Imagine having one day a month at work where you’re free from your daily responsibilities and meetings to do something different. Perhaps you would work on a new idea, pursue an area of interest, learn new skills in a different area of the company, volunteer in the local community, or just do something fun for the day with your coworkers while getting paid. Such a concept is the reality for LinkedIn’s employees.
One Friday a month LinkedIn’s employees enjoy an inDay where they could do any of what I just described and more! Each inDay has a theme based on employee suggestions. A suggested team direction and vision for how employees can spend the day is given but is not mandatory. Employees can also choose to work on their own projects during this time. The goal is to learn something new, get inspired, have fun and take a break from day-to-day responsibilities.
Past in-days have included:
Volunteer day: employees picked their favorite charities and volunteered for the day giving back to the community
Benefits fair: during open enrollment employees had an entire day to attend a benefits fair and learn from inspiring health and wellness speakers and participate in team activities
Innovator challenge: on the ‘Innovator’s challenge’ inDay, employees were given a day to focus on new idea generation. Employees then got to present their ideas at an informal event with a panel of judges formed from the executive staff, who offered feedback, advice and recognition. The best ideas were awarded prizes and some were even implemented.
“Top Chef” challenge: based on the Bravo TV show, different departments competed against one another to create outstanding dishes.
So what do you think about inDay? Does your company do something similar? Would this idea excite or annoy you? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Marie Wiere's Blue Sky Management Blog 
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