Let’s Chat: Let us all come together for a huddle

By Linda Tooth on July 31, 2024.

Every workday morning my coworkers and I get together for scrum. This begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. and includes everyone working that day. Attendance can be as high as 18 and as low as five.

The idea of this scrum (not the rugby term) is to allow everyone within the organization to come together at our boardroom table and understand what everyone’s job entails. We share what we did the last time we worked, what our current day looks like, what we are grateful for, what a barrier is for us that day and what we do for self-care.

Everyone encounters barriers in their daily lives. By sharing what barriers we are facing we get the support and help needed from our coworkers to deal with it, no matter how small or big that barrier may be. Also, research tells us that sharing what we are grateful for allows us to stay healthy, positive and happy. By sharing self-care we create a team responsibility to look after ourselves and accountability.

The beauty of this idea is that everyone is treated equally and given time to share their story. Our morning meeting includes the executive director, therapists, counselors, our leadership and administration teams, and two summer students.

There are many reasons why this type of morning meeting is beneficial to every organization. First, it lets you practise your communication skills.

Not everyone is comfortable speaking in front of a group no matter the size. If you have hopes of advancing your career you need to be comfortable making sure your voice is heard. If you have concerns about certain activities that could impact you or the organization, you must ensure you are comfortable speaking up.

Employees often say they do not feel heard or valued within an organization. This could be a reason they ultimately leave. Another reason is that it allows you to reflect on the previous day.

Did you get everything completed? Will the previous day’s activities be part of your activities today?

When the manager or executive director lets staff know what they have been up to it shows they are human and are working toward goals for the betterment of the organization. Another great reason is that it allows the organization to check in with all staff members.

By ensuring the connection is solid, everyone feels valued and cared for. Lastly, it can help to boost the morale of the organization. All employees represent the team of any organization, no matter how big or small it may be.

This is so important within all organizations especially those working in human services. We need all the boosts possible to stay healthy to continue working.

Upon researching this topic I came across a website that offers six reasons employees leave an organization. The one reason that caught my attention was workplace loneliness.

We all need friends in our workplace and this company suggested a weekly Monday morning meeting to discuss what we did on the weekend.

Sounds like what we do.

Now I know some of us may not want to share those sordid details but in doing so friendships are formed and we feel more connected to those we spend a lot of time with each week.

Helen Keller said it best, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”