Stryker’s sales reps arrived at the The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, AZ, for a regional meeting that wrapped up with a Bike-A-Thon™ charity team building event.
The Main Event
Sales teams commonly share a single goal, while each person is still responsible for their own part of the project. And Stryker’s sales teams are no different. Our role in hosting a Bike-A-Thon™ event was to help participants practice team building skills like communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution, especially in settings where there are additional pressures. Stryker’s sales teams divided into groups by region as we prepared to get started. Thankfully, we were located in the hotel’s main ballroom, which made sense because there were about 600 people!
The Busiest Bike-A-Thon™ Ever?
Stryker’s Bike-A-Thon™ had a great twist. The company organizer set a goal of 86 bicycles assembled in 30 minutes. Teams of 18 were challenged to complete three bicycles apiece. Sales reps had already been assigned to teams, so that made set-up relatively quick. Once we had each team settled into their own “corner” of the ballroom, we threw out the first challenge to the group. Each of the three builds was intensified by a different challenge. And all of the teams rose to the occasion! This was an extremely competitive group, with a lot of regional pride on the line, so it was pretty intense.
Helping Kids Through Recycle Your Bicycle for a Kid in Foster Care
Not only were Stryker sales reps working so hard for regional pride, but they were also invested in helping area kids. The bicycles assembled by the group were donated to Recycle Your Bicycle for a Kid in Foster Care. In addition, the first team to correctly assemble their three assigned bikes earned a company prize, plus $2,500 to donate to the charity of their choice. This was a nice touch, because not only were Scottsdale kids benefitting, but another charity, one local to the winning team’s hometown, would also get important help.
When Joe Jocober from Recycle Your Bicycle for a Kid in Foster Care arrived to accept delivery of the bikes, he was stunned. He couldn’t believe how many bikes were assembled and in such a short time frame! Even though this was one of the bigger groups we’ve ever worked with, there was absolute silence as Mr. Jocober described how the charity helped kids. He got a rousing round of applause as the team captains presented Mr. Jocober with the bicycles, and nearly everyone had their smartphones out, snapping pictures. As the Bike-A-Thon™ wrapped up, we received a lot of good feedback from participants, who appreciated the hands-on practice and chance to help kids.