Three activities to drive engagement in remote workspace
I’ve been working remotely for the past year, like most of you. I miss the office. I’ve been hearing and thinking constantly, “I want to be back at the office”. However, no matter how much we look forward to that, it does not mean it will happen any sooner.
So while we are at the home office, why not bring the office home? When all of us think “I can’t want to be back to the office”, we are clearly not missing traffic, but our colleagues! So, maybe there is a way to bring our colleagues, virtually, to our remote workplace.
In this article, I want to share a few activities that we have at Osedea that helped me go through this difficult past year in remote work.
Friday Lunch & Learn
One of my favourite moments in remote work is Friday Lunch & Learn. It’s the time of the week where all the team gathers. For us, for many years, Lunch & Learns have been a key way to engage with our colleagues through different presentations. Every team member can participate by sharing anything they like! All they have to do is book a 5 to 15 minute period in the calendar to introduce the subject.
Here are some topic examples to help inspire you: news in the world of tech, a person’s professional path, a recent trip, the recipe of a top secretary tomato sauce, why the Leafs constantly choke in the playoffs? etc. We also use these connects to communicate important updates to ensure we are all on the same page.
Weekly Lunch & Learns are effective, as the whole team is present. They also give us a stage to practise our presentation skills. This weekly hangout is one of the most ancient traditions at Osedea, and a lot of our team members have uncovered a passion for public speaking and entertaining a crowd, even in remote settings.
Post Daily Scrum coffee
When we say daily scrum, you immediately think: 15 min meeting! It’s an Agile ritual essential to our ork. For me, even on weekends I spend 15 minutes thinking about what to do, like washing my windows or if I should wash them this weekend! The quick coffee break after a scrum meeting was also a ritual for us. These informal chats improve collaboration and team spirit. It was key for us to transform them into remote work context.
You can name this ritual whatever you want: virtual coffee break, water cooler talk, etc. By creating that 2nd daily scrum in the morning or afternoon, we ensure that the same collaboration happens virtually. You can catch up on the project and also on your life. The goal is to share anything and connect with your colleagues in addition to discussing work.
Coffee with coworkers
Another activity that involves catching up with colleagues and coffee! Our coffee with coworkers means you get to meet with 4 to 7 team members randomly. Topics vary and people can talk about anything.
This type of activity enables us to meet new colleagues or catch up with those that we did not have a chance to connect with recently. Don’t know what to talk about? No problem, we are sure you’ll quickly find the right topic. Take the time to learn about new projects, the roles and responsibilities each person has or their hobbies.
Final words
It’s clear that a virtual happy hour is not the same as an in-person event. We can be tempted to decline the offers. Yes, it can appear more fun to join an event in person, but the reality is that the workplace of tomorrow will be different from the pre-pandemic one. Remote work will stay in various shapes and forms. Let’s all commit to engage with each other, even if the setting is not as ideal as we would hope.
If you want to learn more about other initiatives, do not hesitate to look at our blog.
Did this article start to give you some ideas? We’d love to work with you! Get in touch and let’s discover what we can do together.
Further Reading
How we run the show at OSEDEA (without any bosses)
At Osedea, we have a very unique organizational structure. We’re inspired by humanocracy, an approach coined by Gary Hamel —a researcher at Harvard University. His data-driven argument is about making efforts to bypass bureaucracy, forgo managers, and shift an organization’s DNA to give team members an equal chance to learn, grow, and contribute.
This is a new experience for many people in the workplace, so we wanted to share our thoughts and answer any questions you might have about joining a company like ours that operates with this kind of structure.
First things first, what is a bureaucracy?
Bureaucracies originated in the 18th century. They were designed around position and individuals to address nepotism (assigning positions of power by way of favouritism to friends and family members). Bureaucracy was also designed to have rules, practices, and principles to maximize compliance of a group of people. Later in the 20th century, sociologist Max Weber remarked that, “bureaucracy is more perfect when it’s more dehumanizing.”
You’ve likely worked in a bureaucracy, as the vast majority of organizations are structured this way:
- There’s a formal hierarchy (a top-down approach and many levels)
- Power is vested in positions (people with certain roles have more power than others)
- Managers assign tasks and assess performance
- Everyone competes for promotions and compensation correlates with rank
Gary Hamel’s research showed some concerning data about bureaucracies:
- 79% of people polled said bureaucracy significantly slows decision-making
- 68% said, in their organization, new ideas are met with skepticism or outright resistance
- 76% said political behaviours highly influence who gets ahead, not competence or potential
Maybe you've even been frustrated in a traditional hierarchical environment? Here’s why organizations stick with it:
- They’re a familiar way to organize humans into action
- It’s hard to imagine alternatives
- They work to a certain extent; things get done, we’re able to control/coordinate, and to have consistency
- As bureaucracies have been around since the 18th century, millions of careers have been built around the desire to climb corporate ladders and attain positions of power; we’re reluctant to change as humans
Letting go of the familiarity of bureaucracy requires courage, creativity and a desire for a more humane organization. As a society we can work towards this.
From bureaucracy to humanocracy
Osedea was structured around the individuals within our organization, as opposed to a corporate structure. In our opinion, bureaucracies can be dehumanizing. They can encourage bad behaviour in people, power plays, and politics. Those who get ahead aren’t necessarily rewarded for behaviours that are helpful to the organization. Senior management tends to reward people who prioritize their self-interests, those who excel at “managing up,” and people who are good at reading management moods/meeting their manager’s needs (as opposed to the organization’s needs).
At Osedea, we decided on a “structure without managers.” This is a bit different than a “flat structure,” which is a widely-, but oftentimes incorrectly-, used term to describe a structure with only a few layers of management and a short chain of command, that can hardly survive growth and appears to be the dream but ends up being a logistical nightmare and chaos. Interested about learning more, here are you a few things that you might not know about a flat structure.
Why we chose a structure without managers
- This type of structure is in line with our vision of creating a world of opportunities for our team while making their work life enjoyable.
- It boosts creativity, learning and autonomy.
- It fosters “horizontal” instead of “vertical” ambition. "Vertical" ambition is the usual career-path trajectory, in which a newbie moves up the ladder from associate to manager to vice president over a number of years of service. "Horizontal" ambition is where employees who love what they do are encouraged to dig deeper, expand their knowledge, and become better at it. This doesn’t mean horizontal has no evolution. Instead of rewarding high performers with managerial responsibilities—which often drives people further away from the job they are actually good at—we reward them with responsibilities closer to the work. We complement that with values, benefits and autonomy.
- People can make contributions at Osedea no matter what their experience level is.
- It drives results faster.
- It removes the negative impacts of bureaucracy.
This is not to say that everything in our structure works perfectly—we have to remember that organizations are always a work in progress. We have a destination but there will be challenges. Some will be easy to fix, some will stick around, and new challenges will pop up. It’s sometimes hard to imagine how an institution could function without a formal organization, but we should try.
Some common misconceptions about our structure
Without managers there are no leaders.
It’s important to understand that a manager isn’t necessarily a leader. At Osedea we don’t believe in assigned leadership, we believe in leadership that is built through high quality work, curiosity in building towards our company vision and natural influence with others. There’s always a “lead” on each project or initiative team—someone who is responsible for holding everyone accountable to the delivery of the project and who is the go-to. But, we don’t believe in a structure where there’s a person who is a boss of devs, a person who is the boss of designers, a person who is a boss of sales, etc.
Without managers there is chaos and decisions are impossible to make.
We organize everything through efficient processes, team expectations and natural leadership. You might think that without a boss who is the final decision maker, we can’t move forward, or that everyone gets a say in every decision. People who have ownership over a specific project and full understanding and information of context should contribute. But in the end, someone makes a decision based on information, input and what’s best for our company vision, values, stakeholders and business needs.
Without a manager I can’t have a career progression and there is no mentorship, coaching, or feedback.
We believe in a career of achievements and that there are several paths that lead to success, not only the management path. And even though we don’t have managers, we have processes and metrics in place to ensure that our people grow to their full potential and get proper feedback, that performance is evaluated, and team members get coaching.
Because I can’t get promoted, there are no incentives for me to perform and contribute.
At Osedea, strong performance is rewarded financially and with additional growth opportunities (e.g. when we send our developers to speak at international conferences, even if they aren’t the most senior in our company, or how our full stack developer was given a chance to work 1:1 with Spot the robot). We’re agile, we think outside the box, we reward paths that aren’t on a traditional career ladder, and we ask team members to contribute where they’re strongest and reap the most enjoyment.
Your current structure is fine now that you’re under 100 employees, but there’s no way you can maintain it as you grow.
Growth is key for every company, but not for us if it risks bringing down our humanocracy approach. Can a structure like ours survive long term: YES! Does it mean there won’t be adjustments and improvements? NO. We have to constantly work on it. We stick to our vision, but it doesn’t mean our day-to-day will always be the same.
Today, we have offices in Montréal, Canada and Nantes, France, with another opening soon in the UK. Our international offices are independent but united around the same mission, values and strategies. This way we can ensure that, as we scale up, we maintain our humane approach.
Osedea portraits: AI, adventure and culture with Isabelle Bouchard
As part of our Osedea Portraits series, meet Isabelle Bouchard, senior developer and machine learning specialist. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, Isabelle passionately explores the world of AI and its applications for the well-being of all. Beyond her sharp expertise, discover a sparkling and inspiring woman who will share with us her passions and the many facets of her personality.
Where does your interest in science and artificial intelligence come from?
It was a bit by chance (or luck!) that I decided to pursue a career in artificial intelligence. Initially, I studied biomedical engineering. At the end of my studies, although I had an interest, I had very little experience in software development, and even less in artificial intelligence. In truth, I'd never even heard of the concept of machine learning (ML) until I explored its techniques in my first job.
I immediately liked the fact that it required both mathematical and software development skills, as well as a good ability to break down a problem. I did a bit of self-study, supported by colleagues who helped me progress a lot. I then decided to do a master's degree to formalize my learning and develop research experience.
What are you most passionate about in AI?
I particularly appreciate the dynamism of this field, which evolves very quickly. I am constantly challenged and I have to learn continuously to be able to stay up to date with the technologies.
Moreover, the applications of AI are endless, which allows me to explore new application domains. In recent years, I have worked on projects in health, agriculture, urban planning, and many other areas. It is extremely stimulating.
In cutting-edge sectors such as artificial intelligence, women represent only 22% of professionals. In addition, women represent only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of computer science graduates. What do you think explains the low number of women in technology, engineering, and artificial intelligence?
There are many reasons why women choose fields other than technology, but it is clear to me that the lack of female role models is one that weighs heavily in the balance. This also explains why many women choose to leave the field, where they do not always feel at home. We naturally develop affinities with people who resemble us, so it can sometimes be more difficult to find allies or mentors when you are a woman in an environment that is predominantly male. We also have a fairly well-defined preconceived idea of the typical developer, and it can be scary when you don't identify with it. Personally, it affected me for a long time, but I learned over time to recognize that, clearly, I will never fit that profile, but that it is more often seen as a strength than a weakness.
How do you see the impact of AI and machine learning on industries in the years to come, especially in areas such as healthcare, finance, and technology?
I hope to see AI assist humans, rather than replace them, especially in healthcare. Our systems are increasingly lacking in humanity, and I hope that our leaders will be able to understand how to use technologies to make us more efficient, but without losing sight of the importance of human relationships. You will understand that I am not necessarily the optimistic type! AI and technology in general offer endless possibilities, but we still need to know how to use them wisely.
How does the AI team at Osedea integrate ethical principles into the design and deployment of AI-based solutions?
The ethics of AI projects still largely depends on the people who develop them. So I would spontaneously say that it all starts with hiring people who have these issues at heart. Then, in our process of analyzing the needs of a project, we have several checkpoints to ensure that we raise and mitigate the main ethical risks. For example, we analyze the datasets used to train our AI models to ensure that we do not favor one segment of users over an underrepresented group in the data.
What would be your ideal retirement?
A healthy one! I love the outdoors. I would like to have a retirement filled with adventures that would allow me to continue to push myself physically and mentally, and to marvel at nature. All this accompanied by my favorite adventure partner, our family and friends... and of course, interspersed with good moments of relaxation!
Do you have a favorite movie or book to recommend, and why?
Fresh from the Oscars, I can't recommend the sublime film "Poor Things" highly enough, starring the incredible Emma Stone. Like all of Yorgos Lanthimos' films, it stands out for its intricate screenplay and utterly unsettling characters. A true gem!
I also highly recommend reading the classic American novel "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck. Published in 1939, this novel tells with great accuracy and enduring relevance the human experience of those who lose the life lottery and find themselves in poverty. A deeply moving story.
What is your best and worst habit?
My best habit is to be active. It's a constant effort, but it's so beneficial to me that I make it a daily priority. My worst habit...procrastinating, without a doubt, but I'm working on it!
What's your best trip and why?
It was a trip to Turkey, in 2015, when I had just finished my university degree. I loved the rich culture, the grandiose landscapes and the absolutely vibrant cities, but above all, the incredible sense of freedom I was lucky enough to experience while traveling in my early twenties. With no money and no time constraints, we really let ourselves be carried along by the encounters and opportunities that came our way. I know I'll never be able to do that again - it was magical!
If you could instantly possess one skill, what would it be and how would you use it in your daily life?
I would love to have the ability to speak fluently and confidently on the spot, in a clear and concise manner. I truly admire people who can do this naturally! I would apply this skill in all areas of my life, both personally and professionally. Communication is so important in all of the relationships we have. It would be magical to be able to do this in multiple languages!
Elevating engagement in hybrid workspaces
Last August, Zoom (famous for helping us connect during the pandemic), ironically recalled their workforce to the office. You’ve likely noticed this trend of companies bringing their teams back to IRL too. I know that, in my network, people are being urged to return to on site work 2-3 times per week.
While I support the argument for boosting engagement and collaboration, I can’t quite understand the decision to impose a set amount of days per week. I anticipate that workers who thrive in remote work environments might become less engaged, or just leave. And will the problem of lower engagement magically be solved, just by having people back in the same physical location? I doubt it. After all, disengagement and lack of cohesion in teams existed pre-pandemic. Perhaps a collective pause is required to bring more creative solutions to the forefront.
In our recent focus groups at Osedea, our team has been clear: they wish their colleagues would be there more in person… but on the flip side of the coin, unilaterally, everyone appreciates the extreme flexibility we offer.
In this piece, I share my reflections and our learnings about shifting work dynamics in hopes that it may help you in your own reflections.
Create memorable moments together
Gregg Popovich, legendary head coach of the San Antonio Spurs takes his team after every game to a great culinary experience. Now, NBA players (many of them millionaires), can certainly afford their own dinner. But, as quoted by former Spurs guard Danny Green in a 2020 ESPN article about Popovich mindset, “dinners help us have a better understanding of each individual person, which brings us closer to each other…and, on the court, understand each other better.”
Indeed, nothing spells team bonding like living memorable and unique experiences together. This is something we were really good at in Osedea’s early days when our team was smaller. Each year, we planned a five-day all-inclusive vacation with our team. The goal was to receive training and bond—boosting engagement and collaboration. You can read more about our 2018 trip to Lisbon here.
As we grew in size, the logistics of arranging regular team trips became more challenging. So this year, we channeled the mindset of our team trips, and applied it to the launch of OsedeaFest: two action-packed days of inspiring training sessions, delicious dining, and exploring our city. The result? A spike in team engagement and connection, as per our results in Officevibe and our team’s feedback.
Organize your in-person days around rituals
There are certain activities that make more sense in person, while others don't. For instance, last summer we resumed in-person interviews. It gives us a chance to connect and make the candidate experience more memorable. Similarly, client demos are a great opportunity to develop rapport and offer a positive collaborative experience. Now, whenever we organize certain types of rituals we ask ourselves: is this better in person, remote, or does either work fine? We now organize our in-person days around this, instead of just assigning an arbitrary number of days people are required to be physically present.
Provide flexibility. Get flexibility in return.
Our team reports loving the flexibility we offer. Some team members like me (thank you, four-minute commute!) come to the office most days. Others are regulars, but without set days. Others still are rarely there in person. However, when we have a day of interviews, we never have to beg our team to show up or negotiate their presence. We know that they respect the process, even if they’re the type of person who prefers remote work.
Communicate differently to engage your teams effectively
One comment that I hear a lot from other company leaders is that they worry that if they go fully remote, their team will be disengaged with their company. If you think being there in person for communication will prevent you from having a disengaged workforce, I invite you to think again. We have to challenge ourselves as leaders to think differently and find innovative ways to communicate and engage the team.
Here are some things we’ve done to enhance communication and engagement:
- Engage your audience by exploring meaningful mediums. Our daily team newsletter ran for three years before it started to lose impact. We shifted gears to a highly engaging medium: an internal podcast. Once a week, we broadcast an episode showcasing different team members. It’s a great way to create a personal connection with audience members and the team can listen whenever it’s convenient for them.
- Revamp existing communication rituals. We had been running our quarterly update the same way (in traditional video conference style with slides and various presenters) since our inception. To make the presentation of this important content more dynamic, we switched things up this fall with a virtual talk show style format.
Final words
According to Indeed, hybrid work is here to stay with more than 42% of posted jobs across industries including hybrid in their offering. But hybrid work can be so much more inspiring and rewarding for your team than a monotonous rule of a set number of days per week at the office. Flexibility and a tailored-to-your-team approach may be stronger differentiators to attract talent and offer rich professional experiences. So, before hopping on the return-to-the-office wagon, I urge you to ask yourself, “can we do better?”
What makes our team happy
Did you know that in 2012, the United Nations designated March 20th as the International Day of Happiness, highlighting its universal significance and integration into public policies for inclusive economic growth? Happiness plays a crucial role in our professional lives, as studies by the University of Oxford have shown a direct link to increased productivity. At Osedea, we firmly believe in the impact of happy team members. Rooted in diversity and inclusion, our corporate culture aims to create an environment where everyone can thrive. By continually seeking to integrate these principles to foster collaborators happiness, we demonstrate our commitment to their well-being, as they are our greatest asset.
Dreams come true initiative
Firstly, we find it important to recognize and support the individual aspirations of our team members. Thus, after two years of service within Osedea, we offer each member the privilege of realizing a personal project with a $5000 allocation and an additional week of vacation. This initiative, called "Dreams Come True," allows for a wide range of projects reflecting the unique aspirations and passions of our colleagues. Whether it's an epic journey around the world, immersion in a new culture, academic training to excel in a particular field, or even the realization of a long-dreamt entrepreneurial project, no ambition is too grand or audacious. What makes this initiative even more extraordinary is its renewal every five years, providing the team with the opportunity to continue nurturing its dreams and ambitions over time. In this article, we will also share some inspiring success stories from our colleagues, highlighting dreams that have become a reality thanks to this unique initiative at Osedea.
Enhanced long weekends
Moreover, we understand the rejuvenating and revitalizing effect long weekends can have on the morale and productivity. Hence, we've decided to extend these periods of rest by adding an extra day between Victoria Day in May and holidays in December. Upon reflection, this equates to offering an additional paid vacation week throughout the year, just in time to enjoy the mild and sunny weather. This initiative not only promotes the well-being of our members but also provides a valuable opportunity to unwind and recharge. At Osedea, we believe that a healthy work-life balance is essential for workplace well-being and satisfaction, which is why we are committed to offering benefits that support this balance and help our team members thrive both professionally and personally.
Workplace flexibility
Flexibility is a cornerstone of our culture and is reflected in each of our initiatives aimed at promoting our people's well-being. This notion is particularly important in light of recent studies. A 2023 report by the International Labour Organization revealed that increased flexibility, whether through staggered schedules, job sharing, or remote work options, leads to increased productivity and a better balance between work and personal life.
A global survey by Cisco of 28,000 full-time workers showed that 82% of them reported that the ability to work from anywhere made them happier. Furthermore, Gallup data has shown that optimal employee engagement occurs when they spend between 60% and 80% of their working time off-site. This group, which works remotely between 60% and 80% of the time, is also the most likely to strongly agree that their engagement needs related to development and relationships are being met.
At Osedea, we offer our collaborators a variety of options to suit their individual needs. Whether adopting a four-day workweek, working from anywhere in the world for up to six weeks, opting for full-time remote work, working at the office 100%, or in hybrid mode, we encourage flexibility and autonomy. We are confident that this approach allows our colleagues to find the perfect balance between work and personal life while promoting their engagement and growth within the company.
Building Families
For many people, starting a family is an essential life goal. However, the path to parenthood is often fraught with obstacles, whether due to infertility, sexual orientation, or financial constraints. At Osedea, we recognize these challenges and invest in inclusive and equitable social benefits that have a real impact on our collaborators' lives.
To support our team members on their journey to parenthood, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, we have launched the "Building Families" program. This innovative program, focused on inclusion, fills the gaps in government programs, promotes equality, and offers choice, flexibility, and support tailored to each individual's path to parenthood. We are convinced that everyone deserves the support they need to start a family, and we are proud to offer this program as an expression of our commitment to equal opportunities and well-being. To learn more, read this article.
At Osedea, we place the happiness and well-being of our team members at the heart of our corporate culture. Through innovative and inclusive initiatives, we create an environment where everyone can thrive, both professionally and personally. We are convinced that happy colleagues are the key to our success. By listening to their needs, we will continue to innovate and improve our social benefits. We encourage our members to share their ideas to create an even more dynamic and rewarding environment. Together, let's cultivate a place where happiness, inclusion, and growth are essential.
Osedea book club: summer reading recommendations
Summer has already started and maybe you are looking for a good book you can tackle during your vacation or a weekend afternoon at the park. In our team, some of us love reading. For my colleague François Gauthier, the reading happens while he takes his daily commute to work. Through this, he manages to read many books in one year, about creativity, project management, UX/UI, team efficiency. On the other hand, I read any chance I get: waiting in line, before going to sleep, for 30 minutes before going to work. While I read a lot of fiction, I enjoy from time to time a good non fiction book. In this post, we decided to share some of our favourite reads from the last few months:
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
(François Gauthier: Creative Director & Project Manager)
Super quick read if you are ever in need of some kind of creative motivation or inspiration. “Steal like an artist” seems like some guy’s (artist) rant but it truly isn’t. In those hundred something pages you’ll find great tips, tricks and interesting quotes/point of view on the creative process of great creative minds. Mainly, you’ll learn to start making things right away. Not to wait on anyone or anything to make it happen. The “how to” details are up to you but still… just do it! Make it (constantly), show it (from the get-go) and talk about it (often) are portrayed here as the main keys to a successful creative career path. Also, everything in there is worded in a way that makes you realize the importance of being self-critique and to NOT take your “creative genius” too seriously. In other words:
- Be nice
- Be boring (consistent)
- Be curious
The Switch, by Dan and Chip Heath
(Ivana Markovic: Marketing)
Whether you hate change or love it, it is clearly inevitable in our personal and professional lives. This was a very interesting, yet simple book, on how to incite change and how to make it successful. I loved the examples the authors gave from a variety of fields: business, elementary school teachers, families. The thought process the authors developed can help you whether you are looking to incite change with one person, your family, your team or a whole organization. I think the authors deserve bonus points for a very detailed yet simple framework that can be used to help you plan the changes you are trying to make. Change is never easy and we all know this. But with the right mindset and conditions, it might become less difficult. My key takeaways to incite change from this book are
- You need to adjust the environment, so you can set it up for success. Are we giving the people we are asking to change the best environment to succeed?
- Motivation and inspiration can be big drivers of change. What do we want people to aspire towards?
- You don’t need to start by changing everything, small bites work best. What is one thing I can do in the next five minutes, next day or week to make me feel like I am moving in the right path of change?
Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni
(François Gauthier: Creative Director & Project Manager)
I know, just reading the title can make you uncomfortable. I got a couple of crooked eyes stare at this book in the metro. But don’t worry this has nothing to do with nudity in the work space (or in public transportation). That would definitely be uncomfortable.
Getting Naked is mostly about vulnerability and honesty. About true, long-lasting relationships and how to get there. According to the author, this comes by:
- Overcoming fears
- Allowing us to self-sacrifice and accept discomfort
- Even taking one for the team or the client
Patrick Lencioni explains all of this in a great matter. Allowing us to peek into the crucial stages of the professional career of a senior consultant at a San Francisco major business management firm.
Jack Bauer (not the 24h character) needs to let go of his anger and ego to be able to integrate a small company that his employer acquired. A tiny company who served as his main competitor for the past years.
Getting to know more about them made him realize a lot of things about himself but also about how to deal with others. Personally and professionally. And getting to know more about him as you read through the pages makes you want more and more. Until the book ends (too quickly) in an unexpected manner.
Photo credit: wu yi
Workplace strategies for physical and mental health
“ Don’t eat this. Eat that. Eat more of this. Eat less of that. Do more of this, but never do that. ”
It’s no secret that health is an important aspect of our life (or at least it should be); but why is it that when we think of starting a journey towards healthier habits, we tend to think of things we can do before and/or after work?
What about the many, many, hours we spend at work? Is it possible to not only create a health-friendly office, but also an environment that encourages healthy habits?
Finding useful and inspirational information online is tough.
Most of the content about how to improve health at work is vague, unoriginal, and addresses physical or mental health as two independent things.
It’s hard to find concrete examples of how to actively move in the right direction.
And, as they say, the rest is history.
What you are about to read is the story and implementation of a health initiative we successfully implemented in our workplace. We truly believe it will inspire you.
The Wellness Challenge: the backstory
To give you some context: We are a crew of developers, graphic designers, and marketing savvy based in the beautiful city of Montreal. We happen to spend a lot of time in the office.
We did the math. Considering each of us spends at least 40 hours a week at our office, it works out to 2088 hours a year per employee!
The nature of what we do every day forces us to spend hour after hour in front of a computer, which means the vast majority of those 2088 hours are spent in “sedentary” mode.
Our work is also based on time-sensitive deliverables, and there’s stress that comes along with that. Plus, we operate in a saturated industry. We have to keep up to date on technologies that change on a daily basis. Customer experience is one of the things we do best, making it crucial that we maintain speed and flexibility across all our projects.
Under these circumstances, it’s all too easy to let health fall by the wayside. Greasy fast food for lunch often sounds like a good idea. Cookies and chips make welcome companions during stressful moments. The crunchy sound is almost therapeutic.
This is the inspirational story of how the Wellness Challenge came to be and the importance it continues to have for Osedea. It’s a story about a competition involving lots of fruits and veggies, laughs, physical movement, and ultimately, some pretty impressive results.
Here is the concrete example you were looking for. You’re welcome.
The month-long challenge was based on the rule of thumb which states that to get a new habit to “stick”, you’ve got to perform it for 21 days in a row.
On Slack, our internal communication tool, we created a bot that could handle challenge entries and score keeping. To learn how we constructed the challenge (and to get some inspiration in case you want to do something similar with your own team) you can read the blog post located here.
How it works?
Our team is divided into smaller teams. Each team has the name of a different fruit or veggie to increase team spirit (banana, broccoli, carrot, apple, etc.). The challenges are explained to everyone, and it is their job to perform them as indicated. Every time they do, they would enter it on Slack and be able to see how far their team is in comparison to others. It becomes a true competition for who gets to be healthier! At the end of the challenge, a winner is announced and they are rewarded with a prize.
After the first time we ran the Wellness Challenge, we did a fresh round of research which showed us that developing new positive habits would be easier if we took advantage of our existing routines at work, instead of trying to fight them.
We wanted to incorporate various aspects of health into the challenges (physical, mental, and social), so the main elements of the challenge turned out to be:
- Stretching once every hour. According to research, stretching relaxes your muscles, increases oxygen levels in the brain, gives you an opportunity to fix your posture, and encourages movement.
- Eating fruits and veggies once a day. We wanted our team to substitute unhealthy snacks with a better option for their bodies.
- Play at work. A fun, team-based activity, once a week for 10 minutes. Studies show that laughing and developing social connections relaxes your brain, improves creativity, reduces stress, and strengthens team productivity.
- Meditation once a week for 10 minutes. According to Michael Mamas, a leader in personal development, meditation relaxes the brain, improves mental health, reduces stress, and even improves your immune system!
All activities had to be done during working hours in order to get team points, but, we also encouraged our team to continue these activities outside the office.
160 hours later we’re feeling slightly healthier
We asked our team to weight in on what they liked most about the Wellness Challenge. Here’s what they had to say:
- “It allows you to try different health-related initiatives.”- Ivana, MarketingThis type of activity offers many different options for exploring healthy habits.
- The challenge creates a venue for brainstorming ways we can improve, start, and/or develop a healthy lifestyle- even at work.
- Being part of a team is a major motivator. Group motivation is key for a lot of people when it comes to being persistent in performing healthy activities.
- “ Meditation is something I‘d been wanting to do for a while, but until we did the first Wellness Challenge, I never managed to start practising.”- Adrien, DeveloperA wellness challenge can be the push your team members needed to kick off a healthier lifestyle.
- “Some of the Wellness Challenge activities were great for calming the mind. I feel like most of our team members would never try them otherwise, so it was a great opportunity.” — Ezequiel, DeveloperWe’re all different, with different preferences and needs. If by the end of the challenge you know what works for you individually, you’ll be more likely to continue with your new health regime!
Yet, not everything was a bed of roses.
We realized there are a few things we can probably improve on as we begin planning for the next edition of our Wellness Challenge:
- Make sure the activities you’re encouraging your team to participate in don’t negatively distract them from their priorities. Adapt the challenges to your team’s dynamic and job descriptions. The last thing you want to do is create more stress.
- Explain, teach, and share your research. This was the most important lesson for us. Make sure that before starting the challenge, you explain to the team how each activity and habit will benefit their health. Make sure to mention these are habits you will continue to encourage in the workplace moving forward- even after the challenge is over. The more your team is aware of why the activities will improve their health, the more motivated they’ll be to participate, the better their performance will be, and the more likely they’ll be to keep their new habits as part of their routine — which is the end goal!
Time is money, and the Wellness Challenge is a worthwhile investment.
This initiative required a lot of planning and dedication to various resources. We needed to allocate a budget for the winning prize and assign team members to organize and develop the bot and the activities.
So, why do we keep investing in this challenge?
- We clearly saw how it resulted in a healthier team and a healthier work environment.We know 21 days of focusing on wellness won’t have a permanent or significant effect on everyone’s health. However, the Wellness Challenge has certainly proven to be a step in the right direction. Today, we drink more water, bring fruit to the office more often, are more aware of our posture, and use humour as a stress reliever. Now, you see people walking and stretching around the office daily.
- Team spirit.We connected even further as a team. We base our work on teamwork and collaboration, and the competition and team elements of the challenge enhance these values. After the first edition of the challenge, the team wanted to do another one, and now, we are ready for our third attempt!
- Team engagementThe Wellness Challenge is fundamentally based on feedback, encouragement, and acknowledgement of team and individual efforts. These are key aspects of developing team engagement. By addressing areas such as the team’s health and wellbeing, we’ve noticed that our employees have a new level of commitment to Osedea. For a full month, the challenges added a dash of excitement to each workday, giving our team members yet another reason to feel good about showing up to work. We continuously invest in our people, and the Wellness Challenge is a perfect example of how this approach pays off in the form of increased team engagement.
“In general, I think wellness initiatives are awesome and should definitely be encouraged. I certainly think any organization can implement a wellness initiative of some kind.”
— Nate, Developer
If you want to learn more about this subject, we provide further information about our tips to promote and encourage mental health in the workplace. I would love to hear more about what you do in your organizations to promote mental and physical health. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and cheers to healthier teams (inside and out)!
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