The Project Scope:
- Location and Activity Scouting
- Event Coordination
- Icebreaker Conception & Production
In the summer of 2023, Lingoda’s 10 year anniversary was on the horizon. An outdoor bash was planned and arrangements had been made to bring the distributed team of 220 together in Berlin. In line with the company mission to build bridges around the world through language learning, the People & Culture team wanted to use the hours before the party to help folks from different locations meet and connect.
Rachel thinks back: “When Maria reached out, it was to see if we had an idea for a fun activity that would get team members mingling. They were looking for something the team hadn’t done before, something that would fit into a two-hour block, and something that wasn’t too far away from the main event."
"The game got 40% of the team to talk to someone new during the event!"
Reviewing the options, Rachel found the solution in a two-hour graffiti art activity which would give the team the chance to connect in a new way. With large groups, it can be difficult to get people to mingle. The tendency is for people to find - and stay with - their friends. To get around this, Rachel proposed a game that incentivized people to talk to strangers.
Rachel remembers, “Working closely with the Lingoda People & Culture team, I created the Passport to Connection game, a postcard-sized game with 4 questions team members had to ask others to get their card ‘stamped.’ After they’d collected some stamps, team members could enter to win a prize by scanning the QR code on the passport. The best part? The QR code meant that the team could measure engagement and connection across the event!”
When it comes to the results, VP People Maria Kamischke remembers, "The game got 40% of the team to talk to someone new during the event!" The results also showed the team that many conversations had taken place between colleagues in difference locations - helping to build bridges for the year to come!
