Once, a great man called Lev Tolstoy said: “If you want to be happy – just be happy!” It’s as simple as that.
Today, more and more companies are evaluating the importance of being happy at work as it is directly connected with the performance of the people and the business results of the company.
“To create great team and keep the team spirit UP in the sky is one of the main tasks in United Partners. So we created our small monthly team gathering called Spirit Up. The idea is to give freedom to different team members to create exciting activities to uplift the team spirit. We have done lots of fun stuff like laughing yoga, theatre, Double wedding anniversary celebration etc.”, says Maria Gergova Bengtsson, founder and CEO of the company.
Nothing new you would say. And you would be wrong, very wrong.
The whole process about the Spirit UP is what differentiates this activity from an ordinary team building. First of all – and that is the most interesting and exciting part – the Spirit UP is organized each month by two employees of United Partners. And nobody knows what the Spirit UP will be about – nor the colleagues of the organizing couple, nor the executives at the company, nor even the HR department. The surprise is always reviled at the very last second – most commonly when everyone arrives at the scene of the Spirit UP. And that is part of the beauty as you don’t see each day a bartender dressed as a businessman coming out of a meeting.
Bartender? Yes, why not? The Spirit UP for the month of May was to turn each team member to a super bartender – just for a night.
“After work, we all ended up in a very nice bar booked exclusively for us. Two professional bartenders helped us with the recipes. I didn’t expect making cocktails can bring so much joy. Now I can impress you with professionally done Virgin Mary, Sex on the beach or a Cosmopolitan”, says Hristina Mitovska, the lady that holds the position of a Happiness Manager at UP. And this says it all, doesn’t it?
“It’s not up to what we actually do. It’s all about doing it together. It is proven that close and friendly relationships at the work place and having fun time is crucial for the happiness at work. So this internal activity helps to deepen the relationships between the team and to get to know each other better and in a different way”, says Maria Gergova-Bengtsson.
And who wouldn’t agree with her? I certainly do. And can barely wait until it’s time for the next Spirit UP.