Graphic Packaging Recipe for Success

Last Updated (Thursday, 24 September 2009 11:40)

Quest was delighted to work with the Senior Leadership Team from Bristol based Graphic Packaging on 16th and 17th September 2009.

Working with training partners EEF, Quest put together a Recipe for Success experiential team building challenge for the 16th, and this was followed up with a classroom based review, reflection and action planning session on the morning of the 17th delivered by EEF.

Disbelief as Challenge Revealed

The twelve members of the Graphic Packaging senior leadership team arrived at the beautiful Great Tythe Barn venue on the edge of the Cotswolds, near Tetbury at midday. After a light lunch, and delivery of the Ice Breaker, “3 Truths and a Lie,” the Recipe for Success cooking team challenge was revealed to the team.

There was an initial reaction of some disbelief from some of the team when the challenge brief was delivered that they had to cook their own supper. However, both teams very quickly overcame that, and started a very effective planning session, that saw one of the teams actually go so far as producing budget forecasts for their food shopping trip into Tetbury.

The teams followed up that detailed planning with effective and well thought through role allocation. That meant that all six team members in both competing sub-teams were fully employed, and both teams were able to ensure that all team members carried out tasks that made the most effective contribution to their team.

Pressure Builds in the Kitchen

In line with much of the cooking team building that Quest delivers, initially all was calm creativity and preparation in both kitchens. However, as the minutes ticked away to the 18.30 deadline, the ovens, hotplates and atmosphere warmed up. Despite the build up of pressures, the teams continued to work effectively and as the deadline arrived, both were able to deliver not just 3 superbly cooked courses, but 5 dishes to impress the Quest adjudicators.

The two teams then deservedly sat down to enjoy the results of all their hard work that afternoon, and had a most enjoyable and sociable evening. Meanwhile the two Quest facilitators, in true “Master Chef” style, tasted and deliberated, until finally delivering the scores just after pudding had been served. It was very close, but there was a clear winning team which earned a round of applause from all their colleagues.

Review Session

The following morning, after a hearty breakfast, the teams worked through a detailed review session with Janice from EEF, and were able to carefully analyse a wide range of team behaviours that they had exhibited and worked with the previous day.

It had proved to be a most useful, productive and revealing 24 hours spent developing the team away from the office, and Quest and EEF look forward to working with Graphic Packaging again in the near future.

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