Katie Fentress’ Post

5th Friday Fun! 🎉 Every fifth Friday, we celebrate the end of the month with our signature dose of scheduled fun! 🎉 Whether it's a Zoom costume extravaganza 🦄, a virtual cocktail hour 🍹 or a surprise activity that'll have you laughing all night long, it's sure to be a good time! 💃🕺 At MPower, we believe in working hard and playing harder, and our 5th Friday Fun Days are proof of just that. 🌟 It's the perfect opportunity to unwind, connect with colleagues and let loose in style! 🎉 Some Quick Stats About Team Socialization: Socializing among employees enhances communication by more than 50%. Workplace productivity drops by 21% due to employee isolation. Women who have close friends at work are 63% more likely to be engaged in their jobs. Almost half of job seekers consider company culture when applying for a job. If you're looking for help in this area check out VodenStudio.com or @voden_studio. They create amazing group and team experiences that won't disappoint! Let them know we sent you!

This week's firework festivities 🎆 make us think about the ways that we here at the Studio keep our creative spark alive and kicking, so that we can light up and bring life to our work. Abigail Maulion shares three ideas 💡💡💡 to keep the inspiration coming—and we've listed them below too for your convenience! Happy 4th, everyone! 3 WAYS TO SPARK CREATIVITY 1. Go outside 2. Build an inspiration board 3. Give yourself a "micro-challenge"

Night at the Movies: A Work Christmas Party to Remember! When your workplace culture inspires this much effort for a Christmas party, you know you’re part of something truly special. This year’s Night at the Movies theme didn’t just bring out great costumes—it brought out the heart of who we are as a team. From a handmade Up house, complete with balloons floating high, to a beautifully recreated Ghost pottery scene, the creativity on display was incredible. As for me? I went full classic cinema with a twist—the pixelated shower scene. Hitchcock would be proud... or maybe not! But this night wasn’t just about costumes. It was about what they represented: Passion: Whether at work or at play, this team gives 100 percent—proof that our culture thrives on creativity and commitment. Connection: The best part? Some costumes were even crafted together during arts-and-crafts catch-ups, turning teamwork into laughter-filled memories that brought us closer. From brainstorming ideas to admiring everyone’s creativity, it felt like a celebration of how much we genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Empowerment: When people feel valued, they bring their whole selves to everything—even to the dance floor. Watching everyone let loose, laugh, and enjoy the night showed just how much confidence and support we draw from this team. To my incredible teammates: you’re the reason this workplace is so much more than just a job. Whether we’re tackling big challenges, sharing laughs, or re-creating iconic movie scenes, we’re lifting each other higher every step of the way. Here’s to a workplace that inspires creativity, connection, and just the right amount of cheeky fun. #NRMA #WorkCulture #ChristmasParty #Gratitude

🎃 🎃 We all need a moment to step away from the day-to-day, let go, and just have a little fun. That’s exactly what our Halloween celebration was—a chance to connect, recharge, and enjoy each other’s company in a different way. 🎃 🎃 It’s easy to get wrapped up in the work grind, but moments like these remind us of the importance of balance and fun. Moments like these remind us that while work keeps us moving, it’s these shared experiences that truly bring us together. So here’s to keeping that balance, finding joy in the little things, and showing up for each other with energy and positivity. How does your team bring balance and fun into the workplace? Love, Jason

Happy Friday! 🎉 As we wrap up the week, let’s celebrate with a bit of team bonding. Whether you’re working from home or in the office, take a moment to connect with a colleague. Share a laugh, ask about their weekend plans, or simply say thank you for their hard work. 🤝 Here are a few fun office tips to boost morale and keep things lively: 1. Desk Decor Challenge: Encourage everyone to give their desk a fun and unique makeover. Share photos for a friendly competition! 2. Quick Break Activities: Set up a corner with fun games or puzzles. A quick game of cards or a board game can be a great way to refresh your mind. (You could also play this weeks Bingo newsletter!!) 3. Team Shout-Outs: Start a “kudos” board where team members can publicly recognize each other’s efforts and achievements. 4. Surprise Treats: Bring in some snacks (donuts) or coffee for the team. Little surprises can brighten everyone's day. 5. Friday Fun Quiz: Wrap up the week with a short, casual quiz or trivia game. It’s a great way to end the week on a high note. Small gestures can make a big difference in creating a positive work environment. Let’s keep the good vibes rolling as September starts! 🌟

“I like Christmas alright, but I really hate Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” – Nikki Giovanni 🌫️🚨🌫️ The classic holiday tale highlights deep truths about toxic workplace cultures. Rudolph is ostracized and ridiculed by his peers, and Santa sits on the sidelines enabling a toxic culture. He is seen as an outcast until one foggy Christmas Eve, when his unique trait his glowing red nose, becomes essential to guiding Santa’s sleigh through the night. This narrative mirrors environments where creativity and individuality are dismissed or overlooked until they are needed in a crisis of course. When employees, like Rudolph, feel undervalued or ignored for their unique qualities, it can lead to burnout, lost motivation, and a lack of overall team morale. This is a reality we see every day. People expressing creativity, sharing new ideas, and trying different approaches find themselves sidelined, ignored, or even mocked until their unique qualities are needed to solve a crisis. What if we stopped waiting for the fog to roll in to celebrate the out-of-the-box thinkers on our teams? What if we eliminated staff bullying and competitive reindeer games? At Burnouts, we believe in embracing creativity at all times, not just during the storm. Great ideas shouldn’t have to wait for the right moment to shine. Are you ready to start embracing the unique perspectives around you? Don’t wait for a foggy Christmas Eve to realize the value of your Team. Reach out, we can help! #Burnouts #CompanyCulture #Team #MSP #Creativity #Vendor #Poetry #NikkiGiovanni

Appreciation is one of those simple practices that yields big results. You can boost your results this June simply by Joining: https://lnkd.in/ek9abtFz

Bring Fun (Sports Day 🏏 ) Back to Fridays on Site 🎉 Ever notice how Fridays just aren’t the same anymore? There used to be a time when the end of the week meant a bit of banter, a laugh, maybe even a game of cricket. But somewhere along the way, the fun disappeared from our construction sites. Here’s the thing: when teams enjoy their work, they perform better—every single time. I’ve seen the magic of something as simple as a ‘Sports Day Friday.’ Walls of frustration come down, trust is built, and suddenly the job doesn’t feel like a grind. People perform better when they feel connected, and morale skyrockets when there’s room for a little fun. Want a high-performing team? Start by bringing joy back to the job site. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It just needs to remind people that they’re more than just workers—they’re part of something bigger. Let’s bring some fun back to Fridays! Try it out next week and let me know how it goes. 👇 Drop your favourite way to build team spirit in the comments. ___ I’m Beanie, helping construction leaders align their teams and build projects they’d proudly put their name to. #ConstructionLeadership #TeamCulture #FridayFun

🎉 Fun Friday Alert! 🎉 It's Glenn Jones's turn in our Fun Friday tradition, and needless to say, he's absolutely smashed it out of the park! 🙌... Here at CE Solutions, we truly believe in fostering a collaborative, positive work environment, and our Fun Fridays are just one of the many ways we make that happen. But it's more than just a bit of fun. Here’s how little moments like this can make a big impact: ✅ Boost Team Morale – A shared laugh or team activity helps break down barriers, making it easier for everyone to collaborate and communicate openly. ✅ Increase Productivity – Happy employees are productive employees. Giving the team a chance to unwind means they come back recharged and ready to take on the next challenge! ✅ Encourage Creativity – Fun Fridays help us think outside the box and inspire fresh ideas. It’s amazing what a change of pace can do for problem-solving! At CE Solutions, we know that a positive culture fuels success. After all, when the team is thriving, so is our work for clients. 💼🚀

Today, I had the joy of hosting a Christmas party for my team at home. It was incredible to see everyone make the effort to drive a long way, not for a meeting or a deadline, but simply to connect. As we laughed, reminisced about our team's history, and reflected on how far we’ve come, it struck me: in the whirlwind of everyday tasks and deadlines, we rarely go beyond a quick “Hi, how’s it going?” Moments like these remind me why our work matters—not just the what we do but the who we do it with. These are the people who make long days feel lighter, who collaborate selflessly, and who embody the “no jerk policy” that has helped our culture thrive, even as we grow exponentially. Seeing smiles across the room instead of heads buried in laptops was a refreshing change. It reaffirmed that it’s people and connections that turn hard work into something fulfilling. So, this holiday season, I encourage everyone to pause. Take time to celebrate your wins, reflect on your journey, and connect with your teams—not just as colleagues, but as humans. Because at the end of the day, there’s no “I” in team, and the success of any organization is built on the strength of its people working together. Happy Holidays, everyone! Let’s keep the spirit of connection alive. 🎉✨