At the start of our team event, we felt a bit like Picasso. In a creative kick-off to our two-day team event, we were tasked with drawing a team member’s face on a sheet of paper. That was a challenge in itself. And then we weren’t even allowed to look at the page, lift the pen, and only had 60 seconds to complete the portrait. The results caused a few laughs and helped break the ice among the 20 participants. Our retail team is comprised of 16 women and 11 men, and since we work together remotely a lot, this little exercise was great for team spirit. And indeed, some of the drawings looked as if the master himself had done them.
Day 1: New impulses for dual study programs
This year, we focused on enhancing our dual students’ training. The primary goal was to gather new ideas for structuring the practical phases. At our Chemnitz office, we collaborate with the Vocational Training College in Glauchau (BA) for a dual study program in business informatics. Students complete theoretical phases at the BA and practical phases in our company. We aim to offer young people the best possible training when they are with us. To achieve this, we defined how each of us can contribute to their education. After all, we want to integrate and involve the students as much as possible, hoping to inspire them to stay with the company after their studies.
Day 2: Feedback training
On the second day, we focused on the topic of “Responsible role models.” This was primarily about how to take responsibility in our day-to-day work and how to implement it. Our colleagues Verena and Merle from HR Development really challenged us in their training. We strengthened team cohesion as different aspects of feedback were explored in various team constellations. Finally, we had the opportunity to practically apply and train what we had learned by giving feedback to two of our colleagues.
Linked together
In addition to two delightful evenings in the beautiful castle grounds, the agenda included a small group project titled “Linked Together.” There was a lot of speculation beforehand about what this could involve. Ultimately, it was about building a chain reaction. We split up into six teams of three. The goal was to pass on a motion impulse from the first to the sixth group. We had various building materials at our disposal. We were amazed at the creative ideas some colleagues had, individually or as a team. We realized once again how important good communication is between participants in the individual sections to ensure that the impulse flows smoothly across the interfaces and that flexibility is needed to quickly adjust the sections if there’s a hiccup.
Conclusion
The work content and team-building mix were very well received and helped us move forward. Last but not least, the beautiful location was a perfect setting for our team event, contributing to a thoroughly successful experience.
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