Q.INSIGHTs & INTUITION

Chris Lamoureux Executive Vice President First Western Bank & Trust Minot, N.D.

First Western Bank & Trust encourages and promotes volunteering, celebrating, and competing in friendly activities to assist in building relationships within our full-service community bank. We organize department retreats, whether that be at the lake, or at a park or restaurant, allowing each member of the team to really get to know their colleagues, and thereby building confidence and trust in each other.

Additional activities include volunteering for community improvement projects, many of which take place outside of business hours. Staff members appreciate various annual events like the First Western Christmas Party, which allows everyone in the First Western family to engage in game show-style games and enjoy entertainment put on by other members of our staff.

Our leadership takes pride in encouraging and being supportive of employee activities that elevate camaraderie, employee well-being and community involvement, understanding these opportunities positively enhance and nurture teamwork.

Like most organizations, we had to take a brief hiatus from in-person team building during the height of Covid, but little by little we continue to reintroduce our favorite events while also creating some fun new ones! Our team tries to strike a balance between volunteering opportunities, wellness initiatives, and social outings. Some of the organizations we have volunteered with include the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House, Feeding South Dakota, Mobile Food Pantry, and Kids Against Hunger.

We try to take advantage of the warm summer months by hosting picnics, kickball games, and nights at the ballpark, as well as indulging in Food Truck Fridays downtown and happy hours. We love a good potluck and delight in competitions, whether it’s a ping pong tournament or showdown for who can make the best dessert / chili / fill in the blank.

We even have a rotating trophy that gets added to with each competition, making it that much more enticing for the next person to win! Regardless of the activity, we enjoy getting to know one another better outside of work and find that as a result we work better together!

Tara Twedt Marketing Director Architecture Incorporated Sioux Falls, S.D.

At Enclave, we value people for who they are and take great pride in our relationships, placing emphasis on building genuine connections across our team. We create opportunities for large allteam gatherings, like family-friendly company picnics, and smaller group activities like golf outings, escape rooms and companysponsored leagues to bring people together. Volunteer outings that directly support our paid service hours and commitment to community have been well-received by Enclave’s team members; we’ve got an incredible group of do-gooders!

For us, it’s important that we foster connection around the activities our employees enjoy participating in.

Tricia Schill HR Manager Enclave West Fargo, N.D.

Teresa Wasvick Human Resources Director Alerus Grand Forks, N.D.

As we’ve embraced a combination of in-office, remote, and hybrid employee arrangements, our approach to team-building and employee events has changed. We schedule large gatherings during times that are convenient for employees across our various worksites.

When we held in-person all employee- meetings earlier this year, we hosted socials afterward so employees could reconnect and have some fun while they were already together. We also host family-friendly activities such as summer picnics and encourage employees to bring their families and friends to events whenever possible.

In addition to company wide activities, we also support smaller teambuilding activities. Connecting and building relationships looks different to different teams and people. We encourage teams to participate in wellness challenges, such as completing a 5k or 10k walk/run together, supporting community and charity events as a team, and encourage managers to organize team activities throughout the year, such as attending a sporting event, heading out for a night of bowling, or gathering for lunch over a video call. We provide teams the freedom to determine their own best way of strengthening relationships in a style that works for them.