The 2020 Mod Games Show ModSquad’s Team Spirit

Let’s state the obvious: The global pandemic has changed how we work — and how we play. Remote working is a natural part of ModSquad’s culture, so the Mods are well-equipped to thrive in this new world, where working from home is essentially a requirement.

But what about playtime? The pandemic has had a huge impact on how everyone plays. From our children to our favorite athletes, humans connect with one another through healthy, friendly competition. To that end, we’d been planning a company-wide activity to coincide with the Olympic Games this past August. Even though the games have been postponed, we still moved ahead with a concept that would help connect us to one another in a fun, engaging manner.

And just like that, the Mod Games were born! We placed all participants on teams of five, mixing together people who might not normally work closely with one another. It was a hoot to learn the teams’ self-determined names. One group showed their affinity for the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy (Team Vanya) while another kept things on brand (The MODeraptors). 

Over the course of three weeks, the teams were presented with 15 challenges in which each individual could earn points for their team by uploading photos and/or videos of themselves completing the various challenges. Some of the tasks illustrated the work-from-home life (dirty dishes in the sink, photos of workstations), some required teamwork (paper football and emailing with gloves), and some appealed to the Mods’ sense of creativity and competition (painting fingernails, hand-painted coffee mugs, homemade shuffleboard, and WasteBasketBall). Sprinkled into the mix were interactive challenges that required a group effort.

In total, more than 50 Mods completed nearly 200 tasks while connecting with one another in the Mod Games Slack channel. New friendships were formed and people appreciated the chance to show off their personalities through online conversation, photo sharing, and video creation. In the group chat, Mods would good-naturedly look for loopholes and then joke about how they could humorously execute each challenge. What started as a simple tongue-in-cheek thread quickly became a newfound tradition that we looked forward to reading each day. 

The Mod Games showed the great stories that our people have to share. They have wild imaginations. They are witty and charming. They care about each other, and they love being a part of ModSquad. The participants took advantage of the Mod Games as a way to visit the virtual water cooler. Finding these opportunities in our remote-working environment has become a key ingredient to ModSquad’s culture, helping ensure we all feel connected when working from home. Collaborating with colleagues over work is one thing, but bonding over personal interests and shared experiences are what makes good teams great.

Finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The awarding of prizes. Our top three teams were awarded with gold, silver, and bronze medals, as well as gift certificates for some awesome ModSquad swag. The top three individual performers also received awards. Here’s the final scoreboard for the 2020 Mod Games:

Team:
Continental Rockets with 116 points (Gold) —  Rochelle H., Laura M., Gina F., Brittney R., and Victoria S.
Team Vanya with 111 points (Silver) — Brittany I., Shane B., Charlotte B., Anirudh P., and Kimberly B.
@TAG-ME with 102 points (Bronze) — Amy K., Monica A., Elinor D., Gina M., and Tera T.

Individual:
Kimberly B. with 34 points (Gold)
Anirudh P. with 33 points (Silver)
Rochelle H. with 29 points (Bronze)

And there you have it! The 2020 Mod Games have drawn to a close, and judging by the contributions and conversations, it appears a good time was had by all. Our thanks to the participants, and we’ll see you next time!