A day-hike to Skandagiri changes team dynamics at Google

A team from Google is noticing a perceptible shift in their team dynamics after merely a day’s hike to Skandagiri with Indiahikes.

How did the shift happen?

“It was not an easy trek. It was sunny, and quite a few participants found themselves outside their comfort zone. Then, through a simple exercise, we nudged them to look at the situation from a different perspective. Instead of responding with panic, we prompted them to respond from a place calm.

Soon, we noticed a shift. They began appreciating each other’s presence on the trek. It was an incredible shift to witness. They started enjoying the cool breeze in the warm sun, they began appreciating little things about the trek,” shares Urja Joshi, Trek Leader and member of the Experiential Learning team, who led the trek.

Back in the office, this shift in perspective brought about a noticeable change in their team dynamics.

"I can already see a change in their interaction," Google's Team Leader Srivatsa Kumar shared with Urja after the trek.

Since 2016, we have had several reputed companies from a diverse cross-section come on this programme with us. We have seen that in a short span of time—on a trek—the team starts bonding beautifully. This increases mutual trust between team members, enhances their ability to work well in a team, communicate more effectively, solve problems consultatively, and work cooperatively towards a common goal.

This transformation lays a strong foundation for collaborative leadership within the team, which is the need of the hour for most modern work spaces.