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Traveling Treats 2005
Music, Laughter and Camaraderie

by Anita Bingaman and Kyra Worrell

“Traveling Treats” is an event jointly sponsored by the RQT and the individual departments within Financial Management. It’s a chance for everyone in Financial Management to learn about work processes across FM, meet people in other departments, eat food and generally have fun! Fun at work can improve work quality and mental health. It increases creativity and willingness to help which is important in a QI environment.

This year’s theme was FM radio. The RQT provided glossy paper FM radio jukebox/maps listing all of the departments and their musical themes. Participants went around to departments completing various tasks in order to get hole punches that would show they had actually visited that department and maybe even learned something about it. People who were able to visit all the departments and get all their holes punched turned their sheets into their RQT Rep and were entered into a gift certificate drawing.

Each department took this as an opportunity to showcase their creativity by tying their chosen musical theme with information about their work processes and great food, fun and games! The FM “jukebox” ran the gamut of musical tastes, from Disco to TV Tunes to straight up Rock and Roll! Everybody seemed to have a great time and a few brave souls hula hooped or sang karaoke – all while learning about process improvement, recognition and their FM colleagues’ daily work!

Hula hoops, black leather jackets, pony tails, and poodle skirts showed that while GCA’s theme was “GCA, Work Around the Clock”, they know how to play as well. Time travelers to GCA were met by staff members offering them the opportunity to work the hula hoop and answer questions about the GCA process. Since fun breaks up tension this was a good way to be prepared to learn about such things as FSRs, NEAs, and the name of GCA’s new Accounts Receivable system.

Two payroll staff members, decked out in their ‘70s shoes, were ready to travel in this year’s Traveling Treats. Their shoes, Hot Wheels, a macramé hanging, a disco ball, 70’s music, and other 1970s artifacts gave visitors a feeling of having stepped back in time. While munching on Fritos and cheese fondue, visitors had a chance to view Payroll’s Dashboard and try to recall songs, movies and celebrities of the ‘70s.

At Risk Management, visitors answered questions about the office and what it does, and then followed “hang ten” footprints to reach their beach music spread. And what a spread it was! There were all kinds of food and drink and great beach music, just right for an indoor beach picnic. The beach theme was completed by the handy dandy pint sized beach umbrellas and novelties, perfect as a garnish for your soda on ice.

The Treasury Office highlighted beloved TV tunes as their traveling treats theme. Walking into the Treasury Office, the first thing you saw was a huge time line of events, comparing historical and “TV” events. After inviting visitors to grab a refreshing ice cream bar, the Treasury office employees Chris Malins, Elvin Smith and Judy Peterson led hapless traveling treaters on several rounds of “Name that TV Tune”. Winners received a TV tunes CD compiled by one of the game show mc’s, Chris Malins.

Following Payables Administration’s “Happy Invoice Trails” led FM travelers to better knowledge of the payable process. Staff members in cowboy hats with guns at the ready quizzed visitors about Fiscal cutoff dates for payable invoices, the sales tax rate used by the University, what is a Non-RIP invoice, and the number of days to reply to a RIP notice.

Just to prove that accounting type folk can have fun, let their hair down, and not only sing songs, but write them, Financial Accounting and Equipment Inventory joined together for a Karaoke sing along to “The Accountants’ Lullaby” written by Bill Christensen. Another name for this song might be “Ode to the Common Accountant.” It sets to music the sorrows, hopes and dreams of those of us who find ourselves working with numbers.

Financial Services used their focus on Jazz and jazz instruments to walk visitors through their processes for issuing checks. Participants in the game followed one process thread from beginning to end, following clues and hints from one end of the office to the other.

Student Fiscal Services (SFS) sang the Blues with a blue light room, (mainly) blue food and blues music. Visitors here were asked a variety of trivia questions about both SFS services and Blues music and musicians before receiving the coveted hole punch.

The AVP/Controller’s Office/ QI/MAA focused on the King’s – Elvis’ – music and questions about each area’s processes. Participants read information from a chart and then were quizzed. One of the foods they featured was one of Elvis’ reported favorites: Peanut butter and banana sandwiches (apparently the King liked them fried!).

One of the benefits of the Traveling Treats event is the chance to get to know workers in others offices in an informal setting. The Travel Office Hawaiian setting was a perfect place for travelers to relax, take a Hula lesson, or step into a Tiki Tiki bar to sip fruit drinks and either ask questions about the travel process or get reacquainted with one of the travel staff.

All in all, we traveled, we treated, and on the way we learned a lot about other offices in Financial Management. A great time was had by all twisting and turning the dials of the FM radio!