Ready for Adventure with Where You Want To Be Tours

Summer is a great time to go on an adventure. It could be a faraway destination you have planned on going to for a while, or it could be a spontaneous day trip to a destination right in your own city. Doing a day trip with your friends, family or small group gives you the opportunity to get to know one another better. Sometimes during a team challenge, there can be conflict or a trial. While this can be difficult, it usually can be used to draw the group closer together.

We interviewed Marc and Darlynne Reyes Menkin of scavenger hunt company Where You Want To Be Tours in 2018. They offer unique experiences to companies nationwide who are looking to build company morale and unify staff. We talked to them about how they have seen their team building challenges be a catalyst of change for a struggling work environment and their one-for-one bike campaign.

Darlynne Reyes Menkin shares how she has seen teambuilding experiences help a group that might be struggling.

“When a company first calls, we ask ‘Why do you want to do this?’ And we’ve had a number of people say because their staff is not getting along. The sales department is bickering with operations, for instance. They hope a team building experience will help communication. As leaders, going into their day of team building, we are aware of who is fighting or having challenging relationships. We let our staff know as well. The language we leaders use becomes intentional for that group as well as custom building a scavenger hunt that meets their needs. Positivity is key in those environments. As the end of the day, there is always a wrap-up that reinforces what the group experienced and accomplished together.”

Marc Menkin adds on what he has seen teambuilding do.

“If you were to take two bickering employees to lunch, they might act civil for an hour’s time, but nothing may change between them. But take those two employees and put them on the same team on one of our scavenger hunts, working together trying to win, things are usually different. Then they receive photographs two days later, reminding them of the great memories they made, and they usually see each other in a different light. We hear that from people all the time.”

^“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”Matthew 6:33-34

Marc reflects about the impact their bike building team challenge has had.

“We’d been doing Bike Team Building Challenges for years and years. Like we mentioned earlier, this is a competition between two teams in which they have to complete a task, and for each task they complete they get a piece of bike. Whoever can assemble the bike first and complete a series of tasks, wins. And we donate the bikes to the charity of their choice…It’s hilarious to see grown adults going the slowest the can on a kid-size bikes. But, I recently read a book about tom’s shoes where I was introduced to the one-for-one concept. If you buy a pair of shoes, Tom’s give a pair of shoes away. We loved that idea. So, we decided to give a bike away for every team building experience we booked.”

Here are some ideas for adventures within your town with your family, friends or small group. Remember use the adventure as an opportunity to get to know others.

Create a scavenger hunt for your group. Whether you have a large group or small group of friends and family, you can create a series of clues that you either have to solve together as a group. You can also divide the large group into smaller groups and have a competition. You can make the scavenger hunt throughout your town, at a nearby park or even in your house. You might even want to go on a scavenger hunt with Where You Want To Be Tours.

Go on a bike ride or hike together. Find a trail or place that is new to the group. Designate a meeting point. Encourage the group to take note of God’s creation as they ride or hike. After the bike ride/hike, grab ice cream or a snack together. Share what you saw.

Serve together as a group. Find a ministry at your church or local organization that you can volunteer at for the day. Before serving, take time to learn about the group that you will be serving. Pray for your time that God would give you opportunities to share His love with others. After your time, have the group share what they learned and how it affected them. Take time to pray afterwards for the ministry/organization, the people that you met and that God would continue to help others through that group.

To read our entire interview with Marc and Darlynne Reyes Menkin click here.