What is our "Huddle"?

And is it this or that "huddle" in the wunschlösung?

Anyone involved with the wunschlösung will pick up the term "huddle" somewhere relatively quickly. "Are you coming to the huddle?" "What's the huddle question today?" and "No work in the huddle!" are just a few sayings you hear regularly in the team. But what is it actually all about?


In fact, we didn't go among the (American) football players - even though that's where the term and the concept of the huddle actually come from. Literally translated, it means something like "heap", "jumble" and refers to something like the situation meeting within a football game. The planning of the team's next moves, so to speak.


However, the huddle is not quite as strategic for us, because basically we use it to refer to our virtual lunch break. What used to take place in a relaxed atmosphere in the confi or on the terrace before Corona, suddenly no longer worked in times of lockdown, distance requirements and home offices. But since we still wanted to see each other as a team during the breaks, the whole thing (in keeping with the industry) moved to the internet, got a fancy name - and the huddle was born.


What was initially only intended to bridge the lockdowns has become established and has remained so to this day - even in times when we can meet more often as a team on site again. For some, it helps to maintain social contact with colleagues in the home office and to keep up to date. For others, it offers relaxation or entertainment to listen to the team chatting or fooling around. Above all, it has proven to be a great format for bringing all wunschlöser together across locations.


Whether, how often and how one participates in the huddle is up to each team member. With or without a camera, actively participating or just as a silent listener. One thing is clear: it starts at 12:45 p.m. - whoever wants to and has time can join - no obligation. The huddle is also rather uncomplicated in other respects. Most wunschlöser simply bring their lunch to the camera. Sometimes we cook together while we talk. Or someone logs on from the road and takes the team for a walk. To make sure we don't run out of things to talk about, there is also a huddle topic every day to get us started.


"What has changed for you in the last year in a long-lasting way?"


"What don't we know about you yet?"


"What was the most exciting thing you ever did?"


In the huddle, pretty much everything is allowed - except work topics. So that we can all switch off for once, it is important to us that our (virtual) break does not end up becoming an additional (work) meeting. That's why the "huddle police" like to intervene if tickets are discussed in the huddle room before 1:30 pm ;)


So what the huddle is called is not that important. What matters most to us is the opportunity to have fun with the team and spend time together.