Back in the Philippines, I had the opportunity of working in an advertising and marketing company which requires constant face-to-face communication and interaction. Building work relationship is natural due to the nature of work. However, shifting from a highly-social work environment to an IT industry made me realize that cultivating strong work relationships can be done in different ways.
In most studies, MBTI personality types common in the IT industry are INTJ (introvert, intuition, thinking, judgment) and INTP (introvert, intuition, thinking, perception). With this information, most people in this field are often perceived as the geek stereotype with a strong affinity of avoiding direct social interaction. Of course, there are some exceptions. According to one of the studies conducted by Western University, Faculty of Engineering, there are a mix of ESTJs and ISTJs often actively seeking managerial positions.
As a self-proclaimed INFP, I initially had a hard time fitting in as I am not (perhaps) as introverted or as (extremely) logical as the personality types mentioned above. After working for a few months in BMM Canada, I eventually became a part of its Social Committee. Planning internal social events in a highly-introverted industry can be challenging. I have had the pleasure of working with the HR team and BMM employees from different departments. From the 15 events we managed to organize last year, I noticed a pattern. Event participation varies depending on the activities.
Here are the top 5 among all events we organized in 2023.
1. Food & Casual Conversations
Holiday-specific potluck is always a big hit- casually eating together, enjoying the food, and the company of colleagues. Perhaps starting small conversations with an officemate is not as daunting and it eliminates the pressure of standing out in the crowd. Besides, who can say no to food?
Thanksgiving Potluck BMMSC 2023
2. Friendly Competitive Games
Games like Kahoot, BMM Feud (Family Feud), and Jeopardy promote intellectual stimulation. A little bit of friendly competition is fun and healthy. INTJs and INTPs are highly logical, and games that make them think are always a guaranteed HIT. However, it is often a challenge to bring people to participate in games that require physical effort.😛
BMM Feud and Kahoot! BMMSC 2023
3. Decompress
Working at a desk, in front of a computer all day can be draining and tiring. Last Fall Season, BMMSC organized a Social Walk every Thursday at noon. This was partly to promote active walking and stretching in between work sessions. A good number of consistent participants showed genuine interest. Some managed to have casual conversation, while others enjoyed their time appreciating nature quietly. With Autumn being the shortest season, this is a great way not to miss the beauty of the changing fall colors outside.
Fall Season Walkathon Event BMMSC 2023
4. After-work Drink
Forget about work. What better way to enjoy the hot Summer days than with an ice cold drink. Just chilling and hanging out with everyone is one of the best ways to relax and enjoy the sun.
BMM Summer Bash
5. Donating and Volunteering
Spring season is the perfect time to do Spring Cleaning! BMMSC organized a company Yard Sale and I was honestly surprised at the number of donations we received from employees. All donated items were then sold at a bargain price for other employees. The rest of the unsold items were then donated to charities. Surprisingly, the participation and support received from this event was unexpected. Perhaps, donating and helping is one of the strong suits of BMM Canada employees.
Yard Sale BMMSC 2023
After more than a year working at BMM Canada, my success metric of a strong work relationship has been redefined. It also helps me genuinely understand the kind of social events and activities that bring most of these personality types together. I would like to end this with a note that organizing company social events is all about creating a comfortable and enjoyable social space for everyone.
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