Lately there has been a lot of discussion around building culture in workplaces. Creating an enjoyable working environment is really up to the whole staff and since culture is organic, it evolves naturally as we communicate.
Last Saturday we had the Bilot Skateboarding Day. The idea was to organise something fun for the Bilot juniors and bring employees together in a new engaging way. Well, what could be more engaging than your own children?
About 15 kids showed up looking excited. They put on helmets and other gear, looked each other and picked up their boards. We had a short introduction to the skateboard, balance and how to push forward. Then we let them figure it out themselves. In 30 minutes all of them were able to push, brake and drop down from a ledge. I could see the learning hunger growing in their eyes. While they were doing their thing I rolled around the skatepark to show what was possible and to boost their interest even more. Saku who had been waiting for the event the whole summer asked when I’m gonna teach them some tricks?. We laughed and I felt like I should have started the training with a 360 kickflip or an impossible.
It turns out the kids we call the “playstation generation” are different but actually super advanced. We just need to active them in ways we are not used to. I believe the same goes for the modern day IT employees who may well be self-taught, versatile and distinctive. What really matters is the right attitude.
We tried ollies, kick turns and raced around the park. Meanwhile the parents drank soda and chatted.
After getting all hyped and exhausted it was time for some juice and cookies. Now the whole bunch was ready to be sent home with a big smile on their faces. I knew we had successfully built culture when my daughter wanted to wear the company t-shirt even the next day.
Bilot blogger Jouni Leino works as a Team Lead at Bilot Commerce Lifecycle Services.
He is a proud father of two and has been skateboarding for 20 years.
