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For the Challenger Week Relume There was a difference in the age
identified people that they have of people some were in their 50s,
worked with who had no knowledge some were in their 30s. Some were
of each others sectors. They wanted more senior in their roles and some
to explore the outcomes from were more junior. It was really
bringing these strangers together interesting to see how the group
in an intense experience outside the quickly bonded, and we took care of
workspace to share and challenge each other during the week.
their change leadership experiences.
I was lucky enough to be invited to
one of these Challenger Weeks.
I went along on the trust and empathy
/ So what did you that I had built up with Relume with no
expect to get out of the knowledge of what was expected.
Challenger Week?
This was a chance for a disparate When we all arrived, we sat around
group of people to come together a farmhouse kitchen table. The first
for a week. The brief was very loose questions were around What do you
and I actually went along without any do? To start with, there was a lot of
specific expectations. I did not really bravado, for example I have 1000
know what I was going to be doing people reporting to me. By the end
during the week. of the week, a lot of that had been
broken down and people were not
I simply went along on the trust and trying so hard to show how clever or
empathy that I had built up with successful they were. This just shows
Relume, and just turned up with the difference of what can happen in
no knowledge of what was to be four to five days.
expected.
/ What sort of things did
/ What sort of people did you do?
you join during the week?
The whole week was quite
The people attending had been remarkable. We learnt about things
identified by Relume they were like meditation, exercise and
people that they had worked with in nutrition.
different businesses.
They chose people who did not Relume wanted to see what the outcome
have knowledge of the sector in
which others worked. Some people
would be when they brought together
in the group were working in the a group with no knowledge of your
commercial sector and others in non-
profit; some were between roles and particular sector, to participate in an intense
some were thinking about what their
next career move would be.
experience outside the workplace.
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We also learnt a lot about resilience,
about the need to be open and to
share some of yourself. It stripped people down but in a really good
We had very simple, but effective
way in a way that left you a bit raw but
exercises. For example, we met a feeling very positive about it.
choir a choral group we observed
these four people and listened to
them sing. They talked to us about I have been able to bring some of the
how they created sounds and techniques I learnt into the business
harmonies and in doing so we learnt and also to myself. It has enabled me
about the teamwork that goes into it. to think more clearly about myself,
about my journey, about my behavior,
A lot of this was analogous with about how I may influence others and
business. One of the exercises that how I can have an influence in lots
springs to mind is one which involved of different ways. I am much more
a labyrinth in which we have to aware of what my behavior and how
imagine our lifes journey. This was my words have an impact on people
such an intense experience that I do around me.
not think anyone left the room without
tears. It stripped people down but in
a really good way in a way that left
you a bit raw but feeling very positive I find my time with Relume just leaves me
about it.
feeling refreshed and centred and much
/ So, did the experience more able to cope with things that happen
have a positive impact on in life.
you?
Through the series of exercises and Relume encouraged us to think more
inputs from the Relume team, they broadly than just about us and the
managed to create an unbelievable business, but more about life and
camaraderie between the 10 people what you want from it and this is
that went along. This has continued invaluable.
since the Challenger Week, we talk
as a virtual group and update each
other on our progress. We are looking
to meet up again in person for a At the end of Challenger Week the feeling
reunion soon.
of well-being that I had on the Friday
For myself, Challenger Week enabled night driving home, and over the following
me to look more deeply than I have
ever done thinking about myself as weekend, is something that I have never felt
a person, how my behavior affects
others not just at work but my
before or again.
family also. It was unbelievably
beneficial.
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