Summer Vacations and Work Productivity

June and July see many members of our ExactHire team take time off to enjoy a well-deserved vacation. This can leave things a little quiet around the office. For some organizations, this situation could lead to decreased productivity or low morale–FOMO can be a powerful thing. For our team, however, we continue to place importance on making things fun for those remaining in the office. That’s why our MondayFundays continue no matter what!

This summer, our team enjoyed a couple new MondayFunday events that were introduced by our newly elected (they actually volunteered) Fun Committee: Jessica and Nancy. This dynamic duo wasted no time in creating a buzz around Monday.

June – Office Corn Hole

To kick off their fun committee term, they organized a good ol’ fashion “Corn Hole” Tournament (also known as “Bags” to those outside Indiana). To go along with the theme, we all enjoyed freshly popped popcorn that Nancy prepared before our competition. And to everyone’s excitement–at least to mine–two growlers of beer from Upland Brewing Co. added to the collegiate atmosphere.

Using Nancy’s corn hole board, our team began another battle for the Golden Vase. Initially, it seemed that no one would score a single point. Thankfully, though, Kathy got the scoring started with a fine toss that landed softly on the blue and white, Indianapolis Colts themed board.

I followed with two points, which Jeff then matched with two of his own. It looked like overtime would be required–I could taste my first victory! But Nancy knew those boards well. Sporting a fearsome game face, she shut everyone down with a single toss and a three-point corn hole.

Nancy’s win represented her second consecutive Monday Funday victory. For this one, she opted to leave the stylish Golden Vase in our open work area. She said that The Vase clashed with her interior design at home. This was met with skepticism, since we all knew The Golden Vase could serve as the centerpiece for any home. Soon, we learned the truth…The Vase was meant to serve as a sign of her mastery and continued Funday dominance.

Jessica and Nancy really nailed it with their first Fun Committee event, however they also created a new challenge…how on Earth could they follow that up? Luckily they did not disappoint.

July –  Office Bowling

Once again, our office was about half-full with vacations in full-swing and Darythe having recently relocated to Germany. This left Nancy all by her lonesome to manage the MondayFunday event. Our invitation came via email the week previous…the subject line: “spare us your time” was flanked by little bowling pin GIFS. 

Those expecting a trip to the local bowling alley, however, were sadly disappointed (but likely more relieved). We would keep things in the office for this match. Using her toddler’s bowling pin set, Nancy set up a makeshift alley right next to our office putting green. And after a small argument between Christa and Jeff regarding pin placement and the foul line, we were ready to roll.The winners would be determined by the highest score after two frames.

Jeff led off with 9-1 spare. Nancy rolled an 8. I matched Jeff with a 7-3 spare. Kathy rolled a 0-10 spare. And Christa also picked up a 9-1 spare.

In the second frame, Jeff scored a 9, Nancy rolled a spare, and I took the lead with a 9-1 spare. Once again I was in position to win my first Golden Vase! But Kathy and Christa remained…

First off, Kathy approached the line. She stared intently at the tiny pins. Her first frame was a little shaky, but she got the points she needed, and now she was determined to win. With a great windup she rolled her first ball…it had the speed, lots of speed…TOO MUCH SPEED! It missed the pins completely and crashed into the wall, echoing down our shared hallway. An Edward Jones representative was surely cursing us, but this did not deter Kathy. With even more power, she rolled her final ball…this one looked to be on track with lots of speed, but it took a bad bounce and again crashed into the wall. This time we heard a scream from the Edward Jones office, but we paid no attention to that Monday hater.

Finally, it came down to Christa. My heart beat fast as I considered the prospect of my first Golden Vase.

Her first roll knocked down only 3 pins. I crossed my fingers and made a deal with my future self–if I could win the Vase I would make a donation to charity.

Christa took her time getting set for her final roll. Displaying perfect form, she released the ball smoothly and on line for a spare. For a split second I thought I would narrowly miss winning again.

But the ball moved ever so slightly to the left as it collided with the pins, knocking only three down. I had won my first MondayFunday competition!

After nearly two years of heartache, the Golden Vase was mine! I immediately texted my wife to tell her the great news and to discuss how we would re-arrange our mantle. Along with the Vase, I received a very special award…a signed certificate verifying that I was the winner and an “epic bowler.” I was overjoyed!

As you can see, we take fun seriously at ExactHire. It can be easy for summer vacations to interrupt an organization’s momentum. It’s hard for employees who remain in the office to focus on the work at hand, and morale can quickly begin to slide. By continuing our MondayFundays through the summer, regardless of who’s in the office, we are able to keep spirits high and ward off the negative effects of FOMO. Our work remains fun–even if it’s not a sunny vacation.