LFCE Cooks Up Team-Building Success in Germany
Team Banquet participants at the Villa Martha busily
prepare gourmet offerings.
This past November, LFCE brought its innovative Team Banquet course to the Ratzeberger Villa Martha, a luxury destination hotel in Germany, at the invitation of proprietor Hans Jorg Rautenborg.
Over 30 executives of major European firms and media participated in this unique leadership and team-building experience led by Howard Prager, LFCE Director and creator of the Team Banquet concept.
This novel approach to business education, attended by numerous high-profile business leaders, drew the attention of German newspaper, magazine, and television reporters.
After a welcoming reception and entertaining icebreakers (including an opportunity to test drive new Porsche sports cars), participants were randomly assigned to teams and given roles for the evening. The challenge: to prepare a gourmet four-course meal from raw ingredients within two hours and to present an elegant, formal banquet to the group. No recipes! No emergency calls for carryout!
Apart from fun and excitement, why a banquet for business learning? “Today’s business climate calls for practical learning that simulates the workplace,” Prager explains. “Designed to simulate the dynamics of teamwork under pressure, the Team Banquet allows participants to apply the skills of communication, problem solving, collaboration, and negotiation immediately. It’s a hands-on exercise that uses all the senses, making for an extremely
memorable learning experience.”
Prior to its German debut, LFCE delivered the Team Banquet course to numerous groups in the U.S., including account managers, cross-company leadership teams, and manufacturing executives. “It’s a remarkably flexible exercise that we can tailor to target a range of critical business skills,” Prager explains. “To improve communication, for example, teams must coordinate their use of ingredients and stove schedules. Likewise, teams practice problem solving skills by working to prepare their assigned dishes without recipes and coming up with ideas on their own.”
The Villa Martha banquet was declared a complete success. As they gathered for their delicious meal, the participants savored their accomplishments – both in terms of the gourmet dishes they had prepared and enjoyed, as well as the skills and friendships developed in the process.
