We place so much value on Spring Break and you should too.
Admittedly, the idea was born out of having severe withdrawal from our college days and with the kids grown and out of the house. The last thing any of us wanted to do was sit back and watch enviously, via social media, the lives of others that are laid-up on a beach, sipping adult bevvies, and exploring with wistful wanderlust. Since long-gone (for some of us) are the days we anxiously counted down to the mid-semester break we decided, mostly out of jealousy, that we should be taking advantage of this academic tradition too.
In its early stages, the entire week was more about having fun; being a little more casual than normal and drumming up excuses to devise a theme that makes coming to work a little, less like work. Through its evolution, however, the week became something infinitely more profound: We discovered that this was an opportunity for us to step outside of our routine and challenge the way we viewed everything. To be clear, we still had themes, but they became more philosophical in nature and tied to our beliefs as a creative collective of explorers. Spring Break became physical proof of how we live our own Brand Truth by fostering a culture of curiosity and discovery (while still working in those very important happy hours).
So what did Spring Break look like for us in 2019? It was an all-encompassing commitment to curiosity. Meticulously curated, we mapped out five days of activities that led us to explore parts of Dallas we typically wouldn’t venture, “professions” we knew nothing about, office culture most of us were too young to experience, and non-Texan ways of #doingthings. Taken seriously, our team had the opportunity and the drive to learn something new every day. The best part — we saw it weave seamlessly into our culture. By making a point to dedicate an entire week to exploration, we developed an appreciation for the value that a curious culture has on our company. Important to note: we still met all of our deadlines, on time and brilliantly executed.
Planning “events” like Spring Break takes some risk, we needed to become comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable. When time and money are involved, that can be hard to do. Staring at an entire 6ft by 8ft whiteboard packed with same-week due dates certainly raised eyebrows, but it’s amazing how efficient a team becomes when they’re given a brief detour from their routine.
You may ask, why does any of this matter to me?
Because GoDo Spring Break is proof that celebrating your culture, values and people pays off. Our clients, partners and the Dallas community benefit from the questions we ask, the way we ask them, and the viewpoints we build from the answers we receive. And, internally, perhaps this week was just the cure we needed to avoid complacency or boredom.
Spring Break 2020. You in?
-Cory Elford, Business Development Lead at GoDo Discovery Co.
