“Happy Fuzzy Feeling” has become an integral part of life here at Equaleyes. Once a week the whole team assembles so we can share what we are working on. We share our wins and our fails both personal and professional and give acknowledgments to the small things that made your week more pleasant. It might seem trivial, but it serves a significant role in the social cohesion of the company and by fostering our unique company culture.
Imposter syndrome:
When you first start working somewhere new, it can be intimidating. New people, new office, new responsibilities. Plenty of reasons to be nervous and uncomfortable which can result in an acute case of imposter syndrome. I for one fell prey to this particular trap when I started working for Equaleyes. I wasn’t a programmer; I had no technical background whatsoever, so I felt that I immediately stood out like a sore thumb.
Fortunately, I soon found that I didn’t have any legitimate reason to feel out of place as everybody was welcoming and friendly. Shortly after I started working here, we decided to host weekly meetings of the whole team. Here we could explain what projects you are working on, what we found difficult, who helped us out and most importantly sharing our fails. We named it “Happy Fuzzy Feeling.” It quickly helped me see that there was no reason to have any doubts and that everything I had assumed was wrong.
Human After All:
Sharing and owning your mistakes and understanding this is not an opportunity to shame you or make you feel worse, but instead, that we are only human. We may work methodically, patiently and diligently but we all make mistakes, something I was apprehensive about at the beginning of my time working at Equaleyes. I was sure that everybody I was surrounded by was more competent and experienced than I was and surely they didn’t make mistakes.
Of course, everybody makes mistakes; we are inherently imperfect. No matter how experienced you are, errors are bound to occur. A huge part of learning from your mistakes is owning them, determining where you went wrong and knowing when to ask for help. Knowing that your team will step up and help you without judgment is also fostering a culture where we improve each other’s skills and help tackle complex problems with a fresh perspective together.
Sharing Is Caring:
Whether its an act of kindness or a mistake you’ve made, sharing your experiences with your team is vital. It breaks down barriers we protect ourselves with by showing your team we are more similar than we are different. We all enjoy an act of kindness, help we’ve received and the cookies somebody brought to the office, so give credit where credit is due. If you show your appreciation for the small things people do for you, it fosters a spirit in the office of maximizing your output of kindness.
Problems are also worth sharing. If you had a rough week it’s worth sharing this with your team as you can be shocked how much they will help you. Be it buying you a coffee and listening. Just knowing that everybody has a challenging week from time to time will let you see that you are never alone with your problems. No matter who you are it’s good to know you can share how you feel and that it’s greeted with empathy and encouragement.
Humour Is Welcome:
We love a good laugh here at Equaleyes, it’s the second loudest noise in the office, apart from the keyboards. We love to share in our jokes and are proud of our quirks and wear them like a badge of honor. Nobody is made to feel awkward about who they are, be it the extroverts or the introverts, everybody is included and made to feel welcome.
Knowing that your sense of humor and quirks are valued makes everybody much more comfortable. Happy Fuzzy always is underlined by humor. We share our laughs just like we share our triumphs and our failures; together.
A Breath Of Fresh Air:
Included as part of our “Happy Fuzzy” time we added a light stretching routine with a trainer to guide us in ways to deal with a sedentary lifestyle of workdays spent behind a computer. Knowing you have time to stretch out and de-stress is invaluable and having a trainer guide, you allow you to know you are in safe hands.
At Equaleyes “Happy Fuzzy” has become a definer of our company culture; we share, we laugh, we celebrate, we mourn, we learn, and we improve together. Understanding the value of your company culture and maximizing it to benefit your team is something we highly recommend as it will make your time at work happier and fuzzier than you thought possible.
