Brittle leaves crunch
and grind against well-worn boot soles, as children starving for the sugary
delights of an endless candy stash strategically choose their Halloween
costumes. Typically, most adults either aid their children in their pursuit of
the ideal masquerade identity or find a highly creative approach of their own
to a traditional, youthful costume. But at LAMP’s main office, the air is alive
with a different type of energy. The energy of planning and gathering odds and
ends to outfit an entire week of costumes with a specific theme. Laughing, photographing,
and even dancing are taking place behind the scenes of the office as we go
about our daily business of serving our clients and interpreters. In order to
understand the effectiveness at bonding and cohesion that this week provided
LAMP’s internal office staff, one must understand the reason for imposing it, the
specific themes staff was given to dress for, and how both of these elements
cooperated to create a mouthwatering end of festivities pot luck, catered by
none other than LAMP’s staff.
Over the past year, LAMP’s office staff has grown
considerably, with the addition of a few new positions. Through this growth,
the office is ripe with even greater diversity in age, cultural origin, and
ethnicity. This diversity enables a consistently stronger method for team work
building and cohesion efforts to be implemented in-house, in a manner that
reflects the great scope of variety LAMP possesses. Thus, the idea for
Halloween week was born. One of LAMP’s most dynamic Russian interpreters, Jane,
came up with the initial idea during an employee lunch in late October. Upon
hearing the idea, the staff immediately took to it and beginning forming the
theme days of dress and behavior to follow.
The animation present in the various departments and
cubicles was instant, the moment an entire week dedicated to celebrating
Halloween was suggested. As a result, the following theme days were assigned
throughout the week:
Monday: Favorite TV/Movie Character
Tuesday: Favorite Cartoon Character
Wednesday: Favorite Hobby/Interest
Thursday: Favorite Stereotype
Friday: Crazy Costume/Free Day
Thus, the office was
home to several iconic individuals including: Borat, Mermaid Man, Arnold,
Wednesday Adams, Blair Waldorf, Hermione Granger, several clowns, Little Red
Riding Hood, a cat, and much more and with each central, close detail, the
laughs were abundant and contagious. These laughs were captured daily in
several group photographs, emphasizing LAMP’s commitment to participating in
morale boosting activities and creative fun.
The laughs, spur of the moment costume ideas, and highly
engaging camaraderie efforts ended with an international potluck, where each
member of the staff brought in a dish of their choice that best represented
their culture and everyday cuisine. The lavish table held traditional Mexican,
Bosnian, Spanish, Greek, and Middle Eastern faire, in both the savory and sweet
varieties. Just before digging into the substantial meal, the staff took a
complete team photo, highlighting the goofy, diverse nation of each member of
LAMP’s irreplaceable team. With silly, reflective, and sincere faces, the
internal office staff gazed into various cameras, poised to allow the virtual
world a glimpse into the multinational, vibrant family that is LAMP.
This article was written by LAMP Portuguese interpreter, Andrea L.
