Here in Learning Experience Design (LXD), we love the Fun Ninjas. They happily interrupt an ordinary work day to make us feel appreciated and connected to our buddies at Bisk.
Gotta birthday? The ninjas will decorate your desk with balloons and streamers and a custom card signed by as many people as can fit their signatures and free-hand doodles. After printing the card, the Ninjas stick it in a regular paper pocket folder with a copy of our office seating chart and start it on its rounds. When we get it, we sign it, cross off our name and hand it over to the next person. The ninjas even put a tracking device on the folder, so it doesn’t get stalled or lost.
Design makes us hungry, and we happen to love food in LXD. We’ve been treated to Chips and Dip Day, Sundae Monday and Fundue Friday. The ninjas schedule our summer and Thanksgiving potlucks as well as Happiest Hour, our bimonthly belly-up to a local watering hole. That one takes place on payday — for obvious reasons.
The ninjas plan field trips, too. We meet for Lightning and Rays games during hockey and baseball seasons and tubing adventures at Rainbow Springs. Down the road from our campus is a go-kart speedway. The ninjas schedule the event and send out an invitation, and we just show up. It’s a great way to blow off steam at the end of a busy day.
The ninjas also sponsor a book club hosted by our Book Ninja, Carly Rae. When asked what prompted her to start the group, she said:
“Well, I was new here, and I realized that a lot of people here really like to read. I asked if there was a book club and was surprised that there wasn’t. So I decided to make one. I figured it would be a good way to get to know my new coworkers. Plus, I love introducing people to awesome literature.”
The calendar at the holidays is filled with good cheer. In the weeks before Christmas, we had an ornament exchange, a cookie swap (we bake three to four dozen so everyone participating can take home the full variety) and an ugly sweater contest.
The big event, however, was the search for Mr. Elf. We never knew where this funny little green guy would show up, but if you happened to spy him, you could bring him to a ninja to claim the day’s prize.
Poor Mr. Elf even took one for the team! He was kidnapped and held for ransom — a Christmas Pez dispenser — just before his final visit. Luckily, Michele, our Sensei Fun Ninja, was able to negotiate a deal in time to save his stuffing. “We had already given away the Pez dispenser that we had as a finder’s reward,” she said. “I could only hope Elf Napper would accept a reindeer candy cane or a pack of gum instead.”
The ransom note read as follows:
Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
You came to your senses
So I’m giving elf back to you
But I’m raising the stakes
If you don’t want to find the elf in a trench
Place a single piece of gum at 1 pm
On the picnic table missing a fourth bench
See the light
We don’t mind torturing his ilk
He was forced to eat Christmas cookies all night
Fail again, and we take away his milk
Yep, the ninjas look out for our workplace satisfaction and merriment. If you’re the party planner type, I hear there’s a black belt on a hook just waiting for you.
Written by Jessica
