Many small pieces make a whole

Probably everyone likes having a break during their busy workday. This does not require coffee or any hot beverage. What's vital to a proper break is clearing your head for a few minutes and thinking about something other than a huge task you've got ahead of you. Working on something else, ideally in collaboration with others, forces my attention away from a problem I might be stuck with.

Less than a month ago, I asked for a jigsaw puzzle for the office. I cannot have more than 2, maximum 3 cups of coffee a day. For some time now, any caffeinated drink after 3 pm is a sure way to prevent me from sleeping well. What will not interfere with my sleep though, is finding pieces that fit together. To fight entropy a bit longer while I can and feel like I have accomplished a little deed without the necessity of finishing it entirely.

My intention was to create an occasion that makes people comfortable in giving themselves a break while connecting with their colleagues during a shared experience. I dare say, this small initiative worked out quite well. Be it at work or when putting together a puzzle, it goes much faster and more smoothly when you’re not doing it alone but as a team. In both cases, people bring different parts and create something bigger and more whole.

Puzzling about this person

It's been more than a year since we moved into our new office. Additionally, we got so many awesome people to join us, we had to rent additional space to provide a place for everyone who likes to come to the office and be around their teammates and colleagues. In fact, we're now twice as many people compared to when we moved in.

Each time someone joins, my favorite part during the onboarding is to see them being welcomed to their respective team. I also get to meet a lot of them before their first day. So I know their names and have spent an hour talking with them during our first interview. For that, I count myself lucky.

Only some get to chat with a new colleague before they meet them for the first time in person. More accurately, most people don't. Doubling in size makes it more of a challenge to keep track of all the new faces you encounter in the hallway. One of the places to run into our newbies is, of course, the kitchen when you grab a coffee. Still, not everyone is into coffee.

Not puzzling over the results

I'm not the only one who tends to make their way to the puzzle instead of the kitchen. It’s wonderful to share people's joy when they find a piece they've been looking for since two days ago. To see how the bigger picture comes together. Also, it does so amazingly fast. That is just another reminder that collaboration is vital to our shared human experience. 

What goes without saying, because it’s so vital, is that you need all of the pieces to make it work. In the context of puzzles alone, there is no need to put a lot of emphasis on this. While for people, it’s not stressed enough. With our varied backgrounds and different experiences, we all bring unique parts to create something new and more awesome together. There sure are a lot of parallels between a puzzle and a team. However, with people, the picture only keeps getting more alive and colorful.