Eco Seagate
Eco Seagate is a 5-day team-building outdoor lab experience involving 40 teams of five people competing in multiple events culminating in a "40-kilometer adventure race through a course consisting of biking, climbing, traversing unknown terrain with a vague map, kayaking, traversing canyons on cables, and running" (Brown, 2011).
What appears to be nothing more than a grueling 5-day competition with your co-workers is, in fact, a team-building experience none of the participants will soon forget. Ordinary working folk in an organizational environment is typically independently comfortable at their desk, in the lounge, using the restroom, smoking outside and socializing with their colleagues. Place these individuals in an austere environment they have never navigated nor traversed, and many, if not most instantly become dependant for help and support. This type of co-dependency requires trust, faith, commitment, compromise, listening, observing, and problem-solving. People participating in Eco Seagate are more-less forced to rely on each other to accomplish team tasks.
There is great value in introducing a corporate organization to a multi-day outdoor team building adventure where not only are they learning to look to each other's talents and skills, but to their own and how to incorporate and integrate them within a team and an environment of many unknowns. Bill Watkins, CEO of Seagate, felt the value would lie in taking the team-work and leadership skills developed at Eco Seagate and bringing it back into the organizational environment (Brown, 2011). While this may be true, I believe it goes beyond the workplace environment. When ordinary people have an ordinary experience, it changes them. They perceive themselves as different, more capable, more confident. In addition, they may even learn to look at others differently, as if they may bring more to the table than what is seen. To come to learn one has the ability to go beyond what they thought was possible physically, mentally, and emotionally is an individual revelation and inspiring. People grow through these types of experiences and are nothing short of invaluable.
The awareness, skill-building, team-work, and integration learned out in an environment that is uncomfortable and exhausting, yet exhilarating, present in numerous opportunities to see the effects of decision-making at the individual and team levels instantly as well as over time. Where false confidence once stood, where insecurity once had held, and doubt lingered, now is replaced with quiet confidence, self-surety, and faith in one's self to apply and integrate into a team effort. Coming to understand the inner workings of a team can enlighten communication, assumptions, team skills and talents, integration of intrateam processes, and constructive feedback. Only through gains like these can a developing team break through to high performance where each team member can anticipate the requirements, expectations, and reactions of the other team members in a timely and efficient manner.
My organization not only could but does benefit from a similar type of event that lasts much longer and focuses on the individual as well as team fortitude. The endurance, integrity, and fortitude required are more of a rite of passage rather than an annual event though. Nonetheless, the team-building events involved are not only invaluable but necessary. Only high-performing teams are expected in my community. Anything less will not be tolerated. I believe any organization where individuals are required to work together in teams should experience something like the Eco Seagate event at least once if not more.
References:
Brown D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organizational development. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.
Friki (2018). Navy seals buds class 234 //part 2 of 6// it pays to be a winner. Dailymotion. Retrieved from https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6y83rr
Seagate (2008, April 25). Eco seagate 2008 1/3. Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCOfOFMiLtE&feature=youtu.be
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