Sweet Spot: Fuelling Innovation and Connection at SA Water
In business, fostering an organisational culture of collaboration, communication, and support is key to success.
Stone & Chalk’s Sweet Spot rituals successfully drive these meaningful connections.
Having been inspired by regularly participating as a valued corporate partner of Stone & Chalk, SA Water have implemented their own version with remarkable results.
The Sweet Spot Concept: A Recipe for Connection
Stone & Chalk’s Sweet Spot is a stalwart community-focused ritual which has proven popular with both residents and the broader innovation ecosystem.
Held frequently across their 4 locations, it’s a 15-minute afternoon tea event where residents come together to celebrate their wins and form genuine bonds with their fellow founders and their teams.
It’s designed to create personal connections within the community, helping founders and entrepreneurs feel supported and reminding them they are not alone on their innovation journey.
When discussing the importance Sweet Spot has to Stone & Chalk’s residents, Tim Mahlberg Sie, Director of Ecosystems SA, said:
“It is surprising the impact of creating a regular, open forum to welcome new people, hear asks for help and upcoming opportunities, and share both victories and lessons learned along the way. Our Sweet Spot is a key moment in our entrepreneurial community calendar, and it is wonderful to witness the connections and collaborations that form through it. All workplaces would benefit from these kind of rituals.”
Taking the Ritual to the Next Level
Having attended many of these events in the Stone & Chalk Adelaide hub, SA Water was curious to better understand the value of the concept and decided to introduce their own version of it.
With more than 1,600 people located not just in Adelaide at SA Water House but also working in regional and remote locations, SA Water understand the importance of connecting and supporting their people no matter where they are.
That’s why they’ve taken the Sweet Spot concept to the next level, creating a hybrid version that reaches as many of their employees as possible.
Their aim was to create a unifying experience that transcended geographic boundaries and job titles, strengthening their own innovation community, further strengthening their workplace.
When speaking on the importance of building a connected culture at SA Water, Innovation Manager, Megan Short said:
“The tangible value of weekly rituals is in cultivating connections. By dismantling silos, this practice creates opportunities for people and ideas to converge, opening new doors for collaboration.”
The Sweet Taste of Success
The results at SA Water have already been impressive, with the company seeing a strong level of attendance by their staff already.
During the 6-months of delivering the Sweet Spot, the experience has seen an increase from 7 to about 50 people attending each week.
While it’s still early days, their new Sweet Spot ritual has begun to increase innovation and connection within the organisation, through:
- Encouraging open communication – Providing a platform for employees at all levels to openly communicate and share their ideas for improvement and innovation in a supportive environment.
- Celebrating team wins – Gathering together and celebrating their successes, no matter how big or small, has had a positive impact on employee morale and motivation.
- Fostering connection across the board – It can be difficult to create true connection opportunities for remote and regional areas, which is why initiatives such as these are so impactful. Employees are given the chance to connect with their colleagues and the organisation as a whole, increasing their sense of belonging, improving teamwork, and reducing feelings of isolation.
Backed by organisational development research
The success of Sweet Spot at both Stone & Chalk and SA Water is not just anecdotal.
The core concept is backed by organisational development research, which emphasises the importance of creating opportunities for connection, collaboration, and celebration within organisations.
These activities are known to boost employee engagement, enhance creativity, and drive innovation.
With such positive results from two different communities, the lesson here is clear: a little bit of sweetness can go a long way in building a stronger, more innovative, and connected organisation.
