Who: AXA XL
What: After extended periods of working from home, the leaders of this AXA XL Asia Pacific team recognised the need to connect in a different way.
They sought a virtual team building program delivering specific learning outcomes that could be used immediately. The key requirements and outcomes were:
- A challenging, engaging activity, not purely based on fun
- Backing themselves to find their own solutions to problems, using all information at hand
- Showcase the power of decision making
- Maintaining a positive mindset in challenging circumstances
Having had discussions with the client it was clear that Virtual Peak Performance – where teams work together to scale Mount Everest, managing resources and monitoring conditions.
We set up a time to connect with their entire team through WebEx Teams which is one of the few teleconference platforms that allows for ‘Breakout Rooms’ – essential for the activity.
Climbing Mountains:
The pre-work (15-20mins of video and reading) needed to be completed before everyone logged in to hear the initial brief and work through any initial questions.
Teams were then assigned and participants worked together to digest information, assign and manage roles, practice with the software (managed through a standard web browser) and build their strategy to climb Mount Everest.
Teams were immediately challenged. Many participants mentioned how relatable this was to their current environment, as they were required to adjust to challenges thrust upon them and work with limited information to make smart decisions. And, where mistakes were made, learn from them quickly and move on.
After the initial practice period and some group Q&A, participants were placed back into their teams – and breakout rooms – for the real thing. Teams needed to use what information they had gathered to make decisions and adjust to various changing elements along the way, including weather shifts and icefalls.
As the game progressed participants saw the value in making decisions quickly, backing themselves and trusting their teammates.
When completed we ran a debrief with the wider group, laying the groundwork for them to refer back to as they continue to navigate ‘the current normal!’
Participant Quotes:
“Thankyou! This was a challenging but great to connect with peers in a different way.”
“Fun but tough, very relatable at the moment.”
Client Quote: “Thanks for driving our team building session this morning. Received very good feedback from the leaders for the program and also your team. We all like your energy level and your professional delivery. I will share with the leaders the other programs you can deliver in case they want to run a session with their team members. Thanks once again!”
Charlotte Ang | Head of Human Resources | AXA XL Asia Pacific, a division of AXA
Next Steps: Be Challenged provided insight to the leaders after the event around activities they could use to drive team engagement, a positive mindset, and productivity.