It is not unusual for big companies to invest significant
time and money bringing their senior teams together once or twice a year so
they can bond and discuss company strategy. Isle Group (www.isleutilities.com ), the company
for which I am Chairman, is no different. Our senior team is spread across the
world from Australia to California, Abu Dhabi to London. Being relatively small
(at just 50 people) we lack the budget some companies might have for this exercise,
but I like to think we more than make up for it in imagination. We can’t afford
3 days in a posh hotel in a prime holiday location. For us it is 3 days bundled
together, sharing rooms and toilets and all our associated personal functions,
in a big house in the English coastal town of Southwold. Situated on the
Suffolk coastline, with the foreboding North Sea and the chill east winds, I
like to think the team bond through shared adversity. Forget luxury. Hardship
is the glue that truly binds.
Throughout this week the President of ‘Isle America’,
Cristina Ahmadpour, who is used to the sandy beaches of San Diego and the
pristine, gloriously warm waters of the Pacific has resolutely refused to even
dip her toe in the freezing grey North Sea. Yesterday evening however,
following a mix of coaxing and cajoling from myself and our CFO we persuaded
her to give it a go. I think the offer to bump up her flight back home from a
seat at the very back of the plane to one that was near
the very back of the plane was probably the deciding factor.
The rule was she had to fully immerse. See attached 30
second video link. I particularly like Cristina’s impressive face plant and her
accompanying Californian squeal. Note also the perfect synchronization as Ryan
(our CFO) and I enter the water. We were channelling Tom Daley and Daniel
Goodfellow, Ryan especially so with his exceptionally small budgie smugglers.
Why do something one once, when there is the perfect
opportunity to do it twice? Especially if you can bring in all your friends. As
the evening progressed and the wine flowed, the team bonded and at midnight a
second dip, this time without the protection of a wet suit, seemed a good idea.
Midnight is clearly not the best time for decision making in the Isle family.
It is only now, as I look at the photos, that I see that our
MD for Europe, Dutchman Dr Ignaz Worm, appears to have been so whipped up by
the enthusiasm that he didn’t let the fact he lacked swimming trunks deter him.
Underpants are just as functional. Now that’s impressive team bonding. Beat
that IBM and Google!
Fun fact: Someone in the Isle senior team has the copyright
symbol, ©, tattooed on the upper cheek of their left buttock. It looks like
they have been stamped for the Congestion Charge. Bless.
Cristina - BEFORE THE SWIM
Cristina - AFTER THE SWIM
BEFORE THE MIDNIGHT DIP
AFTER THE MIDNIGHT DIP
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