Tiger Teams boost leadership success for Boost.ai
Background:
Boost.ai delivers best-in-class conversational AI. Founded in Norway in 2016, the company delivers automated interactions into multiple sectors for hundreds of leading organisations across the USA, Europe and the Nordics.
Kalyani Neelamraju is Head of HR for the company.
The Situation:
Boost.ai faced the challenge of integrating a newly formed leadership team comprising newly joined members and those with longer tenure. The team included employees from various countries, such as Denmark and Norway, adding to the diversity of perspectives and dynamics. This international team mainly worked remotely, limiting face-to-face interactions. The goal of the leadership event with Tiger Teams was to foster personal connections, improve teamwork, enhance strategic planning and develop a plan to navigate their expanding operations more effectively.
The Solution:
With a good understanding of the company’s challenges, Tiger Teams designed the four-day offsite event with a combination of outdoor physical activities and focused strategic discussions, aiming to build trust and collaboration among the leadership team.
• Outdoor activities: the team participated in a hike up Helvellyn, the third highest point in England, a unique and challenging experience. This activity promoted team bonding and a sense of personal achievement, especially for those new to such adventures.
• Team building: the bonding was further strengthened with team building activities that encouraged the leaders to share personal stories and understand each other’s personalities.
‘“We had an amazing sharing session, in which we really opened up. Learning people’s vulnerabilities and what matters to them helps to build trust, and gives us a strong foundation to take back into the workplace. That session gave us the opportunity to reflect and reevaluate what we can do differently.”
Kalyani Neelamraju, Head of HR at Boost.ai
The Impact:
The benefits of the leadership event were felt immediately. Morale was at an all-time high, with overwhelmingly positive feedback and a sincere appreciation for the combination of outdoor activities and strategic discussions. The Tiger Teams team was described as accommodating, engaging and nourishing.
‘We had such amazing support from Tiger Teams. They were very fluid and flexible, quick to change course if we needed to. Sometimes they let us lead, other times they provided boundaries and brought us back to focus on what we were there for.”
Relationships within the team were strengthened, with shared experiences and communal living fostering a deeper understanding and familiarity among team members.
The offsite provided a renewed focus that allowed for effective strategic planning, with dedicated sessions enabling the team to delve into strategy development away from the daily work environment, fostering a clearer sense of purpose and direction. In the two weeks following the event, the team made significant progress in implementing the action plans developed during the event and began cascading these plans to the next level of management, ensuring broader organizational impact.
‘WThe sense of team and purpose, and the time to spend on strategy were so important. This time away together will help us make faster decisions and collaborate: the foundation has definitely been set.”
Kalyani Neelamraju, Head of HR at Boost.ai
Overall, the event was a successful initiative that enhanced team cohesion, clarified strategic goals and improved overall business efficiency. The involvement and support from Tiger Teams were pivotal in creating a productive and memorable experience that continues to benefit Boost.ai’s leadership team.