What’s Cooking with Springer Healthcare Training?
Contributed by Michele Mangiafico, Sr. Client Services Manager
Two words: Mandatory Fun
When 2020 threw us all for a loop with the pandemic and pivot after pivot, I couldn’t help but think about the wellbeing of our team and how to keep our spirits up. Fortunately, I am lucky to have an awesome team that was just as interested in prioritizing our camaraderie.
Everyone embraced the idea of setting aside time each month for a video meeting to keep us connected socially. What started as a calendar placeholder called “Mandatory Fun Meeting,” evolved from sharing the bizarre and discouraging experiences that came with the pandemic to eventually more light hearted activities with trivia quizzes and virtual holiday costume parties (those are my personal favorite). All of this fun eventually culminated in one ongoing activity we could all agree on, spiced up with a little competition – Cook-off Challenges!
Looking Good: Team Cook-Off Submissions (click each to enlarge)
To build upon the group’s enthusiasm for recipe swapping, we decided it would be fun to anchor our meetings around some friendly cooking competition. Now our team hosts monthly themed cook-off challenges, and we have so much fun with it that we’re compiling the submissions into a team cookbook. Our bond and team synergy feels stronger than ever.
Our bond and synergy feels stronger than ever.
Team members pitch ideas for the monthly cook-off dish, then the next meetings dish is voted on. Our participants plan ahead so they can make the recipe during our virtual meeting, giving the recipe any of their own personal twists, and submit a photo of their final dish. Each participant pitches their dish to the team and then ultimately we vote on who presented their final dish best. Keep in mind, the winner is decided without the judges taking a single bite.
This virtual activity has allowed our group to bond over friendly competition and bragging rights, sentimental recipes and food memories, and so many new recommendations, while competing to see who shows off their skills best. It is so fun to cook-up “Mandatory Fun” with this talented team.
How have you maintained your company culture during the shift to more remote work?
Do you have any activities that your team participates in ‘just for fun’?
What recipe do you want to challenge our team with next?
Are you curious about our team cookbook?
