Last weekend, 20 teams from companies including Dell, PwC and the Ordnance Survey, unpacked their running shoes, dusted off their hiking equipment, and made their way to the Brecon Beacons for two days of competitive adventure racing.
All were there to take part in the Dell Corporate Challenge, an annual event focused on developing teams, management knowledge and CSR awareness via a series of sporting challenges.
Joining the teams in Brecon were spokespeople including global cycle icon Nicole Cooke MBE, international strategy adviser Robert Morgan, and adviser, mentor and performance coach, Andy McCann, who led a series of inspiring discussions focused on team building and the professional benefits of amateur sports.
It was a fantastic event, not only helping partaking teams hone some important management skills, but giving us the opportunity to raise vital funds for our strategic charity partner Action for Children, with £4k already raised by the Dell teams to date.
It’s always been my belief that having a fully engaged workforce is a competitive advantage and Dell supports a number of initiatives to ensure we have a team that is highly talented, committed and reflective of our global customers. The Corporate Challenge is a great example of our investment in this space, with data from last year’s event proving this type of competitive learning experience positively translates into a business environment:
- 85% felt their leadership and coaching skills had improved
- 95% felt their teamwork improved
- 84% felt more confident as a result of the event, as well as being more self-aware
- 90% believed they were fitter and gained endurance
- And 82% felt their communication was far more effective
Congratulations to everyone involved – the event was a perfect demonstration of teamwork at its best and a real example of the positive link between amateur sports and workplace performance.
The Dell Corporate Charity Challenge took place in the Brecon Beacons on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September 2014. Follow the conversations that happened over the duration of the event on Twitter and via @DellUK and @DellCFEUK.