Convergys managers build platform for success : Outdoor training helps to create a shared sense of purpose

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe how 19 managers from the European and Middle Eastern divisions of multinational business consultancy Convergys built a badger‐watching platform during a training weekend, to assess and improve skills in leadership, motivation and performance management. Design/methodology/approach – Details how the training was commissioned and delivered, and the benefits it brought. Findings – Explains that the managers were split into four teams, responsible for catering, public relations, resourcing and entertainment. Each team had a functional responsibility, but the group as a whole was in charge of planning, designing and building the badger‐watching platform within 24 hours. Practical implications – Claims that, overall, the managers were helped to see the company's key business objectives more clearly, and how their individual performance relates to these objectives. Originality/value – Reveals that asking team members as a group to plot the way forward and set some rules for themselves was an effective way of fostering a common understanding and shared goals.