Master and Commander



Ever since the “Master and Commander” days when the British, Spanish, French and Dutch seamen challenged each other for supremacy of the world’s oceans, the sailing ship has been an ideal environment to gel teams into a cohesive fighting force.

Whilst you won’t get to open fire on any pesky Frenchies, you will learn the rudiments of elementary sail handling and drill hoisting and lowering sails until you are close to a well oiled machine, just as Nelson would have done before the Battle Of Trafalgar.


 







We arrive at a rather romantic and isolated sandy beach where you are marooned with some fire making equipment and, some chicken and some vegetables. Here’s a clue – you don’t have to kill the vegetables. There will be other dishes to supplement your own efforts, but marks will given for the most creative dishes.Ok, so we don't actually butcher the chicken, but send it back to its friends on the farm, replacing it swiftly with some Tesco's ready packaged breast meat.


 


 

We then work a nautical disaster scenario with the objective that you must save the ship and be prepared to defend it to a group panel of experienced inquisitors..


 

In the evening you will be allowed to reward yourselves with another ancient maritime tradition “the rum ration”. Each team will be given an icebox with grog inside. The winning team will have considerably more grog than the losing team and you will be debriefed in the informal setting of the salt water jaccuzi.. There will be dinner on board as the sun sets and the shadow line between work and play becomes all fuzzy.

 

 

Island Team Works in conjunction with Langkawi Incentives believes that teams perform and under perform best when put under pressure. Emotional pressure, pressure from competition, pressure from discomfort and pressure from time. It is as important to post mortem and discuss failures and come to terms with our failings as it is to reward our successes as this is how we rejuvenate and grow as individuals and teams. It is only by meeting with Triumph and Disaster on common ground that we can vanquish Kipling’s two famous vainglorious imposters and uncover a true identity as an individual, team or company.

This program is tough on the brain and perhaps the ultimate team building exercise. Many employees really engage and commit to the solving of the disaster scenario and employers find it a refreshing change to see their employees problem solving skills tested as well as their muscles. It is ultimately an exercise in communication and team involvement, where a single employee may hold the vital key to unlocking the problem. But will he realize the day hinges on him?