How To Prepare a Jerusalema Challenge

 

When was the last time your team had a good laugh at work?

 

The Jerusalema Challenge, or #jerusalemadancechallenge, keeps taking the world with a storm.

As the Coronavirus keeps making all our lives harder than we would like, these fun dance videos from workplaces worldwide, are a real treat.

From the Swiss police to hospital workers dancing their hearts out…

Who couldn’t do with some more happiness at work right now?

Below is an example from a Swedish supermarket.

I don’t know about you, but it looks like they had a great time recording this!

 

 

And looking at all these videos, I keep wondering who was the first one to challenge their team..?

And how did they convince the rest to get up and dance?

The fun factor, and a giant need for GOOD things in our lives, surely must have played a role.

 

 

#JerusalemaChallenge For Healthcare Workers

Many health workers are sacrificing their own health and going way beyond to help us combat this pandemic.

This is without a doubt the collective that has been hit the hardest.

What will be the impact on our health care workers? Where will we be 6 months from now?

Here you have a hospital, getting their groove on, spreading optimism while promoting exercising.

 

 

12 Steps to Launch a Jerusalema Dance Challenge at Work

 

We put together a How To List with 12 steps!

These easy instructions will help you prepare your own Jerusalema Challenge together with your team.

Hope this will inspire you!

 

 

1. Got enough coworkers with you?

First off:

Do your colleagues LIKE the idea of organizing a Jerusalema Dance Challenge at work?

It doesn’t matter if you’re the manager or just a random employee who is throwing the idea out there.

You will need the support of others to pull this off.

Remember, this is about having fun! It’s about the team getting together.

Not everyone will be up for dancing, but there are many other parts to play.

Someone will need to film it all with a camera, prepare the script, etc. Make sure everyone feels welcome.

The more coworkers you manage to sign up as you go along, the better!

Bribe them with coffee and pancakes.

Or convince them all during Waffle Friday?

 

 

2. Time & Money

Decide how much time you want, or can, spend on the project.

Depending on the budget you have, you might want to make a low-budget version. Or perhaps corporate funding is available?

Maybe your marketing team can help out and edit the video?

Or someone on the team who likes editing videos?

If you’re doing this as a Do-It-Yourself project, you really don’t need much cash.

If the only goal is to turn it into a fun team-building activity, you can do this by “only” investing time.

 

 

3. Create a safe space

It’s BRAVE to sign up to dance on the Jerusalema Challenge.

You need cojones to do it.

Make sure everyone feels that it’s a safe environment in terms of laughing with people as you start dancing. Not at.

That is of course always the norm at work, but it’s worth highlighting.

Inclusion is important.

Again, this is about having fun together as a team!

 

 

4. Write the script

Are you preparing this during coffee breaks, or do you have a full arsenal of marketing people with you?

Plan accordingly as you start with the script.

It can be an easy video with few scenes which is easy to prepare and edit. Or it can be elaborate like the Irish Gardai using horses in the article header above…

A nursing home in southern Sweden did the Jerusalema Challenge to celebrate a milestone.

They hadn’t had a single case of Covid, and the day they all got vaccinated they put on their dance shoes to celebrate.

Nice!

Chose something positive where you work that you can highlight.

 

 

5. Practice makes perfect

Ok, so the dance moves don’t have to be perfect, but a little practice is fun!

Find a level that is right for your team.

If someone doesn’t want to, or can’t dance, that’s no problem at all.

Just come up with your own dance moves!

Here’s a Jerusalema Dance Challenge Tutorial:

 

 

 

Also, there are other ways to be on camera if someone doesn’t want to dance.

Wiggle a hand, get up on a horse, wave from a truck, smile for the camera…
Get creative.

It’s about team bonding and a fun activity to boost morale so everything goes!

 

 

6. Dress The Part

Already got official workplace gear?

Matching Covid masks?

A united look makes it look corporate and professional.

And hey, wearing the same outfit, or at least the same colour, is a good way to uhm, make the dance moves look more coordinated.

There’s only so much editing you can do if your colleagues aren’t great dancers hehe

 

 

7. Record it.

You could use any decent camera phone to record the video.

A tripod also doesn’t cost much and could improve the quality of your video. Or just use any steady surface at your workplace.

Same goes for lights, use what you have, or maybe someone has some strong lights at home they can bring.

Another option is to film outside, during the day.

You might have to re-shoot a couple of times.

Again, turn the recording day into a fun event where all employees on the team support each other.

 

 

8. Time to Edit Your Video

A word of warning (unless you’ve got a ninja-editor on your team):

Editing your video, depending on how many shots you’ve taken, how many scenes you have, etc… can take forever.

Again, if it’s a DIY project, set reasonable expectations.

Here’s a free open-source video editor.

Try to have at least two people on the editing team.

Also, make sure that more people are involved and can give moral support to speed this part up.

That makes it more fun for the editors too!

 

 

9. Send a message

In the Swedish supermarket above, they’re sending some messages to their customers.

Like “shop alone”, hang in there”, and “keep a distance“.

Who would you send a message to?

What would it be? Can you bring some fun into it?

 

 

10. Copyright Check

If you’re going to publish the video, remember that Warner owns the rights to the Jerusalema song.

They have taken legal action in countries like Germany.

If you don’t have any budget, you could keep it internal.

Perhaps a video from the shop floor workers to their colleagues working at home?

Hardcore version: Get your team to sing and record your own version of the song!

 

 

11. Share it!

The best way to spread the word is of course to get you and your team to spread it.

It’s much more likely to go viral (if this is your goal) if a high number of employees spread the video.

Here’s how the Irish police video started:

 

Police officers in Switzerland @fedpolCH decided to do something special for its people in these dark times. Just amazing! @gardainfo? Will you accept the challenge if enough people retweet this? #Garda #Ireland #Police #Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/n32XWzwO5j

— Frankie Beats (@itsbeats) January 15, 2021

 

Remember to use the hashtags when you share so other workplaces can find you:

• #jerusalem
• #jerusalema
• #jerusalemachallenge
• #jerusalemadancechallenge

Get your company to share it on social media.

Spread some positive vibes!

 

 

12. Pass the challenge to someone else!

Who will you pass on the Jerusalema Dance Challenge to?

Challenge someone in the industry?

Or in your business group?

Which organizations could do with some inspiration right now?

Bühler in South Africa passed on the challenge to their Swiss colleagues, who later passed it on to Brazil…

 

 

 

To sum up, your Jerusalema challenge should be more about getting your team to bond and have a good time.

It doesn’t have to be more than just a fun team activity building activity.

Don’t feel pressure from “upstairs” to turn the project into something you and your team aren’t up for.

It’s a nice coping strategy, that should feel right for all employees who choose to participate.

There we go, hope you’re all psyched up and ready to bust a move to Jerusalema with your coworkers!

 

 

Measure the mood!

What’s the impact of your leadership activities?

 

 

 

Hej! I’m Rebecca, co-founder at Celpax. We use simple tech tools to create better work environments. And build a better society while at it! Got more tips for the best time and attendance systems? We’re on Twitter or follow us on Linkedin.

 

 

 

 

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