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More than a coffee break: How a Swedish tradition fuels our creativity

Trivia nights. Talent shows. Cooking classes.

These are just some of the virtual activities that employers experimented with during the pandemic to keep coworkers feeling connected. We all learned a lot about this aspect of working remotely and many companies—including View—decided it was in their best interest to be a remote-first company. In our case, this allows us to hire the best possible talent irrespective of location and greater flexibility for our team when traveling. While we have a production studio in Brooklyn, our team spans the US with 3 extension teams around the globe.

Every workforce is unique. We’ve done a lot of trial and error to figure out what best fosters camaraderie on our team without feeling pushed into “mandatory fun” or awkward icebreakers.

One of our favorite things to do is called fika, inspired by the Swedish tradition of a “coffee and cake break.” Our Swedish founder, Peter Rundqvist, introduced the practice. And rather than grabbing a rushed cup of coffee (or tea) between meetings, embracing fika prompts our team to take a mindful break.

In Sweden, fika is more than just a coffee break. It’s a cultural tradition beyond coffee or food, encouraging us to spend quality time connecting with those around us. FYI, Peter’s turned the custom of not talking about work into a fast rule at View’s fika. Giving us time to connect with each other and return to our tasks more energized. And with a better understanding of our teammates.

But how do we connect with so much distance?

Breaking for Energy

Taking a centering moment does wonders for long-term focus and concentration. These breaks also stoke conversations that never would have emerged otherwise. Employees bond over shared experiences and interests, learn from one another, and leave feeling more energized than they did before. Cultivating this environment boosts collaboration and productivity by approaching team building through the lens of making genuine connections with each other.

And who knows? Maybe your new favorite team e-bonding tactic will emerge from a fika moment.