SHIPWRECKED: A TEAM BUILDING EXPERIENCE

Imagine…you wake up on a remote island. No food, no water , no shelter, just you, your team members and some raw materials. This is exactly what happened to a group of colleagues last month.

They were shipwrecked on the barren, arid landscape of Terranea Resort….The group had washed ashore after their luxury cruise ship sank off the southern coast of California. They were forced to become resourceful, collaborative, and innovative in order to survive the extreme conditions of the luxury resort.

The “lost” group divided themselves into smaller “tribes” and completed survival tasks using their wits, skills, and teamwork. Their first task was to build a shelter to protect themselves from the harsh mediterian climate of southern California! They did so using “found” materials of bamboo and beautifully crafted sarongs (essential for decorative purposes of shelter on a barren landscape). The tribes came up with some pretty creative formations as the entire tribe needed to be able to fit inside in case of stormy weather!

The tribes also needed to form a tribal identity. They all made logos, hats, flags, and chants to fit their tribal vibe! Each tribe proudly performed their songs and displayed their shelters thereby tightening the tribal bond.

After the performances, the (blue) sky rumbled as a storm approached the village! All the tribes worked together and linked their beautifully designed structures for extra strength. All the separate tribes flags came together and flew as one in the wake of a “stormy” day! Together, all tribe members huddled together under their strengthened structures and celebrated with a unifying drum circle. The beat of the drums enhanced the team’s camaraderie and appreciation for one another. Finally, as the “storm” passed overhead, the group came together for one final embrace to commemorate their new found friendships and alliances.

When the colleagues were rescued from the island and returned to work on Monday they noticed some improvements regarding teamwork in the office. They found significant improvements in productivity, motivation, collaboration, creativity, communication, and positive reinforcement. The teams shipwrecked experience turned out to help build a more productive company and positive work environment! Maybe the team should get shipwrecked more often?