Before joining the MBA program, I thought I had previously worked in teams and had experience in dealing with different cultures. What I did not know was how much emphasis there is on team work and building teams at HSG!
On the third day of the very first week, we went on a team and group offsite, in the countryside near Lake Constance. The course was held by Marius Bösch, a professional trainer specialized in team building. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. After a short trek, we started a few games: we were allocated to different teams and we had to participate in different competitions: one of them was “the tangled web” attached to a couple of trees. The goal of the exercise was to have the whole team pass through the web, without touching it. The holes of the web had different heights and different sizes, so choosing the right strategy was essential for a winning team. Nobody was allowed to go through the same hole. The thinnest of us found themselves picked up and passed through the highest holes. The objective of the exercise is to make people go out of their comfort zone and trust their new team members!
During this simple exercise, which was by the way a lot of fun, I believe two of the main elements of a successful team were developed: First, trust: you had to trust your team members that they would carry you all the way and safely to the other side of the web! We had to be fast, therefore, leadership skills were also essential. We, in other words, experienced the dynamic of teamwork. Even though, we just met, we had something in common: a clear goal to perform and have fun! It was a wonderful experience for me, which I would highly recommend to organizations and students where team work is essential for success!