Question

Article on cultivating hobbies and nurturing them

Answer 1

Several companies are incorporating and encouraging the formation of activity and hobby groups as part of their schedule, apart from including the run-of-the-mill annual picnics and excursions. For instance, a carrom board, a few guitars and a drum kit form an integral part of Cartwheel Creative Consultancy Private Limited, a city-based consulting firm. The staffers are also seen enjoying a game of table-tennis on a conference room table, also designed to double up as a ping-pong one. "The idea is to motivate us to interact constantly. Good ideas come out of speaking with each other - be it about music, movies, games, politics or work," says D Ramakrishna, founder of the company. Most of these groups are planned at the beginning of the year and carried out effectively. Outbursts of spontaneity could include kite-flying, jamming and playing carrom, apart from the planned cricket matches. "The bonding during cricket even led us to create a whacky website which is an offbeat take on the game,"
Common interests amongst workers not only helps reduce work stress but also boosts optimism, positivity and team-work," says Pallavi Jha, managing director, Dale CarnegieTraining, India. Partho Guha, of Elephant Design, adds, "It also helps in striking a great work-life balance. Activities which bring about a sense of fun and frolic to the workplace, also help develop a sense of confidence in personal expression among workers and create a deep bond among employees."