By Kelly Liggett, Executive Director
Bonjour! Earlier this month, we had the fabulous opportunity to visit our friends at Hennessy in France.
Stalwart supporters of No Barriers, Hennessy invited us to participate in their Fête des Sports (Sports Day). The Fête des Sports is a company event where employees are grouped into teams and move through a series of stations that offer different activities for exploration and competition. Also, of note, everyone wears costumes!
We knew No Barriers would be hosting a station at the event but were a little unsure of what we would actually encounter on site.
As such, we prepared a quiver of options we could activate with minimal props. We wanted to challenge the Hennessy teams to take risks, communicate effectively, and trust each other as they worked towards a common goal – all great skills to have in the workplace and life.
After some trial (and error), we constructed two parallel obstacle courses using bottes de foin (hay bales) and trekking poles. Teams arrived two at a time, listened to a metaphoric story from Erik (Weihenmayer) about how the course represented climbing a mountain, and then paired up to complete the course with one partner blindfolded.
You never really know how these things are going to turn out. Language barriers, cultural differences, loud music blasting from the stage across the way… but you jump in and hope the ground holds.
And, to our delight, the Hennessy teams jumped in avec rigueur. They laughed. They raced. They navigated Khumbu in Cognac…
With each new obstacle, they adjusted their communication and saw how much more effective and efficient their progress could be when they listened to and trusted their teammates.
The No Barriers mindset is something we regularly discuss as it relates to overcoming personal obstacles. This adventure was a reminder that it also applies to the challenges we face at work and in our communities.
Our colleagues at Hennessy are truly fortunate to work within a company that invests so much in their team. Sure, there’s the savoir faire (know how) when it comes to how they make cognac. But it’s also clear that they have the savoir faire when it comes to nurturing their team. And we couldn’t be more excited to be along for the ride!
