Workplaces that play together achieve greater outcomes.
 

According to Sport Canterbury Chief Executive Julyan Falloon, that is the theory behind team-building exercises and other activities designed to bring staff together – and out from behind their desks.

When Holly Griffin joined Falloon’s team last month as part of the Healthy Families Christchurch initiative, she put the theory into practice – engaging her new teammates in a traditional Fijian version of cricket, called pani.

“The game followed a presentation, where staff had spent an hour listening and taking new information on board,” says Griffin. “As a group, we headed outside, I explained the idea behind the game, and within minutes staff were bowling and racing to protect the wicket!”

It only takes the time of a morning tea break to bring staff together, break down barriers and contribute to healthy habits, Griffin adds.

“Showing staff how easy it is, to make a transition from a sedentary morning to an active and engaging break, encourages them to ‘make the break’ regularly – taking advantage of lunch time to be active and build connections with other team members.”

The social aspect of being active is as valuable as the physical side, Falloon agrees. When Griffin introduced pani, no one in the team had ever heard of it. Within minutes, staff were shouting encouragement to their teammates and sprinting to earn points.

“It was hard to believe how quickly staff adapted to a new challenge, and what energy and enthusiasm it added to the middle of a working day.”

Many staff commented that the game was easily adaptable to play in beach and backyard settings, and looked forward to sharing it with their whanau.

About Healthy Families Christchurch

 In 2017, Sport Canterbury welcomed the opportunity to incorporate Healthy Families Christchurch into the organisation, an initiative focused on prevention, and creating healthier choices for Canterbury whanau in places where they live, learn, work and play.

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