Client projects in varied teams - daily team building challenging

Nordic Healthcare Group NHG is a specialist company focused on the development of social and healthcare services. We have grown from a small start-up to a medium-sized company and we are still growing. We are united by excellence and a desire to do meaningful work together with the best colleagues.

We work on customer projects in very diverse teams, but on the other hand we have teamed people more permanently in our business operations. The Solutions team that has just played often works on different projects, so there is no daily grouping.

The simulation was intended as a breathing space and a way to get to know

The aim was to have a little breathing space at the end of a busy and special year, during which we could get to know the newcomers to the team and catch up with old acquaintances. The important moments of the working day together, such as coffee table chats, have been missed by many over the past year. 

We have a strong culture of working and being together, which is important to maintain even when working remotely. We have also had a lot of new employees start during the off-season and it has been a shame that we have not got to know this great team as much as we used to. 

The simulation was a good combination of levity and immersion in human behaviour

Some of our team work closely together and some don't, so it was nice that the game brought together colleagues who were strangers to each other and we learned new aspects of each other. For the newer employees, it was certainly also rewarding to share jokes and get some insight into how everyone naturally works.

The simulation was a good experience that many people enjoyed. On the one hand it was a light-hearted and joyful experience, but on the other hand it helped to dive into their own patterns of behaviour. 

Surprising insights from colleagues - can everyone shine in their natural roles?

We learned some surprising things about how colleagues see each other and where they feel their strengths lie. We learn new sides of each other. The simulation also made us think about how someone might not be appointed to the tasks they feel most comfortable with, or that someone can easily be given responsibilities by others that they don't even enjoy. We reflected on these together and wondered whether everyone could shine in the roles that they are most comfortable with.

It's important to know your colleagues at work

For us, one of the key factors in keeping fit even in sometimes heavy project work is having fun with colleagues. It's also important to be human in the workplace, not just employees, and getting to know each other is essential to working better together and building excellence.

We put a lot of emphasis on working together. We ask a lot of questions and remember to praise and thank our colleagues. The simulation supported and reinforced this, bringing a shared moment and fun to the project work.

HR Manager Annika: I can highly recommend the simulation

Especially when working remotely, it is a challenge to maintain team spirit and create encounters. The simulation was a fun way to bring people together and the imaginary journey together was a real experience!

I can recommend the simulation very widely, even to teams just like the one we have, so it's not necessary to be closely together. The shattering of many mental images is always refreshing and helps us to understand each other's ways of working.

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

Annika Turunen
HR Manager
Nordic Healthcare Group

Event organiser Milla: The simulation worked better than we dared to hope!

Although everyone has become familiar with remote working, it was a bit of a challenge to organise a team day completely remotely: would everyone get into the spirit or would it leave a taste of a remote meeting? Fortunately, these doubts were quickly dispelled. 

The best part of the two hours was the glow of great colleagues. The conversations were full of new insights about team members and exchanged views. We have a wonderful team at work and the simulation was a great way to show that. So it was just 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.

The simulation worked better than we dared to hope! As a new guy myself, it was great to get to know team members who were still quite unknown to us, but whom we hadn't had the chance to meet face to face. It was also a completely different way to get to know colleagues you've known so far, once you got out of the working projects. The team day received a lot of praise and appreciation from the participants, and after the simulation the threshold to stay on the line for a while to catch up was low.

It was also easy for the organiser of the team day to take time off, as the facilitation worked brilliantly and the schedules were well taken care of without creating a sense of urgency. Everyone had the time and opportunity to express their feelings and even the quieter participants were well taken into account.

Thank you again for a great simulation, I have recommended you to friends and strangers alike!

Milla Tulkki
Event organiser, Data Analyst
Nordic Healthcare Group

You can read more about the event on this blog