AUTHOR: BRANDON RAY, FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES M.S. STUDENT, University of Florida; Advised by Dr. Matt DiMaggio
Graduate school is fast paced, intensive, and stressful, often placing students under immense amounts of pressure to achieve the necessary education, research, and professional goals required to earn the degrees they pursue. The deadlines, sleepless nights, and minimal chances for social encounter can lead to interferences with communication within and between labs which, consequently, interferes with the quality and/or efficiency of certain tasks and projects. Many organizations seek remediation for these problems using team building exercises to help reinforce social interactions, build team camaraderie, and alleviate the social tension that can lead to these breakdowns in communication. Tabletop role playing games (TTRPGs) have become popular in recent years as a method of achieving these desired outcomes due to the necessary communication, conflict resolution, and shared understanding all players must develop to effectively run the game. While it can be tempting to think of these things as trivial in our workspaces given the ‘nose to the grindstone’ work ethic many of us possess, and the demands of our research an oppressive weight on our minds, it is also important to recognize that we are social beings that need community and crave social interaction. Team building exercises like TTRPGs can be an incredibly effective and useful tool to help satisfy this social need and alleviate stress in our work environment.
For example, At the UF Tropical Aquaculture Lab my research primarily focuses on the salinity tolerances of adult fish which keeps me oriented separately from my lab mates who primarily focus on larval fish development. This separation in focus, alongside other distinctions in our positions, work experiences, and career goals, created gaps in our communication. However, my relationship with other lab members developed at a much more rapid rate thanks to our shared experiences and interests. I recognized this gap in our communication but lacked an elegant solution to the problem before me. Fortunately, an opportunity arose as growing interest in the popular game Dungeons and Dragon grew throughout my lab. With several years of experiencing playing, organizing, and running games under my belt I was able to offer my services in setting up a session for the graduate students at our facility. I hoped to create an environment that inspired shared interests and experiences in the lab, encouraged and eased communication, and allowed us all to destress after our research and class work. While I can’t make claims to fame about the game I’ve lead causing rapid increases in productivity and total amelioration of conflict, I can say that since the game has started communication within my lab has improved considerably amongst the grad students and shared interest in the game has clearly allowed for more open communication and collaboration within and between labs. The other students eagerly look forward too, discuss theories about, and prepare for upcoming games. My lab mates and I speak with more ease about matters pertinent to our research thanks to us developing that social interaction in a non-work environment. My own confidence in public speaking and conflict resolution have increased considerably and now my lab mates are taking initiative themselves and starting games of their own.
While I recognize this as a distinct departure from what might normally be submitted to this blog, I still feel it an idea necessary to present to other labs. Not all labs, at all times, run into failures in communication and not all people will enjoy or derive benefit from TTRPGs, however, team building exercises like them should be considered for all labs. Building stronger bonds of communication and trust are valuable in any setting where people must work alongside one another, and in the academic setting, where even minor errors at any stage of our work can lead to disastrous consequences, it becomes even more pertinent.
First Image: Team building exercise, credit: https://snacknation.com/blog/5-minute-team-building-activities/
Second Image: Dungeons and Dragons logo Copyright: Wizards of the Coast
Reefs to Rivers: Florida Fisheries Science 