So about a week ago we posted that the gang here at xiik was planning a weekend full of fun. Well, mission accomplished.
Friday was a great treat for everyone from the Indianapolis office because we finally got to meet the new folks from Los Angeles. So, we of course prepared the office by drawing all over the walls with chalk. Okay, let me clarify: Topher let our inner-child out and decided to paint one of the walls with black chalkboard paint (see picture below). After lots of mingling, tasty noshes and board games at the Geek Bar (our new creative office), everyone headed to bed before the big day.
Saturday was a whole new experience for most of the group. The SPICE Challenge was a series of physical challenges that let us really build our lines of communication with each other and also problem solve in various ways. We were able to work through every challenge thrown at us. Sometimes we made it look easy, and when it wasn’t, we were inspired by the individual ways in which the group came together. Yes, there were those infamous trust falls you hear about! Every single team member braved the six-foot plunge. “I was very impressed by how well we worked together and how intelligent every member of our team is. After getting to know everyone I’m also very excited and confident about the future of xiik!” -Dave Gable, Web Developer, Indianapolis.
But how does this relate to the workplace? Why does a physical challenge like this bring together a company with team members operating out of four US cities with clients in six states?
It gave us all a chance to really learn about each other’s strengths and weaknesses and also to work together as a team in different scenarios other than our normal interactions. From the zip line to the trust falls, everything was empowering and very moving in its own unique way. “I was surprised at how well we did and at how naturally we were able to work together as a team, despite the fact that many of us had never worked in the same room as one another before.” -Aviva Mohilner, Business Development, Los Angeles.
And you can even loop its importance back to our clients: an experience like this helps us see how to build even better communication with them and understand how to handle hiccups that can arise in the process. Overall, everyone had a blast and can’t wait for our next retreat. How about wilderness survival? Anyone?
