Dave-ologies: Wednesday Fun Day

The value of community, the value of team, the value of social engagement.

For those of you who know me, you understand that I am a strong proponent of teleworking (tied to clear performance goals), a strong proponent of video conferencing, and a big fan of constant communications. I also am a strong believer in one old school practice that I am adamant about. Connecting. For us at Gannett – this means Wednesday Fun Days.

What is a Wednesday Fun Day you ask? Well, on the surface, the day is about having everyone physically in the office on a Wednesday. We schedule in person meetings with teams, most (and sometimes all) employees are in the office on Wednesday. We have important employee meetings. It is the day to connect, communicate, collaborate and convene. We also try to schedule an activity for the day. Most often (and not so good for our collective bellies) it revolves around food, but other days it revolves around helping others – food drives, clothing drives, etc. Also, sometimes we celebrate historical achievements or simple things like baseball’s Opening Day. We look for points to connect on. Food, charity, Opening Day, etc. are cross cultural – something for everyone from every background. A good starting point in finding commonality and another step in breaking down barriers; an opportunity for the team to see each other as Moms, Dads, sports junkies, music lovers, readers, volunteers, Cancer support, dog lovers (cat lovers too), etc. and not just as the specialist whom “I email every other week for that report”.

I like to “break bread” with the team. Gathering over a meal is one of the most ancient forms of community process; people sharing food appreciate each other at a profound level. Nourished bodies and relationships pave the way for better collaboration and a higher quality work. Scientists have said that by meeting our core biological needs, feeding people creates a container for work at a deeper level. When we start to relate simply as people, judgments and trivial issues are dropped. Sometimes this is called “primate food-sharing behavior,” because of the deep biological roots this has in forming belonging and familiarity. At the core of this, it means you have relaxed enough to put your (physical or rhetorical) weapons down and begin to trust each other. Eating with someone starts to make them a friend and not just a business peer.

And guess what? This particular pattern of behavior is cross-cultural, as everyone everywhere eats. I love walking back to our section in the building on a Wednesday between 11am and 1pm and see people gathered around the food table chatting (and these are folks who often are in different functions or teams). They are building a better team by creating a community, and to build a great team it is about creating trust, rapport and comfort. This is what occurs. (Full disclosure we had some fruit and veggie days and they did not go over as well, contrary to the popular claims that everyone was on a diet and wanted to eat healthy – thus, the beginnings of charitable drives).

Additionally, according to the Corporate Leadership Council, “engaged and satisfied employees feel a profound connection to their company, and are driven to help their employers succeed.” And—in addition to the obvious elements such as job duties, benefits and salary—culture is a major factor in how happy employees feel in their jobs. Part of our culture is #OneTeam. We consistently reinforce the collective efforts of the team, the progress of the team, and we speak to the failures of our team and our processes. Building a “we first” culture is important to me, and after almost 30 years of leading – a key component in retaining our team. We is not built with a single lever, but Wednesday Fun Days certainly help. As leaders, we all need to find our “Wednesday Fun Days”. What works for you and your collective team to help break down barriers and build trust? The importance is not in the actual food or event but in the gathering and sharing.

"Gettin' good players is easy. Gettin' 'em to play together is the hard part." (Casey Stengel)

Together. We. Win.

Dave Harmon

People Division

“Kindness is Currency”

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr