Recently, at the GamesForum in Limassol, Cyprus, I was approached by someone from an indie game studio seeking for production advice. After a brief chat, he mentioned he was a reader of both my blog and LinkedIn articles and suggested compiling all that material in one place. While I’m not planning to repost my blog posts on LinkedIn, I’ve decided to polish and move some of my LinkedIn content here. So here’s the first piece, about creating a healthy working atmosphere, updated with new insights and a sprinkle of dog puns to keep things lively as this blog is about games AND dogs, after all!
1. Get to Know Your Team.
One-on-one talks have been my chosen path to understand my team better. These sessions are the perfect opportunity to fetch feedback, acknowledge achievements, and discuss any concerns. However, it’s important to maintain a professional boundary—getting too personal can turn these sessions into a howling affair. Here are a few tips to keep the meeting productive:
- Prep a Quiet Space: Book a meeting room in advance to ensure a distraction-free environment.
- Agenda Ahead: Share a meeting agenda beforehand to keep the conversation focused.
- Keep Notes Light: While jotting down a few points is fine, avoid excessive note-taking as it can be off-putting.
- Warm Up the Room: Offering a hot drink can make the meeting more comfortable, just like a warm blanket on a cold night.
- Stay Positive: Keep the conversation positive and constructive; no growling allowed!
From these talks, aim to:
- Give and receive feedback on performance and team dynamics.
- Understand personal concerns and aspirations.
- Allow them to evaluate your leadership and the company’s direction.
How to Evaluate the Results:Success in 1-on-1 meetings can be measured by the trust and openness developed. Are team members more engaged? Do they feel more supported? These are signs you’re barking up the right tree.
2. Let Them Learn.
If you're leading passionate professionals (which I hope you are!), they'll likely be eager to dig up new knowledge. Providing learning opportunities can be as beneficial as a well-timed belly rub. Here’s how:
- Call for Speakers: Encourage team members to present topics they're passionate about, which can range from technical deep-dives to creative showcases.
- Mix Up the Format: Try different formats like workshops, solo talks, or team presentations to keep things fresh.
- Challenge the Speaker: Encourage a bit of research to spice up their presentations, which helps in refining their skills and expressing their passion.
How to Evaluate the Results:Engagement levels during these sessions can tell you a lot. Are team members applying what they've learned? Are they eager for more sessions? This kind of enthusiasm is a clear indicator that your team is not just doing time but truly growing. Same goes for speakes: if you get more applications and topic suggestions, you are on the right track.
3. Create Mutual Interests.
Building a team that clicks well is like herding cats (yes, the blog is about dogs, but I have never said I don't like cats!), but when you find common ground everyone moves together like a well-trained sled team. Simple shared activities can help shy members come out of their shells.
- Shared Activities: it can be any kind of activity you do together to create a bond: playing video games, drinking and dancing, having some sort of a sports break or simply eating a lunch together.
- Cultivate a Team Ritual: Regular activities become rituals that team members look forward to and actively participate in, strengthening team bonds.
In 3 places I worked at, I introduced the same type of stretch between the meetings: a pull-up ladder. Pull-up ladder workout consists of a series of sets where the reps increase with each set and then go back down after a certain threshold. Each time it starts with just a couple of people and then suddenly you find yourself surrounded by pull-up masters, who discuss work, life, and hobbies while catching breath between sets. In most of the cases you just need to convert one person to create a cult. My favourite one is called "The Prison Yard" and it wouldn't happen without creative Mr. Chris Lovick ;)
How to evaluate the results: the people who spend those breaks together not only communicate better but also perform better when working side by side in the pipeline. An increase in team productivity and a decrease in communication issues are good indicators that the team is bonding well. And if the initiative lives without you pushing it, then it's a result by itself.
4. Throw Epic Parties.
What do I mean: Never underestimate the power of a good party to boost morale. It’s like throwing a ball at the dog park—the excitement is infectious! It also creates local memes and Slack emojis. Here’s how to do it right:.
- Plan Thoughtfully: Whether it’s a quiz night or a holiday party, make it memorable without breaking the bank. Creativity here can lead to some of the most bark-worthy gatherings.
- Watch the Reaction: The buzz after a successful party is unmistakable. If team members are chatting about it happily afterward, you’ve nailed it.
How to evaluate the results: it’s the easiest activity for result evaluating – if it was successful, then the team will be talking about it on all three previous steps of this guide. If it was lame – they are still going to discuss that, just listen close and learn.
Conclusion.
Creating a thriving team culture isn't just about keeping everyone’s tails wagging; it’s about making genuine efforts to build a supportive, engaging, and dynamic work environment. Like leading a pack, it requires patience, insight, and sometimes just the right amount of leash. The result? A team that’s not only productive but also passionate about what they do and where they work. Remember though that you can’t pull the whole team culture by yourself, you need to onboard people with a shared understanding of the importance of this mission. Team work make the dream work, right?
All that affects the performance heavily and once you give the team a better atmosphere you will receive significantly better engagement. As for me – that is a good start for a healthy working atmosphere.
