60 Germans, a Field, and Me.

I received an invitation late last week, to attend a training in our Stuttgart office. As I'd never been to Germany- I jumped at the chance and booked to stay through the weekend to sight-see.

I wondered a bit when I found I was the only one in my department not going - and the other 4 from my office were required to go....hmmm. I've gotten quite used to being the over-enthusisastic American, (I mean come-ON, who doesn't say Happy Friday...) so I didn't worry too much.

UNTIL I GOT THIS EMAIL:
"We will be camping and the weather does not look good. Please bring warm clothes and proper shoes."

It turned out to be quite the experience. Picture this:

-60 Germans
-Beer, wine, Prosecco, Caprinas, (sugar, limes, & rum on ice) Jagermeister, and sausage for 200
-Tents, rain, cold
-Dancing until 6 am
-Karoake
-Hearing 60 Germans Sing "Take me Home, Country Roads: West Virginia"
-Cleaned up by 8am

And one of the best trainings I've ever been to. Not due to the afore mentioned vast quantities of booze and karoake machine-, but due to the overall theme.

The head of our Stuttgart office gave everyone a task:

CONCEPT-
Plan and execute on a strategic event that trains everyone on the corporate brand, marketplace, and goals - under the toughest conditions - in as little as time as possible.

They succeeded- I've never learned more or been more inspired in any corporate training. Hearing my colleagues talk about the challenges they face and ideas on how to solve issues - was fantastic. Time away from the office, (Ok it was in a field) is so valuable to me....and I was very lucky to have joined them.

Add on to that, my experience as a child camping- and the fact that we were at a Boy Scout Lodge - brought back memories of visiting my dad and brothers at their big Jambories.

Pictures from the training are here.

Post from my weekend alone in Stuttgart to follow. Heading back out to Heathrow tomorrow - to Cannes. TJ joins me on Friday.