The HR team begins their first session with a warm-up plank
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of participating with my colleagues in Leadercast’s Healthy Team Challenge. Healthy team? The program challenged us with weekly discussions concerning our team dynamics, leadership topics, as well as a physical challenge for good measure. Hello, have you met me? This is right up my DNA!
Week One: No small feat, our assignment was to answer the “why?” “Why do we show up each day? What is our “why?” “Consider how you (have an impact on) the lives of others and how you are in service to others.”
What is your “why?”
We also learned that a spontaneous plank session warmed us up and really got the blood flowing! Why don’t we start more meetings off with a few planks?
Week Two: Leadercast speaker Andy Stanley invited us to discover our critical role with our organization. The critical role was defined as “If you don’t do it, nothing gets done, and if you do it well enough, it almost doesn’t matter what else doesn’t get done.” The assignment was to write a one-sentence job description for yourself that highlights your unique contribution. After some thought, here’s my one-sentence job description: To create paths for hiring teams to succeed in selecting the best applicants and for employees to continue to grow professionally and personally on a campus that promotes a healthy and engaging environment. This is some good stuff, right? Can you jot down your one-sentence job description with your core responsibility, the critical role, on an index card? Where do you fit in? Our physical fitness challenge was shoulder shrugs! They are like an instant massage break.
Thumbs up for wall sits, the HR team’s week 3 fitness challenge
Week Three: Wall sits! While sitting on the floor after wall sits and more planks, we tackled the discussion of improving team communication and collaboration. The obvious obstacle for the HR team-at-large is our two separate offices, Howry Hall and Lester Hall. When divided more than three years ago, the team created systems to keep operations moving, but what more could we do to further team communication and collaboration? We brainstormed activities to bring the two teams together, while getting to know each other better. Hint: We have an eye on Campus Recreation’s Rebel Challenge Course and more team-learning opportunities.
Week Four: This program has been interrupted. Ugh, in all honesty, my schedule didn’t allow me to participate in week four activities, wall pushups and the topic “Celebrate the Victories.” It is no secret that we like to celebrate birthdays, as reminded by Jessica, but what else can we do to celebrate our successes?
Week Five: Wait, what? No week five?! The team was saddened to realize that the challenge ended with week four. We were there without an assignment or a physical challenge. So, what did we do? We committed to keep it up. It may sound funny, but really it was the only time most of us see each other. Can you relate? We all get busy, and we all have less and less face-to-face contact. We send each other IMs, emails and text messages. We hop on the hamster wheel of work without asking, “What are we doing?” “Why are we doing it?” and “Where do I fit in?” Even more, how can we function better as a team through communication and collaboration while remembering to celebrate our successes? Are you ready for these questions? Make the commitment, make the time, make the connections.