We recently celebrated our 30th year in business by hosting a company retreat in Mexico with many of our key stakeholders and their significant others. Some of the key learnings I gathered as a result of the retreat and wanted to share are as follows:
I’ve always known that we have some excellent people both in our company and supporting those in our company, but how they demonstrated this during the retreat was simply amazing.
Many of the attendees on the retreat had never really travelled far. On a team building excursion to explore a large system of underground aquifers, I saw many of those who could not swim actually put on a wet suit and life jacket, and traverse through a dark, unknown and potentially dangerous underground river system with many hazards and obstacles.
These people had to overcome great fear and the unknown. They took a leap of faith! With about 30 percent of attendees not being able to swim, everyone somehow made it through the hazardous underground aquifer system where they had to swim in the dark and navigate tight spaces. Other than the odd scratch, everyone made it through and nobody backed out! How did they do that?
They did it by trusting in the help and support of our guides, their loved ones and fellow colleagues. They did it through looking out for one another, communication, coaching, sharing good advice, and teamwork.
One cannot underestimate the importance of these key learnings which can be applied to all aspects of life in general and restaurant management in particular.
No person or organization can be great without the support of great individuals. We are all blessed to be surrounded by so many great individuals. Thank you to all our people, their significant others, and their support networks for being so wonderful and inspiring!
Here’s to 30 more!
-Greg Hogarth
