The benefits of teambuilding
Over a decade ago I walked away from a successful career in banking because I recognized a niche in the marketplace for personal development to train people to become better professionals.
It was a big risk, but my mantra is “Change the world, don’t just play the game.” So I launched a new career in professional development, teambuilding, and DISC personality training.
My initial focus was on corporations and small companies. I taught and trained in communications skills, leadership styles, management, and presentation skills based on an understanding of personality types.
Charity and the Return-on-Investment
But my passion is teambuilding with a purpose and that purpose is philanthropy at the corporate level. When I signed on to the company my one proviso was that we had to develop a philanthropic arm to the whole operation.
When I became the CEO, I developed charitable teambuilding workshops based on the notion that while you’re giving back to your community you can still have fun. We partner with companies to train their workers in professional development techniques, but the major component is charitable giving.
Our donations run the gamut from bikes, wheelchairs, and wagons to stuffed animals, school supplies, and hospital care packages. We partner with food banks to whom we donate dry goods, canned foods, and water. Magnovo works with animal shelters to provide forever-homes for pets. We work with disabled veterans and a variety of other organizations to give back to local communities in the cities where our clients are based.
The business of kindness
In today’s marketplace, corporate social responsibility is now part of most company business models. Progressive companies recognize the benefits of being good corporate neighbors.
Magnovo Training Group helps with this goal and our approach is turnkey. We customize each workshop to suit the goals of our clients. Our facilitators coordinate every aspect of the workshop including the liaison with the charitable organization chosen to receive the donations.
Our workshops are usually at least a couple of hours long. We divide large groups of employees into small teams each of which engages in a bit of friendly competition to “earn” the different components or parts they need to assemble their donations.
Teambuilding impact
For example, during our stuffed animal workshop, also known as Rescue Buddies, each participant literally stuffs and shapes the toy animals. The toys are then donated to traumatized kids in need of emotional rescue [after a car accident or house fire].
At the end of each workshop, a representative from the charity talks to the group about the potential impact their donations will have. Their constituents include low-income families, disabled veterans, deployed personnel, and the like.
It’s usually at this point that the company employees have an epiphany. They realize that the workshop they enjoyed wasn’t just about fun and games and teambuilding. They understand that what they spent the afternoon doing will change many lives in a tremendously positive way.
The Magnovo brand
Many of our clients are Fortune 500 companies. And our reputation is such that our facilitators travel across the country and around the world. One of our recent assignments involved a leadership development workshop for a cruise line in Italy. And one of our most hair-raising adventures occurred in Hawaii after an earthquake. We arrived in time to experience quite a few aftershocks!
Our teambuilding and professional development training couldn’t happen if I didn’t have a phenomenal team of facilitators. We usually get requests 1 to 2 months before the main event, but we’ve also delivered the goods with just a few hours notice.
We operate like a well-oiled machine and hit the mark every time. And that’s not just about our professionalism–it’s about our commitment to charitable giving. It’s the fuel that keeps us fired up. We’ve proven time and time again that giving back makes you and your company move forward.