Field report: Sailing team event to bring together two difficult departments

Date: 10 October 2022

Location: Mediterranean Sea, Greece

On 10 October 2022, a sailing team event was held to bring together two competing departments within our company and form a team. This event was held in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea in Greece. In this experience report, I would like to share my impressions and experiences.

Preparations for the sailing team event began several months in advance. Experienced sailing instructors were hired, sailing boats chartered and the necessary equipment procured. In addition, specific team-building activities were developed to promote cooperation and communication between the two departments.

On the morning of 10 October, all employees met at the harbour where the sailing boats were waiting for us. After a short briefing by the sailing instructors, the teams were formed, whereby care was taken to ensure that employees from both departments were represented in the teams. This was intended to promote dialogue and cooperation between the two departments.

Sailing in the Mediterranean presented a new challenge, as the conditions here were different to those in the Baltic Sea. The strong winds and waves required good coordination and communication within the teams. It was impressive to see how the employees from both departments quickly adapted to the new conditions and worked together to steer the boat safely.

During the sailing trip, various team-building activities were organised to strengthen cohesion and cooperation between the two departments. One of these activities was, for example, solving tasks and puzzles together that were set on board the boat. These exercises required good co-operation, communication and confidence in each individual's abilities.

The cohesion between the employees of both departments was impressive. Although there was competition between the departments in the past, a clear change was noticeable during the sailing team event. The employees supported and motivated each other to achieve the set goals together. It was inspiring to see how the team spirit developed from day to day and how employees encouraged each other to put aside their competitive mindsets and work together as a team instead.

The sailing team event in the Mediterranean was a great success and helped to unite the two competing departments into a strong and effective unit. Through the challenges of sailing, the employees were able to strengthen their cooperation and communication