Video Transcript:

Worth over $500 billion, Google is the fastest growing multimedia company in the world. Google is also the number 1 place to work according to Fortune magazine. In fact, they have held the number one place to work 8 of the last 11 years. How does this company titan hold these two titles simultaneously?

As you might guess, Google’s primary focus is on the customer. What you might not guess is that Google focuses on the customer by focusing on its employees. Every employee from the CEO to the janitor affects the customer.

By providing as many opportunities as possible to foster emotional and physical wellness, Google provides its employees the opportunity to do their best work and provide the best service to the company’s customers.

NEXT STEPS:

Use this week’s activity set to get to know your co-workers. Comradery in the workplace is a simple and effective way to encourage a happier workforce – leading to a better product.

Step 1:
Before introducing the activity to co-workers, the facilitator should review each activity to ensure no time is wasted when the group is present.

Step 2:
Read aloud the instructions and the given example to your group and ensure that all participants understand the activity. Additionally, you may want to discuss what challenges the participants may experience during the exercise. This can help enhance the reflection that will follow.

Step 3:
Participants should engage in the activity, followed by a brief reflection of what they experienced and how it helped them get to know their co-workers. Continue with the next activity.

Activity #9

Beach Ball Toss

All you need for this activity is a beach ball that’s been divided with random questions written on it. (Only you, as the manager should know what questions are on the ball).

Questions can be simple or more complex, i.e. what’s your favorite dessert? what are your weekly goals? if conflict were to arise within your department, how would you go about handling that? – Have the participants stand in a circle and begin tossing the ball around.

Whoever catches the ball needs to introduce themselves and answer the question closest to their pinky finger.

Give each team member four identical slips of paper. Instruct them to write down three truths and one lie.

The lie should be believable to some extent (i.e. not “I’ve been to Mars”), and the tenor of the truths and lie should not be offensive or crude.

Go around the group, one at a time, and have them read the truths and lie in random order. When they are finished, the team should discuss which they think are the truths and which are the lies.

Activity #10

Three Truths & A Lie

Activity #11

You Get One Question

Come up with several scenarios in which a person would be chosen to do something. For example, it might be a new job hire, marriage, leading an organization, or commanding an army.

Ask each team member to come up with the “perfect” question — but only one! — that should be asked of a person that would determine if they were the perfect fit for the scenario. Have each team member write their question down.

When all scenarios have been covered, discuss the questions as a group and see what each team member thinks would be the perfect question.

The perfect question that each team member comes up with will reflect their motives and what they think matters the most.