Yes, I Hid Hundreds of Gold Coins in my Office
I believe if we’re spending so many hours a week at work, we should make it fun! 🥳
One of the larger initiatives our Culture Club at Google Singapore ran over the years was the Culture Cup. Inspired by the Harry Potter Hogwarts House Cup, I wanted to encourage co-workers from different lines of business to meet, connect, and collaborate. It was, in many ways, an early experiment in team building and culture design.
We sorted employees into teams based on the last digit of their employee ID. This gave us 10 teams, randomly assorted across the office, with quirky names like Team Froyo 🍦 and Team Honeycomb 🐝 - based on the original Android Operating System code names.
With Jan Peuker providing the back-end tech and the Culture Club members generating tons of ideas, we were off.
The concept: at every extra-curricular activity at work - from Town Hall Meetings to push-up challenges - attendees could scan their badge to earn points for their teams. Larger monthly competitions awarded bigger pools of points.
The weekly standings 🥇 of each team were displayed on office screens, and at year’s end, the winning team had their name engraved on a giant trophy and earned a special Friday afternoon party. It was gamification at its best - turning work into a source of joy, recognition, and connection.
My favorite Culture Cup activity was the annual St. Patrick’s Day Gold Coin Hunt ☘.
Often joined by Scott Palmer, I’d sneak into the office over the weekend and stash around 300 plastic gold coins in every imaginable spot. The start of the hunt was announced in Neeta Tolani’s Monday Kopi newsletter - and the madness began!
Coins were hidden everywhere: buried ten dishes deep in the cafeteria, tucked in the leaves of office plants, or innocently placed on meeting room chairs. Participants would find coins, drop them off in their team’s collection box, and rack up points.
In the first day or two, I’d see Culture Cup teams organizing quietly, sweeping the office like elite squads on a mission. Since I was on the mailing alias of every team, I had the joy of reading their chatter as they strategized together.
The best part? Months later, I’d still pass by coins that had gone undiscovered, waiting for the next year’s contest.
The annual hunt wasn’t just fun - it was powerful team development training in disguise. It built camaraderie, created bonds across teams, and made memories that lasted. The Culture Club team worked hard to keep it fresh, but the payoff was undeniable: stronger connections and a workplace where people genuinely enjoyed coming together.
The Culture Cup became so impactful that it was showcased at a worldwide Google culture summit and later spun off in other offices across the globe. Most importantly, the dozens of events provided my co-workers with lasting friendships and experiences they continue to cherish.
And now, get ready… because my next venture builds on that same philosophy: making work fun, memorable, and transformative. At Teamwork Unlocked, we’re taking those lessons into the world’s first B2B escape room Singapore experience - blending leadership training Singapore, escape room training, and leadership escape room training with immersive gamification. It’s team building with purpose, designed to unlock collaboration and trust under pressure. 🚀
What memories do you have of gamification at work - or maybe even your own version of a Culture Cup? Share them below and inspire others!
