Growing together through fun and adventure
At the start of each new training year, a team event is usually held for all Kuhn trainees. The purpose of these events is to give all trainees the opportunity to get to know each other better away from their everyday working lives and to help new trainees integrate into the community. But it’s also about facing challenges and overcoming inhibitions – while having lots of fun, of course. A report by our prospective industrial clerks Ben Hohmann and Levi Meixner: Continue reading
Organized by our training managers Gesa Richter and Grischa Hopmeier, this year’s team training took us to Xanten on August 18 and 19, where 26 trainees stayed in a modern youth hostel near Lake Xanten.
Immediately after arriving, we headed to the lake, where there is a water ski facility that had been booked for us. After the first few attempts, most of us found ourselves in the water after about five seconds and a spectacular fall, and had to swim back to shore as quickly as possible. Many were even more motivated by the constant setbacks to try again right away.
Those who managed to stay on their feet a little longer were faced with the challenge of navigating the turns and thus completing a whole lap around the lake. Many of us quickly managed this, and then it was a matter of completing as many laps as possible in a row. No sooner had the record of six laps been set than our two booked hours were already up.
The rest of the first day was filled with team games such as “Partner, Who Am I,” Spaghetti Marshmallow Towers, a Cookie Face Challenge, classic introductions, and free time spent playing soccer, volleyball, table tennis, and foosball.
The second day of team training started a little later. Accordingly, everyone was in a good mood and looking forward to what lay ahead. After a short introduction by two employees from Querfeldeins, who specialize in team-building events, we got straight down to business.
The big highlight was building soapbox cars. We were divided into four teams and each given a kit with the necessary components. However, the construction and design of the soapbox cars were entirely up to us, and it wasn’t just about building a functioning vehicle, but also about being creative. From painted chassis to bicycle horns, everything was included. Everyone was able to contribute their strengths and ideas: some were more interested in the assembly of the soapbox cars, while others focused on the exterior design.
There was an opportunity to earn extra points by earning extra chips (in-game currency) through small “battles.” These chips could be spent at the store run by the Querfeldeins employees. By “cleverly stealing” from other teams, you could also secure a few cool items such as horns, helmets, or exhaust pipes – but only if you didn’t get caught, of course! This required teamwork. As in Formula 1, no one wanted the other groups to discover their tricks and ideas too quickly.
The boxes were then put through their paces in two races. In the time trial, it was all about how fast the track was driven, while the drag race was all about pure power. Although two teams made a classic false start, Team 2 almost caught up! In the end, the points from the two races and the extra items collected were added up to determine the winner.
Regardless of the result, we all had a lot of fun and, above all, learned how important it is to work together as a team, share ideas, and support each other. After the event ended at noon, we headed home to recharge our batteries and get motivated for the upcoming (first) day of work!