The Corona crisis pushed us into working remotely three weeks ago. This was an early move by idealo to be prepared
and to ease the burden on our health system in Berlin and Germany.
Overall my team did the transition very well, mood and productivity is still good. What I felt was missing
was the casual conversation in the kitchen or the lunch with the colleagues where there always was time to connect
on a more personal and private basis. Chat about the latest movies, bitching about politics or others things.
For the first weeks as a remote team we where missing out on these situations, all communication was limited to
the work we do. So I felt disconnected from the humans while the work connection was quite OK. this was what
made me act on it.
What is Fika?
My wife and her family is strongly connected to Sweden (and the other scandinavian countries for that matter).
This is how I heard about Fika:
Fika is much more than having a coffee. It is a social phenomenon, a legitimate reason to set aside a moment for quality time. Fika can happen at any time, morning as well as evening. It can be savoured at home, at work or in a café. It can be with colleagues, family, friends, or someone you are trying to get to know. It is a tradition observed frequently, preferably several times a day.
Remote Fika in my team
I just went ahead for my team and suggested, that we spent fifteen minutes every morning together for a Remote Fika.
Attending is voluntarily and nobody prepares an agenda or something for the Fika. I arranged the time for Fika so it leads
directly into our first team meeting of the day (the daily aka daily stand up, daily scrum, ...).
And we just use the same Google Meet room for the Fika and when the time has come, we move over to the daily.
As I initiated the idea I ensured that I attended all Fikas for the first week. I was prepared that nobody shows up
for the first Fika, but this was not the case. We had good, funny and interesting things we shared and discussed
over this short period of time.
And the best thing for me is: I really feel more connected to my colleagues. I know if they maybe had a bad day or
did not sleep good last night. What is on their minds. I am always looking forward to the next Fika and can let
the team wander off for the day to work on their tasks, soothed and certain that they are OK. For me as the team
lead this is so important to know.
So grab a coffee or tea, maybe a sweet as recommended and join your team or your peers for a Fika.
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