One of the many benefits of being headquartered in a place like Bozeman, Montana is the opportunity to get our global teams together for some outdoor fun. At the end of July we held our annual Global Marketing Summit in Bozeman with employees from Tokyo, Sydney, London, Munich, San Francisco, Dallas and Washington D.C.. The Bozeman crew decided to show the global team how to have summer fun Montana-style. Here’s what a bunch of RightNow’ers look like rafting the famous ’Mad Mile’ stretch of the Gallatin River.
The marketing ‘team’ is what I love about working for RightNow. Every day in marketing is like rafting the ‘Mad Mile’ – it’s fast, unpredictable and there are always big rocks in the way. Luckily, everyone is part of the team, rowing hard, pulling thier weight and handing you an oar if you lose yours. You may get splashed and wet, but somoene will be there to lend you a hand.
I have to echo Suzy in that I enjoy working in such a fast-paced, challenging environment with such smart, fun people. Also, I really appreciate how RightNow is committed to giving back to our communities (e.g sponsoring community events, encouraging employees to volunteer).
Jason, the team building events have been fantastic. For some folks, this was their first opportunity to experience a whitewater adventure. For others, this was another great opportunity to renew friendships and bond with co-workers.
A few weeks ago I wrote post on my own blog about the “mixing bowl” culture here at RightNow. We work hard and play hard – and we have a great time doing both.
http://www.merlyngordon.com/2009/07/the-mixing-bowl/
I’ve found that nothing makes a group bond like a near death experience. But seriously, the trip was safe and it really did pull us together. This is the kind of team building I can relate to. When the guide says “forward three,” the whole boat needs to dig in and paddle, in unison, three times. If one side of the boat is not pulling their weight, there is a real danger that the boat will flip. What a fantastic lesson in teamwork. Of course, it did get a little technical, like when the guide said “right forward, left back.” I had to pause a second to think about which side of the boat I was on. Meanwhile, everyone else was paddling and I was getting splashed. I’m working on the Right / Left thing so that next year, it will be second nature.
Looks like a good time was had by all! Hard to beat the cool mountain temps this summer, rivers filled to capacity, and lots of friends to share them with!
Ridding the world of bad experiences and battling class 3 and 4 rapids go hand and hand. While I did miss the team building event of the year, I had full faith that our team would drive past any obstacle they approached and sail through with power and grace. Such is the RightNow way.
Thanks for all the great comments all.
Looks like RightNow’ers aren’t the only ones that love the Gallatin River! Michelle Obama and the kids rafted the ‘Mad Mile’ with Geyser Whitewater yesterday afternoon during President Obama’s town hall at Gallatin Field. I bet they had a great time too!
A team building program will allow employees to overcome their differences in order to come together with a specific goal in mind to achieve the results that are required.
http://adirecteffect.com/atlanta_team_building.php