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Ask HN: Team fun event ideas during WFH?

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Re: Ask HN: Team fun event ideas during WFH?

#211

Post by tharkun__ »

jscud wrote: post #14

We recently had a fun remote event: a painting class. A local company shipped supplies to each person (canvas, brushes, paints) and held a video session with a teacher who walked us through how to paint a particular picture step by step. Accessible for beginners, many of us had never painted before.

This is the kind of thing that really depends on the team you have. If you tried this with me on the team... well good luck. I might hate you for the rest of my life. They actually tried this at a previous job with a "pottery class".

Of course your marketing team might really love this. Or the guy on one of the other teams here that actually was on part-time so he could do all his paintings and prepare for his exhibition.

Re: Ask HN: Team fun event ideas during WFH?

#212

Post by mrexroad »

abcdjdjd wrote: post #195
brundolf wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I may have exaggerated when I said "start of the day"; we do it at 10am, which is the start of the day for some but not all. Certainly not early-morning for most people I'm also sure it would be optional if anyone had an aversion to it. It's a small company so we're flexible on that sort of thing

I think your missing the point. If people wanted to talk to each other, they would do that on their own time. I think maybe ask yourself, why do you need to force this to happen if people really wanted to do this?

this is about creating serendipity--the break-room or elevator chats--which is otherwise impossible after an abrupt shifting of the office work culture to WFH without any other changes. there's an actual need here even if this isn't the ideal solution.

heavy handed and awkward: sure. would I do it, as an introvert... 4/5 times: nope! would I appreciate the intent it if my org (optionally) did it: hell yeah.

Re: Ask HN: Team fun event ideas during WFH?

#213

Post by mrexroad »

abcdjdjd wrote: post #202
brundolf wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Structure is useful; there's a social burden to going out of your way to arrange a one-on-one hangout. I wouldn't bother to do that with someone I'm not already close to, but I'm loving this structured arrangement where I don't have to feel awkward about reaching out myself. Different stuff works for different people

Ok, but again, there is nothing stopping people from doing this as a group. There is no "magical" structure that comes from a work meeting. A group of people at work can decide to organize something on there own. You are talking about one-on-one stuff, which is different.

I've had plenty of extremely productive outcomes that started as a serendipitous a conversation in the break room with someone who is not in my day-to-day (or weekly) orbit.

Re: Ask HN: Team fun event ideas during WFH?

#214

Post by tharkun__ »

josephmosby wrote: post #79

Every Thursday at 5 EST we have company "pub trivia" over Kahoot. Folks take turns as the host and coming up with trivia questions, and as we've grown we have a healthy set of inter-team rivalries going. For ad hoc events we've played Among Us, had a tarot card reader come read fortunes, had multiple chefs do cooking classes, and had a few musicians do amateur concerts over Zoom. Agree with others that work hours is…

You said during working hours and then you say 5 ET. That's after working hours. Especially for me, as I start before 9...

Re: Ask HN: Team fun event ideas during WFH?

#215

Post by cojo »

We are still in the early stages of our launch / rolling this out, but this problem is one of the main things our team is hoping to help solve at https://playpad.com - WebRTC chat combined with fun games / activities designed to be played with the group.

Currently we have a cooperative "pub trivia" game, a jigsaw puzzle suite, and a "co-opetition" word scramble game where you are working together but competing to be the best of the group as well.

If you do give it a try, I'd love to answer any questions & hear any feedback you have at cory [at] playpad.com - we are still in early alpha and iterating rapidly / trying out new ideas directly based on the feedback we receive!

Re: Ask HN: Team fun event ideas during WFH?

#218

Post by laurent92 »

stevezsa8 wrote: post #142
laurent92 wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to offer via ferratas or paragliding on worktime, but then the employees would leave at 5 (none of them have children) and no-one stayed for beers. If you do that, then at least be good at go-kart, you’re paid for it. At least it clarified the situation: They don’t expect work to be fun. I stopped organizing events. If you want work to be boring, then this is how to make work boring. It makes me a bit sad. But…

You sound like you're trying, which is good. As the other poster said, maybe don't expect so much. For example, I'm a total wimp. I forced myself to do go-karting because the big macho guys wanted to do it. I hated it, it was loud smelly and scary. I was sore for days. Maybe allow different people to make suggestions and go with ones that are out of your comfort zone instead of expected your colleagues to do things t…

> Allow people to make suggestions and go with the ones that...

You talk like they would do suggestions... They are totally passive, and they position themselves as passive, expecting me to come up with the ideas and directions for the software and even for where to position the desks or... everything. They’re just doing as I say.

It is possible to blame it on me for not “leaving them enough room”, but when I leave a blank, they don’t fill it. I expected events to let them be more active, and I’ve tried to give them ownership of projects, but they don’t extend beyond the initial tasks.

Omg I’m just noticing of bad of a team they are. Technically they are good, but they’ll never extend the company beyond simple execution. I made myself blind by trying to empower them, but they don’t want any power. I’ve paid them too much and now they’re not trying.

Sad.

Re: Ask HN: Team fun event ideas during WFH?

#219

Post by doanerock »

josephorjoe wrote: post #120
evanlivingston wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This can't be stressed enough. Work outings are still work, and all of a sudden an employer has monopolized my time. Are work events _really_ optional? If I _never_ show up to them?

i've skipped a lot of "optional" work events and i'm sure it has been a negative for my career. there was one former boss who i felt was always a bit cold and standoffish (but always professional) with me and i could never quite put my finger on why until i did show up at one of the weekly happy hours i almost never went to and realized that he loved them and spent the whole time laughing and smiling and chatting wit…

I was like ok what ever, then I read that they where "weekly". That is a lot of events. I was thinking like quarterly at the most.

Re: Ask HN: Team fun event ideas during WFH?

#220

Post by laurent92 »

ADifferentKyle wrote: post #122
laurent92 wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to offer via ferratas or paragliding on worktime, but then the employees would leave at 5 (none of them have children) and no-one stayed for beers. If you do that, then at least be good at go-kart, you’re paid for it. At least it clarified the situation: They don’t expect work to be fun. I stopped organizing events. If you want work to be boring, then this is how to make work boring. It makes me a bit sad. But…

If I may... your events might not be as fun as you think they are. Just because I don't have kids doesn't mean I don't have other obligations. I'd like to workout after work. And the dog needs to be walked, dinner needs to get made, clothes folded, etc. I'm also an early person so I've been logged in since 6:30am. Maybe I just want to zone out and watch the grass grow for a while. It doesn't matter - the point is, yo…

Well they are not taking initiative at work, so I thought doing an entirely different task may create another dynamic. But you are correct that I don’t expect myself to be more fun than the next guy, especially a boss. The question remains for me, how can I give them ownership of what is happening, because we are not going to grow if they don’t own things.

But maybe that is why I went entrepreneur. I just see the missed potential for everyone, and if I wanted to grow bigger, maybe they are the wrong “first employees”.

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