I am glad to share my experience with the program hosted by Eagle’s Flight Experiential Learning simulation called “Windjammer,” a half-day training that impacts the participants’ behavior and fun.

Here, participants are the dealers of high-end sailing products for an exceedingly active marketplace. The demand for the products is high, but market fluctuations will affect your value over time. This program is based on the reality that every business experiences changing market conditions, resource management challenges, and identifying the business activities to gain the highest profit considering the level of impact.

It focuses on capitalizing profit from all possible opportunities, not just on easily accessible products. Participants play the role of dealers engaged in high-end sailing products and are divided into five teams. Each team is further assigned a specific color and the challenge of purchasing the raw material of the same color.

When the program started, the facilitator briefed us about the program for about 20-30 minutes and gave us a bag of raw materials, including carabiners and ropes. We also had some cash product design sheets and market requirements with fluctuations. We had a banker from whom we could purchase the raw materials and a purchaser from whom we could sell our finished product.

We had ten rounds to complete the program, where each round was of 5 minutes. The first round started on a slow note as it was more of a planning and strategizing round. Here, every team was waiting for engagement but hesitant to make the first move for collaboration. Each team needed to design a product, which consisted of multiple colors, and everyone was being tested on collaboration skills, negotiation skills, and resource management. It was more like a supply chain that was created. But as the rounds progressed, everyone was running around and busy collaborating with other teams, negotiating, and exchanging the raw materials.

Each round of the program demanded different products from the market, and each product had a different selling value. Due to this, it was important for each one of us to contribute and understand our roles in the game.

While we were competing with other teams and selling the products based on market requirements, there were so many missed opportunities that none of us realized. It is a fun simulation that engages every participant with high energy and helps to understand the value of individual and team performances and their overall impact on profitability. It emphasizes the importance of planning, goal setting, team building, and execution. Further, it helps adjust team tactics and manage the resources to yield productivity that capitalizes on all the opportunities.

This program also focuses on prioritizing objectives and forging strong relationships in our work environment to take advantage of profits at their peak. The team game is also vital in applying strategies by adjusting to changing market trends and overcoming the various obstacles on the way.

After undertaking this virtual team game, a facilitator debriefed us and connected the lessons learned with the reality of the workplace. He made us realize the value of proper planning, clear communication, understanding our competitors, and capitalizing on every opportunity. The facilitator seemed to be a well-experienced person with vast knowledge of the industry and versatility. The debrief session was like the “aha” moment, where we realized how even minor things could change our work life and help us become more productive. I could sense enthusiasm among all our team members for implementing the acquired learnings in their real work life.

The overall virtual team-building activity offered a great experience combined with fun and learning. I would recommend my peers to try out this team game, and it was like a special moment to be cherished forever. I express my gratitude toward the Eagle’s Flight team for designing this wonderful game, and I look forward to experiencing other programs as well.