Socializing with Coworkers

Thanks to my family for helping me decide what to write about this week. (No one wants to hear about medical appointments scheduled during the summer so you don't have to take time off during the school year!)

On Tuesday, a large group of current and former colleagues of mine went on a trip to St. Jacob's Farmers Market. I can't post the group photo, because we promised each other it wouldn't appear online or via social media. I'll post one of our "car group" instead. (Thanks Renée for driving us in the pouring rain!)

I could go on at length about how difficult it is to coordinate this sort of activity. The memes below will hopefully capture the energy. This excursion was particularly challenging because of the size. This was a record-breaking trip because thirteen of us got together. 13! And it would have been larger, but 3 people had to bow out at the last minute. That's no easy feat to arrange a gathering of 16 very busy individuals!

I won't belabor the point that it's difficult to select a day, time, or activity that works for everyone. What I wanted to focus on was that I actually chose, during the summer, to hang out with people that I often see every day at work. 

Mandatory socialization at work is not my cup of tea. You can't force people to hang out together. If it's required, it's an obligation, and therefore not synonymous with fun. I've seen attempts at insisting that employees spend time outside of work together at a recreational activity, and it's backfired. (I actually wrote about this phenomenon back in 2018 on my blog.) In Japan, there's an actual term for the practice - nomikai - meant to build team unity and bonding between coworkers.

This get-together was different. This was our choice. Our groups were fluid as we wandered through the vendor stalls, browsing and shopping (and sharing delicious apple fritters). It made me realize how gosh-darn lucky I am that I genuinely like 98% of the people I work with every day. Sure, we probably irritate each other at times with our quirks or bad habits - that's normal if you are dealing with someone day in and day out - but when we all gathered at the rendezvous point to set up our car pools, there was authentic affection in the air as we all greeted each other like we hadn't seen each other in months, when actually it's only been a few weeks since school ended. 

To all the people who attended the AMPS St. Jacob Getaway - I am so glad you were there. We may have only chatted briefly as we tasted cheese or selected garlic, but you are one of the many reasons why I like going to work. For those in attendance that no longer work at our school (because they've retired or are in different positions), you'll always have a place in our extended school community.