Collaboration at Work

At Google, there is amazing program for employee-led education called g2g: Googler to Googler.

After a request from some colleagues, I ran an online session during the pandemic showing people how to paint miniatures for their board games. I had my camera set up, and I was painting...it was like a tutorial. Once the office reopened, people asked me to do a live session.

So I bought paints for the whole office, set up a painting station in Makerspace - a room in some Google offices dedicated to creative projects where we had 3D printers, laser engraving machines, and wood-making tools - and then bought a whole bunch of cheap figures online and ran a class teaching everybody how to paint miniature figures.

That’s all of them in the pic, holding up their minis.

It’s funny looking back on it now, because that afternoon wasn’t just about paint and plastic. I remember looking around the room at all the people engaging with this little hobby of mine and how they were enjoying creating together. It was great seeing new sides of the people I worked with.

I guess, in a way, that same spirit is what I carry into the escape room workshops we run today. We create spaces where teams get to step away from the usual and surprise themselves, just like I did that day in Makerspace.

I think there’s a silent beauty in sharing what you love with others. Don't shy away from it.