Team-Building Strengthens Company Culture and Client Interactions
A great company culture and client interactions don’t happen by chance. They are intentional acts fostered through team-building activities. When employees work miles apart or virtually, it becomes more difficult to maintain trust and openness. Likewise, when you are bringing together a diverse group of customers, you want to create an avenue for them to easily connect.
Affordable, High-Impact Team-Building Activity
MyIntent is a passion project by the founder, Chris Pan. We had the honor of hearing Chris’s story at our annual company event a few years ago and also experiencing the power of this team-building activity.
According to Chris, MyIntent Project is a catalyst for meaningful conversations and positive action. He says, “we believe there is purpose inside each of us and we want our efforts to encourage people to share more truth and inspiration with each other. We are not a jewelry company — we are a service project.”
On the surface, it seems so simple to choose a word, have it imprinted on a bracelet, and wear it every day as a reminder. So, you might be asking, what’s in a word, anyway? It turns out — A LOT. With that in mind, we wanted to learn more about how choosing a word connects people and builds teams. I had an opportunity to interview Chris Pan and pleased to share the impact of their project.
What does it mean to live more intentionally? And why does it matter more than ever?
Living intentionally is about finding your own answers. What is important to you and what works for you. It’s about doing what makes you feel happy and fulfilled. We’re bombarded by advertising and advice on how to be and what we need which can lead to anxiety and depression. It’s empowering to take time to reflect and set our own course.
How is it possible that one word (or phrase) has such a life-changing effect on people?
Mark Twain famously said, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” The magic of the MyIntent process is that people distill what’s most important down to a single word. In addition, because “What’s Your WORD?” is open-ended — people get what they need. Essentially, they are answering something along the lines of BE, HAVE, DO:
– What is a virtue you want more of? (e.g., BE kind)
– What is a challenge you want to overcome? (e.g., HAVE strength)
– What is a passion you want to spend time on? (e.g., DO sing)
Lastly, people’s WORD changes over time depending on what they are going through – it’s always relevant and impactful. People sometimes set a “word of the year” or may change their word every season or monthly.
Find Your Word. Give it a try!
What do you hope your project and people’s words achieve for them on a daily basis?
We often wear a watch on our left wrist to remind us of our precious gift of time. A MyIntent bracelet (necklace or key chain) reminds us what to do with that time, how we want to grow, and how we wish to serve. With so many “notifications” from our apps, the MyIntent bracelet is always-on and never needs charging to remind us what’s most important.
Bringing MyIntent to your meetings, events, and incentives
Inviting employees or clients to choose a WORD OF INTENT shows you care about their personal growth and well-being. For employees, the process deepens interpersonal relationships and transforms the workplace into an inviting and nurturing place to work. For clients, it encourages collaboration through empathy and openness.
As a team-building exercise, it is fun, affordable, and ultimately drives business results by building deeper connections. In fact, MyIntent currently serves thousands of companies from yoga studios and youth groups to Fortune 100 clients. Organizations are using MyIntent as an ice-breaker for their virtual events.
Another idea for conferences and/or incentive travel programs is to give each person their MyIntent bracelet or necklace at the opening reception. Individuals instantly strike up conversations about their word and what it means to them. This simple, but powerful team-building activity has been a big hit at networking events, both in-person and virtually.
Can you share a story about how MyIntent has impacted people or organizations?
Our bracelet has been there when people are going through personal trials. One of our clients said, “This bracelet is the only piece of jewelry I begged them to let me wear into surgery. I was worried they would make me cut it off. It says courage and I know it won’t stay on forever. Eventually, the string will wear down and it will fall off. However, I believe it will fall off as soon as the world thinks I no longer need it. I believe life wanted me to have it for this big surgery and to carry courage into the operating room with me, which I did, like a boss. It was so nice to wake up and look down and see this word staring at me. Cancer requires a certain amount of faith, bravery, hope, and courage.”
From a business perspective, our maker kits enable individuals to bring the project to their company, community, school, church, yoga studio, and non-profits! We’ve also donated hundreds of kits and tens of thousands of bracelets to schools so teachers can share intentionality and mindfulness with students. Imagine a generation where students are taught to be focused, kind, and patient.
How do people’s words empower them? And, what effect does this have on organizations?
The process of FINDING YOUR WORD is empowering because it is uniquely yours! It’s not pre-assigned to you, nor are you picking from a few options. It is a deliberate process of deciding what is most important to you, what you want to focus on more often, or what you want to remind yourself. While it is not uncommon to share a word with another coworker or customer, such as “Courage” or “Resilience.” It is what that word means to you and how it serves your purpose.
Another one of Mark Twain’s famous quotes really drives this idea home. “The two most important days of your life are 1) the day you were born, and 2) the day you discover why.”
Getting Started with MyIntent?
If you are interested in adding an inexpensive and affordable team-building activity to your next virtual, hybrid, or in-person event, consider a MyIntent Project or visit our Events, Networking, Entertainment & Experiences for more great ideas. We can manage all the details for your employees or customers so that you can enjoy all the fun! Email us at marketing@meetings-incentives.com to get started.