A Pool Party Helps Advising & Outreach Achieve Their Team Goals
Along with our goals of eliminating financial barriers and helping students complete the FAFSA, the Advising & Outreach team aims to create greater support for work/life balance. As such, here are three lessons from our annual Pool Party hosted by our Associate Director, Greg Offerman and his family:
Overall, a summer pool party is not just a fun break from work; it’s an opportunity to enhance team dynamics and support wellness in a relaxed and enjoyable environment. While we can’t invite all of DEM to the Offermans next year, we encourage you to find ways to connect with your team outside of the office and prioritize wellness as we start a new school year.
- A Relaxed Atmosphere Encourages Communication: Exiting the four walls of our office building opens the doors to feeling more comfortable building relationships. An outdoor setting can strengthen team cohesion and enhance cooperative skills, which are
valuable in a professional environment
. - Encouraging Social Interaction: While eating pizza, telling stories, and sitting by the pool it feels natural to interact in ways that might not occur in the office. This can lead to stronger personal connections and a better understanding of each other’s strengths and interests, contributing to more harmonious and effective team dynamics.
- Promoting Work-Life Balance: Being able to break bread with teammates in a home setting, reminds us, we’re all human. We all have dishes to wash and some of us will have kids to put to bed. Seeing each other as human helps us have grace and appreciation for each other.
Overall, a summer pool party is not just a fun break from work; it’s an opportunity to enhance team dynamics and support wellness in a relaxed and enjoyable environment. While we can’t invite all of DEM to the Offermans next year, we encourage you to find ways to connect with your team outside of the office and prioritize wellness as we start a new school year.