Staff Build Friendships During Off Hours
“We had a ball!” A quick and common reaction when I asked three PioneerCare employees – Jen, Bryan, and Mary – about their recent team experience.
The teams were groups of PioneerCare employees and some of their spouses and included two different sports: volleyball and kickball.
To begin, the YMCA was looking for participants for their volleyball league. “Mary Kramvik saw the opportunity and proposed it to the rest of us,” said Jennifer Neese, RN Clinical Coordinator, “and there was a lot of interest right away. So much interest, we ended up forming not one, but two teams!”
“We actually got to know each other better – in a different way.”
Nearly every employee on the teams had a spouse or family member playing alongside them. “It was a great way to get to know each other’s spouses or family,” said Jennifer, “and we actually got to know each other better – in a different way. I think that’s exactly what we had hoped for when we came up with the idea.”
Jennifer remembered the days of the Covid pandemic and its effect on employees. “I think we sort of felt isolated from the rest of the world,” she said, “and even wearing masks kept us from seeing each other’s faces. When we played volleyball, we got to see the smiles and the sparkle in each other’s eyes. It was just such a warm feeling and we felt like we got to know each other again!”
Thursdays in the hallways of Pioneer you could hear a “How’d you play last night?” or a “Wow, you were really killin’ it on those serves last night!” The feeling of camaraderie was raised to the next level. “We found deeper friendships in our fellow employees and made new friends with their families,” said Jennifer. It was so good to laugh together and get a little exercise, too!
The volleyball season took the teams through the fall, winter and into the spring. “We were sort of sad to see the season come to an end,” remembered Jennifer, “and we began to ask what we could do next to keep the fun rolling.”
Mary Kramvik came to the rescue with another idea: kickball!
“Mary did all the leg work and not only looked up the rules,” explained Jennifer, “but found two other community groups who were willing to join the fun. It was very relaxed, and we didn’t take it too seriously. I guess we all move a bit more slowly than we used to. As I look back on the year, I realized how important our team experience had been. I’ve heard it said the best way to retain your employees is to find a best friend at work. Someone you can trust. Someone who has your back. Someone who you can laugh with. I think we all found those things.”
Mary Kramvik, Scheduling Coordinator at PioneerCare, focuses her work on making sure direct care shifts are covered each day and is the one who the players give credit for all this fun. “I guess I just thought how long winter can seem,” said Mary, “so when we came up with the idea of volleyball, I quickly signed up. I’d played some backyard volleyball in the past but must admit I had no actual skills.”
Despite the fact they lacked any trained athletes, it was fun from the first serve. “We quickly realized our skill level wasn’t great,” said Mary, “but it didn’t seem to matter. We just found so much fun in getting to know some of our co-workers better. We got to be friends with people who worked not just in nursing, but in other departments too…people we don’t necessarily encounter every day or even every week.”
“It wasn’t really meant to be team building, but that’s what it turned out to be. That was so cool.”
Players ranged in age from mid-thirties to mid-sixties and the skill level seemed pretty much the same, no matter the age. “I think we learned pretty quickly that none of us were very good,” said Mary, “but we sure had fun! I think we just saw each other in a totally different way. We got to know each other’s families and we didn’t talk about work. It wasn’t really meant to be team building, but that’s what it turned out to be. That was so cool.”
Not everyone was an immediate “yes” when it came to signing up for the team. “I was a little hesitant at first,” said Bryan Votaw, “but it did sound like a good time, so I dragged my wife and my sister into the plan and boy, did we have fun! We all have pretty serious jobs and somehow volleyball and kickball gave us time to relax together – to laugh – to know and support each other in a different way.”
“I would kick the crud out of that ball like I was a nine-year-old, and it wouldn’t even make it out of the infield! So there was a lesson in humbleness, too.”
Bryan, who drives the PioneerCare van and is responsible for maintenance, was grateful to Pioneer for the opportunity. “I feel like friendships were deepened,” explained Bryan, “and I feel like what we all got out of it, was priceless. The sore muscles will never be forgotten, however. Kickball was a real learning experience. I would kick the crud out of that ball like I was a nine-year-old, and it wouldn’t even make it out of the infield. So there was a lesson in humbleness, too…but I’ll definitely be back on the court and on the field again next year!”
Seeing these individuals bond outside their workday is strong evidence of an authentically positive and supportive workplace culture. What a great recipe for success in so many ways: begin with a bunch of employees, mix in some laughter, add family members, and fold in deepening friendships. An easy recipe to follow and one that will be made over and over at PioneerCare.
Written by Mary Dolan for PioneerCare
Photos by Jennifer Neese and Steve Guttormson
