I see a lot of activity in EB blogs related to knowledge transfer. Clearly this is a paramount concern in an industry as specialized as ours. Lately the word “collaboration” has been in the air at EB as well, as we recognize the value of team interaction.
Having said that, I want to suggest a great way to build teams, breakdown silos and have some fun at work, all while supporting Knowledge Transfer AND collaboration. What is my suggestion? The answer is Technical Excellence (Tech Ex) Week, and particularly from where I sit, the EB Trivia Challenge.
Following in the footsteps of D&E Mgr. Anne Glavan, I have created EB’s 2nd Trivia Challenge, which will take place in-person in NL on August 18 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Teams of three (3) to six (6) people can sign up for the challenge (you can register on Homeport at the following link: https://homeport.ecms.gdeb.com/designandengineering/techexcellenceweek/Pages/EB-Trivia.aspx). Create a clever team name (mine was “They call it ELECTRIC Boat for a reason!!” in 2018 when my team competed), maybe print a team t-shirt, and have some fun with this! Jeopardy has aired on our TVs for 57 years, so there is clearly something about this type of competition that is both exciting to tune into and enjoy, learn, and Even Better, to compete in!
Now, this is not for the faint-of-heart! There are some tough questions covering multiple topics, including: Books and Movies (EB/Subs “in the media”), EB History, EB Leadership, History, Presidents, Engineering and Design, Acronyms, Potpourri, and Navy/Military Speak.
Just like a great baseball team, you should assemble a cross section of talent and do some study and prep if you want to win. If your aim is to play and learn, that’s fine too. Newer employees can glean a lot of useful information by tuning into the EB Trivia Challenge.
Charley Holdredge, a retired EB “Master Shipbuilder” who goes to my beach always says, “That Zimmerman!!!….he’s the inventor of games!!” Admittedly, this is a hobby of mine. Well…I didn’t invent this one, but for this “pub style” trivia event, I tried to keep as much fun and excitement baked in to make it enjoyable and educational.
The fact that the winning team members get personalized EB “Tech Ex” jackets commemorating their win should add to the bragging rights you could earn. If you have questions, feel free to give me a call!
Ray Zimmerman
