Girls just wanna have fun. The only problem with Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 hit is that she forgot a key fact: maybe we all want to have fun sometimes? In fact, in companies that want to achieve the good things like growth and success, it’s not accomplished by focusing endlessly on the work. Strap in folks, this is how we have fun at Fidel.

The highest-performing teams are built on mutual respect and trust. But growing that relationship doesn’t happen spontaneously. In fact, it’s often nurtured in those small moments throughout the workday, in relaxed settings. Getting to know the people we work with can support a more empathetic culture, stronger team spirit, boost creativity and individual confidence.

Obviously, that doesn’t mean we need to know everything about our co-workers lives, that would be a bit creepy. However, providing a different, lighter context to connect outside of the virtual meeting room - not creepy at all, actually pretty fun.  
So long as we remember that not everyone in a company is equally extroverted and outgoing, these optional events and spaces to relax can encourage greater inclusivity as a team.

We try to be proactive in Fidel. Leave the reactive stuff in the scientists 🧪

That starts by measuring the ‘temperature’ of the team regularly with feedback platforms, encouraging them to take time off and by offering resources for personal growth. But all of that is focused on time outside of work.  

During working hours, we want to create engaging moments, even during the remote working environment. As long as everyone knows these events are available and visible, there’s no pressure or judgment if you don’t feel like joining. That’s why all our initiatives are designed to be accessible, varied and open to anyone.

🤸‍♂️ Wellness and Fitness |  We all spend a lot of hours in front of the laptop, during the day. You might graduate from laptop screen to phone or TV screen after the day ends, too. It’s a lot of screens, that’s what we’re saying. One of our regular initiatives is built around simple exercise and mobility classes, run by our own team members and open to anyone. There’s the option to use zoom to chat to each throughout, but it’s entirely optional. Every Wednesday, we can kick off a day with a wholesome 9am ‘Morning Stretch’ session organised by our Scrum Master, Janis. By 9.30am, you’ll feel like a million bucks, ready for the day. Then at 6 pm the same day, we have ‘Fidel Fitness’, run by exercise guru and Marie from our Strategy team, to shake off the cobwebs of the midweek slump.

🕹 Game Time | We all love some healthy competition every now and then - the Fidel team is no exception. Every Thursday at 5 pm, it’s game time. Again, this one is fully optional, organized by Rosanne. It can be anything from pictionary, quizzing, battleship - it doesn’t really matter, so long as we all put our game hats on and have some fun! - and win, of course.

🍺 Happy Hour | We’ve all been deprived of a good, old-fashioned Happy Hour for most of the year, and who doesn’t like a cheeky lemonade at the end of the week with their team? We knew it couldn’t be exactly the same as normal, but we couldn’t stand by and do nothing. Every Friday at 5 pm, we get together on a call, grab a drink (alcoholic or not), bring a few doggos to the call (highly encouraged) and forget about work for 30 minutes.

In conclusion 📅

It’s been a tough year, and, thankfully, it looks like there finally might be a light at the end of the tunnel as we approach 2021. We haven’t been able to do all the things we used to look forward to, company off-site trips, team lunches, shared laughs around the office. We had to adapt. Life shouldn't be all about work, and by putting these initiatives in place we can try to reflect that notion. By having a little more fun now and then, we can create a workplace that’s kinder and more collaborative - a space of infinite possibilities.