SmoothTeam simulations are mainly used as part of team development to facilitate discussions about roles, team members' strengths and how to get the job done. Some of our simulations are also suitable for more relaxed team time, for example at (remote) Christmas parties. We have previously published a separate article on this.

Below, we'll go through a real-life story of a Christmas party: how to prepare, how to run the simulation and what the experience was like. For example, the Nordic Healthcare Group's Solutions team had a dinner party in November 2020. 

Preparations

Calendar reservations were made well in advance, and as it was a casual activity, a package of casual food and drinks was ordered for all participants, whether they attended remotely or in the office.

The following solutions were agreed at the pre-event meeting:

• The participants were divided into two groups due to the large size of the team. 23 people could not practically discuss together so that everyone could have a say. The grouping was done so that the people who were most unfamiliar to each other were in the same groups and that, in addition, those who had recently arrived in the house had people more familiar to them in their groups. This optimised both getting to know each other and a sense of security. Two different calendar calls and two rooms for video conferencing were made, and the transition from the common room to the group rooms was designed to be seamless.
• It was noted that in this case, they want external facilitators to lead the discussion so that everyone can relax and participate in the discussion as members of the working community. The simulations can also be played on your own, with someone from the team acting as game leader.
• It was decided to keep the detailed programme as a surprise for the participants. The simulation works without prior registration, so this worked well. However, participants are often told something about the upcoming simulation.
• It was decided to warn participants in advance that we would keep the cameras on - so it would not come as a surprise to anyone. This type of encounter benefits from participants also seeing each other. This also applied to those in the office, so even though there were a few people in the same room, everyone had their own camera on. This meant that everyone was the same and equal in the video meeting - there were no 'present' and 'remote' people separately.

Common introduction

The simulation was a continuation of a joint day where we had already discussed work-related issues together. The joint introduction to the simulation was very short, mainly an introduction of the groups and a small introduction of what was to come.

Simulation in two groups

Participants were in a relaxed mood from the start. Both groups had lively discussions. Sometimes the groups ended up discussing longer paths, for example, about cynicism and the route to it, and the nature of life as an adventure. As all of this was inclusive and shared in nature, the facilitators were left to do most of the work:

• take care of the timetable
• present some observations on the composition of the team, and 
• ask more in-depth questions based on the simulation.

As the aim of the day was to get to know each other and also to have fun together, the aim was not to have a deeper discussion about roles or working methods as is often the case in simulations.

What was remarkable in both groups was the roar of laughter. "For the newer employees, this was certainly also rewarding as shared jokes emerge. The simulation was on the one hand a light-hearted and joyful experience, but on the other hand it helped to dive into each employee's own way of working," says HR Manager Annika Turunen.

As a technical detail, we asked participants to keep their microphones open at all times , background noise permitting - this makes it easier to have a natural conversation and also allows spontaneous laughter to be heard by others. This was certainly a factor in creating a relaxed and free atmosphere.

Joint final debate

The final discussion between the two groups was deliberately very short: we spent most of the time in smaller groups on simulations and only briefly shared our feelings and main ideas together. Below are spontaneous comments from participants on the simulation:

• A warm wonderful breeze from the remote room, you could talk with colleagues in great conversations.
• It was like being in your living rooms!
• It was really great just as a remote session and activity. It was nice to get everyone to think and talk a bit. 
• It was nice when nobody won, but everyone got the feeling that they got out of it and got to know the gang. Also, as a senior worker, you got perspective and ideas and got to know others in a new way.
• It was really nice to talk about other people's strengths and also what you feel is less your own. 
• A very interesting discussion and an instructive session. It makes you realise that it's quite different what you think about a job and stereotype, what someone likes and how someone perceives it.
• It was a lot of fun and made you think about how much you mirror people through your current role. Its underneath seeing that I know more about these people than just the role.
• Very functional for a remote job. A few interesting surprises came out of the people.
• Very generous. A fun way, a great way to get some depth into this type of discussion, which is useful to have. Useful because it shows what people are interested in and what they are not interested in. 
• Very successful, really good discussion, close cooperation and a great atmosphere.
• We've laughed like hell, eaten snacks and drunk beer and learned about each other at the same time. It was so much fun!

Continuation of the evening

Most of the participants wanted to continue the evening together and the discussions stimulated by the simulation. The evening continued in a relaxed atmosphere, both at a distance and in person, for a long time.

Conclusions

We quote directly from the organiser of the event and the company's HR manager:

The discussions revealed many new insights about the team members and exchanged views. We have a wonderful team, and the simulation was a great way to show that. So it was exactly what we needed to end this year, a reminder of who we can still go back to the office with and spend our working days with.

Milla Tulkki, Event Organiser, Data Analyst

The concept brought team members closer than just spending time together via video links. The imaginary journey together sparked a lot of laughter and insights that reminded us how great it is to work with colleagues who are rich in diversity. 

I can recommend it very broadly to different teams. The shattering of many perceptions is always refreshing and helps us to understand each other's ways of working.

Annika Turunen, HR Manager 

You can read more about Nordic Health Care's thoughts in another article.