Creating Culture With Intention: The Power of the Connectedness Calendar
We're nearing the end of January, which means your New Year's Resolutions are probably fading. You were initially so excited about starting that new hobby, reading a book a week, or getting into the gym! And now it's been a few weeks and you're still enjoying it... but it feels a bit like a chore, and your heart isn't in it as much. In a few weeks, you'll probably stop all together.
Sound familiar?
When we come up with great ideas, it's easy to think it's going to have staying power. But the reality is, only 8% of people stick with their New Year's resolutions through the whole year.
Think about culture in your workplaces. Have you ever come up with a great idea to bring people together, only for it to lose momentum? It's not all that different from setting New Year's resolutions! Maybe we're thinking about this all wrong, and staying power isn't what keeps culture alive. Maybe what your workplace needs is more intentional change.
I've seen this happen time and time again. People Ops teams, or Team Managers come up with wonderful ideas to bring people together either in person or virtually. Everyone is excited, and there's great uptake for a few weeks. Then people start skipping out on those weekly roundtable coffee chats. Or the third monthly volunteer shift in a row gets understaffed. The things that are meant to bring people together are no longer being prioritized.
Enter the Connectedness Calendar. Think of it like how Marketing teams create a Content Calendar, but instead of planning social media posts, you're plotting out awesome ways to keep your team connected all year round. 🗓️✨
Be Intentional, Not Random
Sitting down once or twice a year to plan out connection points allows you to be intentional. Ask your team what dates are important to them (hint: create a Simple Poll in Slack to gather this information!). Then, plan activities that resonate with your team.
Keep the Energy Up
We recommend taking a cue from our friends in Engineering, and working in sprints or cycles. This helps to build excitement, and keep things fresh and interesting. At Simple Poll one of our favourite sprints is a six-week season with Anywhere League; a live hosted online trivia game!
Fresh Ideas, Happy Teams
Regular new activities keep things interesting and everyone engaged. In addition to mixing up the ideas, be sure to mix up the locations and times of day. Not sure when works best for your team? A quick Simple Poll in Slack can help narrow it down quickly and easily.
Need some inspiration? Here are some ideas to get you started!
- Virtual Escape Rooms
- Book Clubs
- Health and Wellness Challenges
- Cultural Celebration Days
- Professional Development Workshops
- Mentorship Programs
- Photo Sharing Days
- Remote Lunch Dates
- Roundtable Coffee Chats
- Volunteering/Community days
Creating a Connectedness Calendar is like building a bridge between team members. It's about more than just events; it's about creating a vibe where everyone feels they belong and are valued. With a little planning and intention, you can turn your workplace into a community. And hey, with Simple Poll in your toolkit, you're all set to make this year the most connected one yet!
So, let's get planning, and let's make work a place where everyone feels at home. 🌟