all of those glorious things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring that celebratory spring energy to your office. In Part 2 of our collab with Knotel, we’re looking at fun team-building activities for Q2.

1. Spring Potluck

Chances are that most people at your workplace will be desperately itching to go outside during the first week of spring. Though working outside can be a bit chaotic, you can plan a spring potluck. Find a park near your office that would be perfect for a picnic. A few days before the potluck, create a Slack channel asking your colleagues for what they would like to eat and if anyone wants to pitch in with a homemade signature dish.  

2. Flower Picking Offsite

During the spring, flower farms often host picking events for visitors. This could be a great workplace bonding opportunity for your office. If you have been thinking of an offsite, flower picking is a fantastic option that certainly will be a crowd pleaser. Ask your coworkers if they would prefer to have it be a day activity or a weekend road trip. If they just want to go flower picking for a few hours and nothing else, book a private bus or van to come pick up your team on a Saturday or Sunday. Just don’t forget to pick a bouquet for the office lobby.

3. Celebrate Earth Day

Did you know that over 91% of plastics don’t get  recycled? Your office could help. This year, Earth Day falls on Monday, April 22. Start the week by incentivizing some environmentally conscious spring cleaning. Make bingo cards (on recycled paper, of course) that has items to recycle and various eco-friendly tasks. These items and tasks can include:

  • Eating a low-carbon-emission lunch
  • Recycling all the trash around your desk
  • Taking public transport to work instead of driving
  • Buying reusable bottles

At the end of the day, announce the winner and then award them a coupon to your city’s best sustainable restaurant.

4. Consider the Common Area

A significant chunk of operating expenses goes into keeping common areas clean and managed, but there is an easy and fun way to get your team members to help. Knotel implemented the personalized mug wall by ordering a stack of mugs, each with a different design. They asked their team members to pick one that spoke to them and sharpie their names on the bottom. By creating a sense of ownership between person and mug, they were able to cut dishwasher use by 50% and add a whole new element to their culture (including a dedicated Slack channel for missing mugs on the run).

5. May the “Fourth” Be With You

Every year on May 4, Star Wars fans take part in a holiday celebrating their favourite space-opera. Though May 4 falls on a Saturday in 2019, you can plan a Star Wars–themed party on Friday to close out the week. Get a Star Wars cake and snacks for lunch. And if there are enough fans at your office, plan a lightsaber duel contest. Luke, I am your office manager.

6. Cinco De Mayo

In the United States, Cinco De Mayo is the day to celebrate Mexican–American culture. Organize a salsa-making competition at the office with your colleagues and get tacos, burritos, and quesadillas catered for lunch.

7. Bring Back the Buddy System

Did you do a lot of hiring in Q1? Companies on a growth trajectory stand to lose their core identity if they’re not careful. Implementing a buddy system to welcome and guide your new hires is a surefire way to keep the company ethos intact as you scale. It doesn’t have to just be new hires, either — with the buddy system you can encourage cross-functional team interactions and strengthen bonds company wide.

8. Plan Your Next Move

With Eden, you can find vetted services to help you manage and run your office, from caterers for your Cinco de Mayo party to cleaners for after the party.

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