Over 70 Walgreen’s employees, marketing directors, managers, analysts and support staff came together in Northbrook, IL, outside Chicago to take part in a fun learning experience. The Build-A-Bike Teambuilding Event was a complete success. The group working together, but in 12 teams, completed everything necessary to build bikes that were given to children from a local Boys and Girls Club. The space was small for the event, but the closeness added to the fun as all the team members did a great job completing all the tasks. Along the way they had a lot of fun, enjoy a lot of laughter and even if it were an accident learned something valuable and useful to their responsibilities.

A special lesson experienced by this group during the Build-A-Bike event was that individual contributions play a great part in team success. Throughout the activity there are many challenges the teams face. The skills, talents and even temperaments come out at each contribute what they can to make the individual teams successful in eventually building the bikes. The team completes the tasks, but it is because each individual contributed according to who they are, the strengths they posses, the talents they have, and the skills they have developed. The success of the team is built around bring individuals together to synergize into an accomplished task. The synergy of the team is that they can accomplish more, and achieve it more quickly than if approached individually.

Thanks to Walgreen’s for a great event and for making it a difference in the lives of 12 children from the community. Certainly the participants from Walgreen’s benefited from the Build-a-Bike Team Building Event, but giving the bikes to the children was an added benefit to the participants as well as the children, their families and the community.