Ever laugh so much during your work day that you have to stop and ask which teammate is the weirdest? Now, when I say weird, I mean the funny, eccentric, off the wall, silly comments, mannerisms, habits and facial expressions that make up each individual. We embrace the weird at Swift Kick. In fact, the weirdness usually comes out when most needed….like after long serious meetings, right around lunchtime and when Tom needs to take an important call.
More often than I can count, the words, “well, that got weird” have been spoken since I started full time at Swift Kick. Granted, I am probably guilty of about 50% of them. One day a simple question was posed, “Which one of us is the weirdest?” We gave our guesses and laughed it off. But it didn’t end there, the weird just kept on coming! Our weirdness varied from silly faces to off the wall statements, like “I’ll never forget my worms,” “What is this friendship day crap?” and “You should see me eat grilled cheese.” One silly, productive afternoon, a napkin version of the Weird Card was created. It was passed around quite a few times, each recipient weirder than the last… Little did we know, Sabina had stepped out to UPS to “mail something” and had a laminated version of the weird card created! #upgrade
This sought after card made me think a lot about team culture. Does everyone get to have this much fun with their team? Do they get to have a few moments to be silly? And when they are particularly funny, is there some sort of recognition?
While the answer to those questions might be “no,” I challenge you to think of the moments on your team of true and pure “weird” that should have been celebrated, but instead were forgotten. It’s in those moments that teammates can become friends and friends can become family. As the saying goes, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” I don’t know who Jack is, but if he is on your team, give him and the rest of your team the permission to take a time out, laugh, relax and be a little weird!
Here are some things to think about if you decide to capture and celebrate the weird on your team.
- Create a weird card like we did and pass it around to members when they get a little weird
- Keep track of funny things people say and close out a meeting with a randomly selected quote
- Have an inside joke that only your team knows? Create a shirt or chant around it.
- There are plenty of weird holidays. Find one that resonates with your team and celebrate it! Chemistry Club? National Bunsen Burner Day. Animal lovers? Ferret Day.
Most importantly, have fun with your team! Yes, complete your to-do lists. Yes, put on amazing events. Yes, network with those that will help your team grow. But, don’t forget to celebrate the little moments that will help your team thrive.
