TGIFGF – Thank Goodness it’s Feel Good Friday
Flashback to the Fridays of pre-remote work — back when the TGIF expression initiated a good old fashion social hour plan. Somewhere in the day, preferably at a street corner coffee shop or downtown pub or patio, colleagues and friends raised a glass to the end of the work week. A TGIF cheers feels good, doesn’t it?
Feel Good Friday requires no explanation. It is the opportunity for contact, collaboration, and the relief of a Friday vent session that can go a long way to help resolve tensions and bring together ideas.
Until happy hour hotspots reopen, CSAE colleagues and friends are pleased to pull up a virtual seat in a series of Feel Good Friday events – an initiative of the Trilllium Network Council’s PDX committee.
The monthly virtual CSAE café on May 28 brought together about 30 association peers to share their personal thoughts and fears on a burning question, “What keeps you up at night?”
Marion Tripp, Customer Engagement and Experience Manager at The Talent Company and Vice Chair of the PDX Committee, kicked off Feel Good Friday with her special gift of keeping it real and encouraging openness and understanding. Marion’s warm welcome set the tone for participants including PDX committee members who facilitated discussions at each virtual table. A chance for networking revolved with the tables and lively chatter. The entire virtual room came together in the end for a review of the high-level points. It was clear there were common themes expressed at all tables like the keywords “hybrid events” and “transition.”
“Transition fears have to be carefully considered in our workplaces,” offered Marion in a virtual table discussion. “People are traumatized in the wake of the pandemic. Fears aren’t going to be the same for everyone, and we have a long way to go (in life post Covid-19).”
Feel Good Friday put everything on the table — loss of workplace culture, staffing shortages, job training challenges, loss of interaction with senior colleagues, the resilience of the economy, and the anxiety of getting out the door and on the road for work again. However, where there are fears there are hopes. Positive vibes were shared as well such as 2022 conference bookings and new hotel business leads already coming in.
Marion said, “I picked the theme of “What keeps you up at night?” as it was based on past in-person sessions at Trillium Winter and Summer Summits. That theme just empowers people to jump into discussion and navigate topics of their own interest.”
Marion was right. Feel Good Friday felt good indeed. It was a perfect time to have free flow conversation and CSAE camaraderie.
The next PDX virtual café is scheduled for Friday, June 25, hosted by CSAE committee volunteer Kevin Jackson. Help raise a glass to the start of summer and the end of another busy week!
By Robert Pye, CAE
Robert Pye is a senior manager with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters. He is a CSAE member and volunteer.
