By Pam Ungvary, Director of Prevention & Early Intervention
Since the summer of 2021, The Village South’s Early Intervention Department has increased its Healthy Start Miami team by nearly doubling in staff and adding a Healthy Start Broward program. The pandemic not only changed service delivery to include telehealth, but it also shifted the daily office life. With staggered days in the office, many of the newer staff unfortunately have not had the same opportunity for staff bonding that would often happen organically over such everyday workplace activities like chatting over a cup of coffee, eating lunch together, or spending time together before or after a meeting. Team building encourages collaboration amongst employees to work together to solve a problem. When staff work together, it helps build trust and respect which leads to increased morale and a stronger team!
The Healthy Start Miami and Broward teams came together on Friday, May 24 for a day of fun and creative activities to help staff connect and see each other in a different light. Leading up to the day, there was one major ground rule: “No work allowed.” This meant office doors were closed by yellow caution tape and no one could discuss anything work-related. The goal of the day: staff would leave work behind to focus on team building, mindfulness, and enjoying the planned activities. Teams were formed by encouraging staff to join with coworkers that they do not work with on a regular basis. Teams played board games such as Uno, Scattergories, and Giant Jenga. They also competed in the department’s 1st Annual Office Olympics. These exciting games promoted teammates working together to win their event. Activities also consisted of various icebreakers allowing staff the chance to discuss outside interests and find common hobbies. During lunch, staff completed simple craft projects (such as DIY frames and friendship bracelets) to inspire creativity and mindfulness. Before the end of the day, the staff all asked, “When can we do this again?” The day was a success!
