What does it mean to be part of a team?

Teamwork is a word we hear a lot throughout our lives, meaning a group of people working together cooperatively to accomplish a common purpose or goal.

We do that at Bonnie’s. But I feel a team means so much more than just that. Our team is made up of women from all walks of life, backgrounds, experience and skills. The women I work with every day are women I admire and value and I feel the word team only touches the surface of the role we play in each other’s lives. These women are not only co-workers and team members, they are also family. Like a family, they provide emotional support for each other, are kind to each other and allow each other the opportunity to make mistakes and grow from them. They make our workplace a safe environment, not only for everyone who walks through our door but for each other.

At Bonnie’s, we believe it is vital for everyone to feel included. Our recent team-building day gave us an opportunity to show all the members of our Bonnie’s family our appreciation and to welcome our new team members and have some fun together!

We decided we would have a lunch with each person bringing a dish from their own culture to share. The idea was welcomed from the word go and there was a lot of excitement in the office as ideas and recipes were thrown around. The joy we all felt when talking about food and family was infectious.

Everyone went out of their way to prepare their dishes at home and the Bonnie’s kitchen smelt delicious that morning as the finishing touches were made. The dishes were amazing and included Vietnamese paw paw salad, pumpkin and lentil curry, Arabic kofta stew, lamb biriyani and fairy bread and lamingtons for dessert. I am from a Chilean background and cheated a little, making my favourite dish which is Mexican tacos (burritos). However everyone agreed (as they dug in) it was within the rules, being a Latin dish! What a great way to give the rest of our team a taste of our cultures, through secret family recipes made with love. Even fussy eaters like me felt comfortable and welcomed.

After our amazing lunch we had time to play, with some team-building activities, one of which involved being given a superhero, then trying to find your partner using closed-ended questions, which really worked on our communication skills. I was assigned Batman and did my best to find Robin – who meanwhile (suffering from a case of mistaken identity) was desperately searching for Maid Marian, sending the entire team into fits of laughter.

Watching all the members of our Bonnie’s family get back into their work this week, with the passion and drive that they all have, I think we can all feel our bonds strengthened, perspectives refreshed and batteries recharged. This festive experience was a lovely comparison to our day-to-day activities. With our work, we tend to focus on others’ needs, while doing our best to stick to our hectic schedules, so having the time and freedom to be silly and laugh is a memory I will treasure and hope to repeat.

Written by Carolina