Jin-gook's Work Ethic #9: Rest well to work well.
Jin-gook's Secrets to Working Well Playing One way to unwind is through the company’s employee clubs. These are activities that all employees can relate to and enjoy together…How to WorkSince “taking time off” was selected as the top priority, the company spares no effort in supporting this.
Various media outletsA club with such a rich history and a strong fan base that it was even featured in *Edo*. With the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, it nearly faded into legend… but last June, Wadongso It has since been revived!
The second season of Wadiz Clubs has begun, featuring a mix of long-standing clubs that have been with us for years and new clubs launched with great excitement. If the keyword for clubs before COVID-19 was “startup sensibility,” the keyword for this second seasonis“arts and sports.” Why arts and sports, you ask? Just looking at these seven clubs, this place is basically Wadiz of Arts and Sports! 😆
As of September 2, 2022, based on the status of our in-house clubs, there are 157 unique members—excluding those with multiple memberships. That’s well over a third of our entire workforce, and these members are truly passionate about art and sports. Are you wondering if we forced people to join, like a scene from a famous drama? Once you discover the unique appeal Wadiz, you’ll never say that again. We’ll break down the clubs that have captivated so many of our employees into two categories: Arts and Sports. In this section, we’ll introduce the arts clubs.
Flower Arranging Club "Hwatu"
To quote Jin-gook, our operations manager, Hwatu is a premium, high-quality flower arranging club with a long-standing tradition. Founded in December 2016, it’s now six years old—making it the oldest club of its kind currently in existence.
With the club temporarily suspended due to COVID-19, I thought it might become just a legend, something people would occasionally mention, like, “There used to be a Hwatu club back in the day…” But thanks to the unwavering passion and interest of the Hwatu members, it has made a dramatic comeback. This was also made possible by the thoughtfulness of the club manager, who hoped that many members would experience the joy that comes from flower arranging.
The reason the club is called “Hwatu” is because “everyone is fighting with flowers while maintaining an elegant expression.” When I first heard the name, I thought it referred to the card game where “a cold dagger flies and pierces the heart.” It wasn’t until Jin-guk, the club manager, told me it was a flower-arranging club that I finally understood the real meaning 😂
The "Jinguk-s" (?) fighting flowers with elegant expressions
Every month, Hwatu creates a new piece with a professional florist. In July, we made bouquets, and in August, we made wreaths. We were deeply moved by Jin-gook’s review of the August wreath-making session, so we’d like to share it with you.
“I used to be part of a flower arranging club at my previous company. After staring at a computer screen all day, arranging a single flower or a small plant is really therapeutic for me.”
This is especially true of the wreath I made in a flower arranging class last August. Making a wreath is a labor-intensive process. Just like a scholar heading to Hanyang to take the civil service exam would weave his straw sandals, you have to secure each stem, one by one, to the frame. By the time I’d finished the difficult task, I realized the scent of eucalyptus had permeated my clothes.
"I’ve hung the wreath I made up nicely in my kitchen. I’m currently thinking about who to give my next piece to. I’m grateful to the company for offering such high-quality classes, and I’m always thankful to our chairman and the flower arranging instructor. I can’t wait for the September class to start!"
You mean this is possible on the very first day? The quality is so high, it could easily be sold at a premium right now!
Jin-gook is listed below
Music Club "Wadiz Group Sound"
The Wadongso event held at the Culture Center in June was bustling with people eager to welcome back the club after a two-year hiatus. Amidst the crowd, there was one club serenely filling the air with beautiful melodies. It was Wadiz Music Club, Wadiz Group Sound (hereinafter referred to as Wagsa), whose members come together through music, playing instruments and singing in harmony.
No music, no life.
That’s Wagssa’s slogan. Just looking at the slogan, it might seem like a hardcore(?) music club with a motto like “Life and death! A sworn alliance!” But actually, this slogan was created to express that we can’t even imagine life without music. That’s because all Wagssa members are overflowing with love and passion for music.
On the company’s Wagsa bulletin board, members’ names are listed alongside the instruments they can play—such as keyboards and guitars—and their roles. You’ll notice a few empty slots, but that’s because Wagsa welcomes any genre of music and any instrument, regardless of skill level. So, there’s no slogan more fitting than “No music, No life.”
The passionate expression on Wagssa Jin-gook's face
Official activities are held once a week. But once a week is nowhere near enough to satisfy all the passion of Wagssa members. When the urge to practice strikes, we even organize impromptu get-togethers. (Wagssa’s passion is so intense it even beats “Friday Night”🔥)
One of our members, Jin-gook, says that Wagssa has become a major source of joy in his life lately. He says he looks forward to Wednesdays—the day of our weekly meetup—more than anything else. Perhaps thanks to this passion, he started learning to play the guitar when he joined Wagssa, and his skills have improved tremendously in just two months!
At our last meeting of each month, we also hold a small internal concert! During this event, members perform songs they’ve practiced over the past month, either solo or in small groups. Enjoying music while savoring a delicious dinner—it’s so romantic! 😍
Wagsah has a special role that other music clubs don't have.
"Mood-maker"
Jinguk, the team’s mood-maker, was so impressed by his singing skills at a karaoke session he attended with Jinguk, the operations manager, that he personally recruited him. The operations manager Jin-gook summed it up in one line: “I was blown away not just by his musical talent, but by his overwhelming ability to set the mood!” Apparently, the official theme song for Jin-gook the party starter is “I Like to Move It” from the Madagascar soundtrack! Just hearing the title gets you in the mood and paints a picture of Jin-gook, who’s as energizing as a vitamin. (Ah, I like to move it! I like to move it, move it!)
Jin-gook, the mood-maker who’s not only a comedian but also a multi-talented performer skilled in vocals and guitar!
Jin-gook, one of our staff members, invited everyone to come visit Wagssa anytime if you want to see the members’ passion, their love for music, and their rapidly improving skills. Before we go, let me give you a quick peek at what Wagssa is like. You’ll probably want to go right away! Everyone who wants to go with Jin-gook, gather ’round here!
👉 Check out Wagssa's beautiful melodies
"Wanadu" Art Club
“I hope to discover myself through painting, relieve stress, and foster positive communication with my colleagues through beautiful artwork.”
The company’s club bulletin board describes the founding purpose of the art club “Wanadu” as follows. During club meetings, Wanadu members seem incredibly happy, and they often comment that it’s a “healing experience.” While this may sound like a lofty ambition, Wanadu is actually already fulfilling its mission quite well.
A rising star in the club scene! The art club “Wanadu” was founded this year. Jin-gook, who loves drawing, had been working on his own projects consistently. One day, he thought it would be nice to draw with a colleague. Another colleague, who was a big fan of Jin-gook’s artwork, heard the news and suggested starting a small in-house class. And that’s how the Wanadu club was born.
Wanadu is led by Jin-gook, a talented genius and operations manager, who personally designs the curriculum and teaches the classes. Moving forward, they plan to select common themes—such as landscapes, flowers, and food—and have students practice drawing them one by one using iPads and oil pastels.
I’m really looking forward to seeing if Wadiz will give birth to the next Picasso, Manet, Monet, or da Vinci.
Jin-gook, who teaches you how to draw!
Wanadu embodies the message, “I can draw too! "Anyone Wadizcan draw." They introduced themselves as "a club where anyone can draw—as long as you can draw stick figures!" But when you see the artwork from Wana-do members, you can’t help but wonder, "Do stick figures really improve this fast?" and get a little intrigued. Wana-do is even planning an in-house art exhibition! Judging by their work so far, they might even be able to charge admission by then 😉
Jin-gook, our operations manager, says he really enjoys seeing the wonderful work created by Wanadu members!
From flowers and gardening to music and art! I’ve come to realize that there are so many talented and passionate people at our company who are interested in enriching their daily lives through these clubs. I can’t help but wonder if these clubs might just be the source of the cheerful and warm culture that permeates our workplace.
In the next section, I’ll introduce the clubs that focus on the “physical” side of arts and sports. See you soon!
