A few days ago, the STAMI team left their desks and lathes behind for a day and set off to navigate the River Brenta.
The idea was simple: a day of team-building, and we opted for rafting. There was no particular strategy behind it, just a desire to do something different together, away from the office.
Why team-building matters to STAMI
This is only the second time we’ve organised a team-building event: we did it last year and decided to do it again this year. We don’t have a set formula yet; we’re still learning how best to organise and manage these days. But one thing we’ve realised is that these are activities people enjoy, which lift everyone’s spirits and leave a lasting impression.
On the river, it’s all about rowing together
As soon as you climb into a rubber dinghy in the middle of the current, your roles within the company no longer matter. It doesn’t matter who’s best with an Excel spreadsheet or who’s working on which project: what matters is rowing together, having someone setting the pace, and having fun and a good laugh.
And there was plenty of laughter: people trying to throw the ‘boss’ into the water (the winner is whoever manages it), the splashes between one rubber dinghy and another during the descent, and a few shouts as we approached the most winding rapids.
The photos from that morning capture the atmosphere perfectly: smiles, paddles raised, someone literally carried ashore by the others. It doesn’t take much – a red helmet and a paddle in hand – to bring out the most genuine and simple side of the
A relaxed lunch, with good company and good food
Once the rafting was over, we stopped at the outdoor venue for a simple lunch: ‘onti’ sandwiches and fried snacks, good company, and something to drink for everyone. Nothing fancy, but exactly what we needed: simplicity and lightness.
And it was there, sitting on a bench with our hands still wet, that the best conversations emerged. A quick joke, a good-natured tease, someone paying a compliment to a colleague, an anecdote told even better. Little things that hardly ever happen in the office.
It’s not ‘the solution’, but it helps
Team-building isn’t the solution to all workplace dynamics, but it helps to forge stronger bonds between people. It helps us have a laugh that we hardly ever have at work. It helps us get to know each other a bit better, perhaps with someone we only exchange a few hurried words with in the office. And that’s where simpler relationships then develop, even when we return to our desks.
And honestly, given the atmosphere that was created and the sunny day, it was well worth it. And if you’re wondering whether there’ll be another session… the answer is yes.
