A case study on using data, food, and fire to build better teams

Click here for video highlights of the case study.  

capital H. is a Maine-based consulting firm that helps organizations build cultures of engagement and long-term retention. Founders (and sisters) Lindsey and Julia Coit were kind enough to guest-write this article for the MVF newsletter, as a follow on to their original Dec 2021 article, which was read to great fanfare.

Management consulting legend Peter Drucker is known for his famous quip, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Meaning that, even companies with a compelling mission & vision,product-market fit, and top talent aren’t guaranteed success without the right culture. And culture in this context isn’t about happy hours and holiday parties, it’s about how well employees relate to one other, resolve conflict, and live their values. CEOs of top-performing companies know investments in culture must go beyond typical employee engagement tactics, but with limited time and resources, what’s a CEO to do?

You can have your cake and eat it, too

We at capital H. have designed a new kind of team-building experience to give employees a chance to relax and recharge and access the insights and skills needed to build high-performing teams, called Inward Bound. Inspired by the adventure learning principles of Outward Bound, this half-day experience leverages workplace behavioral data to illuminate team dynamics and uses the universal language of food to connect people. Participants leave with more self-awareness and empathy, which not only lead to better teamwork, accelerated problem solving, and deeper employee satisfaction, but also have an impact on a company’s bottom line.

How the sausage is made

Earlier this fall Kinotek, a human motion capture technology start-up and one of Maine Venture Fund’s portfolio companies, participated in Inward Bound. The experience began with new CEO, Pat Panaia and her leadership team each completing psychometric workplace behavioral assessments to help reveal more about their individual work styles including aspects like pace, extraversion, detail orientation, and communication. Pat reflected on the assessments, “What I particularly liked about the event was that we had done pre-work with the Predictive Index that was hugely valuable. We gained insights about each of our work styles and expectations that we’d never have known otherwise.Next, the team arrived at Cunningham Farm to put theory into practice. With a backdrop of lush green landscape and historical barns, the task is simple: work together to cook a 3-course meal over an open fire pulling from a spread of local ingredients like ribeye from Pineland Farms, greens from Portland’s farmer’s market and salmon from Harbor Fish Market. Why the fire, you ask? Cooking over the fire is primitive; it draws people together, conjures presence, and creates the kind of vibe that allows people to be human. 

The Kinotek team made a feast of surf and turf, “Kinotek kebabs” carving the letter K from fresh zucchini, a family recipe for mashed potatoes, and chocolate/vanilla swirl cupcakes in a makeshift Dutch oven. Over dinner, they participated in a facilitated debrief about their experience, reflecting on questions like:  What did you notice about yourself? Were you more collaborative or independent in the tasks you chose? Did you speak up about what you wanted to make or go with the flow? How does your experience tie back to your behavioral assessment? And how do these behaviors show up at work for you? The discussion gave participants ‘aha’ moments like why it’s so effective to pair big picture thinkers with more structured, detail-oriented teammates. Or how a casual, extroverted communicator can more effectively engage with someone who prefers to see a written agenda and needs time to think things through.

Make the juice worth the squeeze

Inward Bound is designed to generate insights that shape the way teams work together long after the event has ended. Teams return to the office with language to help them understand why certain tensions arise, how they can adapt to work with people who are wired differently and tailor management styles to different scenarios and individuals. 

Pat reflected on the experience, “Back at work, Inward Bound gave us a new and helpful awareness that not only made the event more enjoyable, but that we’ve taken back with us for our day-to-day interactions.”  The event, by the way, was fun, well-organized, and rejuvenating. I’d recommend it to any company looking for a valuable team building event.”

Leaders: Whether you’re planning your next offsite or looking to give your teams a break from work, invest in an experience with impact on both your people and your business. Because what’s good for humans is good for business.

A special thanks

A special thanks to capital H.’s partners at Cedalion Talent and specifically collaborator, expert consultant and leadership coach Adam Patterson who helped shape the Kinotek experience with Inward Bound. Lastly, thank you to Black Fly Media for the fantastic media support. To learn more about capital H., follow them on LinkedIn or book a free introductory call.