Going from desk to Dyle is how we celebrated the second anniversary of starting the tradition of bringing our international company together three times a year. We spent our third team building of 2024 at The Shelter, conquering the rapids of the Dyle River on "trusty" rafts made of barrels, planks of wood, and ropes that we had just learned to tie into a knot. Navigating the water was a rollercoaster of nervousness, excitement, laughter, and a few close calls. But hey, that's the beauty of team building, and a little chaos never hurts anyone.
Our adventure didn't end after navigating the whitewater (or brown water, depending on your perspective). After we exhausted ourselves from the two-hour rafting trip, we treated our taste buds to a delicious spread of Korean BBQ at Oh, my kimchi!. Korean BBQ was a fun new experience for the majority of the company. Attempting to grill together and share the spicy side dishes made for a smokey and delightful dinner.
So, why the teambuilding extravaganzas?
Our team building events aren't just about keeping up appearances; they create a space for the engineers and commercial team to step outside their usual roles and connect in new ways. It is one thing to publish a company blog raving about our events, but in this post, I wanted to highlight what both new and veteran employees have to say about how they feel about these events.
"Our team buildings help me connect with colleagues, reflect on my skills, and feel part of something bigger. They give me an opportunity to build a stronger connection to the company which in turn motivates me to work hard." - Hristina, Sales Support.
"Apart from the simple, I think they're fun, I feel like they're really valuable as well. I like how the team buildings give everyone the chance to get to know one another a bit better, which I value a lot with so many people remote. It also gives us an opportunity (or excuse) to shift the day-to-day concerns to a lower priority and to shift the collective focus to something more ambitious in order to move it along." - Sander, Senior Software Engineer
In the fast-paced world of technology, collaboration across the entire company is key. Team building activities get us out of our comfort zones and into situations we wouldn't normally choose, which may involve navigating rapids or simply discussing how each team does their work reviews. The global team coming together fosters continuous learning, which is one of our core values. This value is about building confidence, developing problem-solving skills in a fun environment, and discovering the hidden strengths of our colleagues.
So, stay tuned for more exciting Inmanta team building adventures next year! Who knows, maybe next year we will be scaling mountains, solving escape room puzzles, or even attempting synchronized swimming (although we can't guarantee the synchronized part).