Double Click: Stories of Work Connection

As preparation for the Double Click workshop exploring the science and satire of workplace connection, I asked my network to share the stories from the trenches of workplace relations.

Here are a selection of those stories!

Dogged Determination

We were on volunteering time off, dog-walking for a rescue centre in Wicklow. They gave us a simple map for a short loop. It was raining — properly raining, cats-and-dogs raining — but we felt prepared enough for a quick stroll.

Side note: I had just started at this company, so this was my first time meeting many of the team outside the office. We each got a dog. Mine was a cheeky, middle-aged terrier who walked like he owned the place. Our colleague — let’s call him John — got the puppy.

Off we went, happy out, until the rain got so heavy we had to put our phones away… and missed the turn for the correct path. An hour later, we realised we weren’t just slightly off. We were badly wrong.

The puppy started shaking with hypothermia, so John tucked him inside his jacket. Panic set in. We flagged down passers-by, called the rescue centre, and next thing we knew, they had put out an actual rescue call for us. Neighbours were out searching. Mortifying doesn’t even cover it.

They eventually found us. The poor puppy was whisked away — still due to get the snip that afternoon before heading to his forever home the next day, though they honestly weren’t sure he’d make it. Instead of spending the day helping, we were quietly banished back to our cosy tech office and gently asked never to return.

But oh, how we cried laughing about it for years afterward. In the middle of absolute panic, soaked to the skin, something unexpected happened…
We bonded. This was connection in the most unlikely of circumstances.

The Gift of Connection

During lockdown, our team tried a “virtual gift exchange” to stay connected. I sent a little surprise to a colleague I barely knew — just something small to brighten her day. Only after I clicked “send” did I notice the gift said “Fabulous at 40.” She was neither 40… nor particularly fabulous with me, yet.

When we all opened our gifts together on Zoom, I unwrapped socks with a dramatic “This is exactly what I always wanted!” while she unwrapped her accidental milestone celebration. Everyone was crying laughing — myself included.

Honestly, nothing brings people closer like shared, second-hand embarrassment. It was the most unexpectedly bonding moment of the whole lockdown.

Soup Guy

I worked for a gambling company, and the clientele were… let’s say, unsavoury at the best of times. You’d get cursed out because someone’s “sure thing” didn’t go their way or they’d gambled more than they should’ve. But there were the regulars, the ones who accidentally became legends: Soup Guy and Shoe Guy.

Soup Guy would call with a question about his bets, and when you put him on hold to check, he'd casually say,
“Take your time, I’m just enjoying some tomato soup,”
or,
“Don’t rush — I’m having minestrone today.”

Eventually we started asking him what soup he was having, and he’d happily tell us.

Then there was Shoe Guy. He’d ask about his bet… and your shoe size. That was it. Every call: “And what size shoe are you?” Completely unfazed.

These two had no idea, but they bonded us. Between the shouting, the insults, and the chaos, we’d hear bursts of excitement across the floor:
“I GOT SHOE GUY!”
“No way!”
“Soup Guy is having Chicken Noodle today!”
“He guessed I’m a UK 5!”

They were our comic relief — tiny moments of delight that got us through rough shifts. A reminder that somewhere out there, some little weirdo was happily sipping soup… and in a few hours, maybe we could be that happy too.

Thanks to everyone who submitted their stories! Feel free to share yours in the comments :)