Recent Client Case Studies

Snapshot:

With less than an hour to go before the deadline, your 5-person treasure hunt team stops for a breather beside a historical plaque.  You pause to take it all in: the local atmosphere; the pleasure of getting away from the office with your co-workers; the rush of cracking these brilliantly creative puzzles & clues (who thinks up these things??).

How amazing it is to interact with a city this way — discovering the hidden nooks and crannies of the neighborhood that even the locals don’t know about. And it’s so fun (and relevant) to learn about the skills and personalities of your colleagues.  Who knew that…
–Jack is such a whiz at detail work and decryption!
–Stephanie has an eye for the “big picture” and can do crossword puzzles in her sleep!
–Ronnie is a fantastic leader and your “go-to person” for sports and movie trivia knowledge!

You like and respect these people!  They have awesome super powers that complement your own.   And even though you work in different locations, now that you know them, you feel like you can call them at work and ask for help when you need it.

Case Study 1:
Apptio Corporation recently did a teambuilding scavenger hunt in Durham, NC.  Their team had been working hard over the last few months and needed a break, big time.  Their Dr. Clue hunt program allowed participants to blow off steam and also work on collaboration skills without actually knowing it. Said manager Seth Kahn, “this definitely was worth the investment on our end, and will set the bar for future team building events we run.”   Kahn  appreciated the personalization of the clues and the references to their company
“Thanks again!”
–Seth Kahn, Apptio:

Case Study 2:
BioMarin Pharmaceuticals was looking for an event that would take them off site, away from their daily stress.  Their Napa teambuilding scavenger hunt did the trick!  By combining three groups (~20 people), they were able to collaborate with people they see at work but may not necessarily interact with, while at the same time strengthening existing relationships.  The hunt allowed them to ‘let their hair down’, laugh and reenergize.
“Thank you.  Thank you.”
–Olga Gutteridge
Manager, Maintenance Business Office
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

Case Study 3:
For their 2nd company retreat, Pair of Thieves (an apparel company) planned on Ojai, CA and wanted something more than drinks at a bar, and traditional ice breakers.  Their goal was to expose everyone to a situation where they would get to know one another better, learn how their teammates work, and have some light-hearted fun in the process.  They appreciated the flow of their entire adventure, starting with a thoughtful icebreaker, splitting into teams, and then playing the actual hunt.  Their favorite part was the end.  After they had a few minutes of waving victories in each other’s faces, Dr. Clue brought them all back together again for one last team building exercise. This was the perfect way to end their excursion; a reminder that they all have the same goal and that they make beautiful, exciting, fun, and successful progress when they  work together as ONE team.   They were able to bond while having a blast. More importantly, they learned about how each of their personalities and methods contribute to their bigger picture.
“We arrived in Ojai as individuals, and left as one.  Thank you Doctor C!”
Cassi Nolan, Pair of Thieves

Case Study 4:
Fiserv’s sales team was looking for a fun and adventurous Team Building effort and Dr. Clue hit the bullseye.  Not only was it fun and challenging but they got to see team members perform some very fun and entertaining tasks that got people out of their shell.  Dr. Clue helped everyone through the introduction and setup and helped make sure everyone had a great time.  With the scoring system, this become highly fun and competitive.
“Our team highly recommends this Scavenger Hunt program.”
Mike Travis Fiserv

Case Study 5:
(Wentworth Consulting Group does executive development through consulting, coaching, facilitation and training.)
Dr. Clue gave this group the opportunity to get to know how the team thinks and acts when solving a problem under pressure together.  This offered a challenge that was both intellectually stimulating and inter-personally challenging, plus the physical aspect of getting up and running around.
After the hunt, there was lots of laughter from the group and they seemed much more relaxed with each other.   It allowed some individual problem solving to shine forth from the quiet people, from the introverts.  Because they applied a divide and conquer strategy, they were able to able to tap into the quiet, smart people who may not have been heard more readily had we done a more verbal and facilitated type of activity.
“Perhaps my biggest aha moment was the fact that you can design a relevant event in new locations that are fun, and clever.  Your ability to create a really great learning activity in a completely non-urban, isolated resort setting…you’re so darn clever that way.”
Bonnie Wentworth, Wentworth Consulting

Case Study 6:
This NDI group needed a break from the usual accounting work they do, the paper pushing.  The part at the end about working together across teams hit home with a lot of people.  Within their group, they had five different teams.  They work within sub-teams but it was important for teams to cross those lines and work with the other people in the other groups to get things done the right way.”
“Our CFO was very excited about it and thought it went very well.   People did something different than they normally do here at our work…everyone enjoyed that.  The camaraderie.”
Sherri Peters
National Democratic Institute
Manager, Budget and Special Projects

Debriefs

**All our corporate team-building events  include a Post-Hunt Debrief.*
The post-hunt “debrief” is where the rubber really meets the road. Each team is asked to evaluate its successes and failures, and then make a presentation before the entire assembly. Participants are encouraged to draw parallels between the dynamics in a treasure hunt and the dynamics in a team-based work environment.
Sample discussion questions might include:

What happened during the activity?
What team dynamics emerged? What were obstacles to your team’s success?
Who were the leaders? Did the roles change?
In thinking about your workplace, what was familiar about what you experienced during the hunt?
What innovation might have put you over the top?
How might you have collaborated across teams?
How might you use what you learned today?