Working and having fun together at acondas

Categories: here at acondasPublished On: 7.09.2018

How the acondas management consultants cultivate and consolidate team spirit and cohesion.

The single ‘Zusammen’ (German: ‘together’) that was released by German hip-hop band ‘Die Fantastischen Vier’ featuring solo artist Clueso from their Captain Fantastic album this spring remained in the German charts for 20 weeks as this year’s top summer hit. It isn’t just a catchy ‘good mood’ song; it was also chosen as the official German song for the FIFA World Cup 2018, turning out to be far more successful than the defending champions who were eliminated in the group stage. Why? Firstly because ‘togetherness’ is obviously exactly what the German team lacked. And also because the lyrics are life affirming and the melody is so catchy that you only have to listen to the song a couple of times to be able to sing along.

“In that sense, ‘Zusammen’ would make the perfect company anthem for us,” said Andreas Florissen and Jörg Fengler, the two founders and managing directors of the acondas management consultancy firm. The attitude towards life that ‘Fanta 4’, as the band calls itself, is singing about reflects the common spirit shared by the young acondas consultants. The chorus, “We are great together; we are one together”, could also be taken to describe a positive work climate and team cohesion. “The acondas consultants meet up twice a year for strategy meetings that build both team spirit and cohesion,” explained Florissen. Fengler added, “We take advantage of our strategy meetings to further our professional knowledge and share our experiences, and that reinforces the sense of team spirit across the entire organization.”

Everyone knows that ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. And consultants, too, need time out for rest, relaxation, and to clear their minds for new ideas. They also build team spirit outside work and at the once-a-year office events. But these projects are very different to our client projects. Last June a very strong team from the Düsseldorf office participated in the B2Run at the Esprit Arena, where  almost 12,500 contestants ran the 6.2 kilometer race.

The Fanta 4 line, “We’re inseparable; we’re unmistakable,” also applies to the Berlin office. Despite the heatwave and 32 degrees Celsius, the acondas consultants there gave an impressive show of team spirit in the capital city’s relay race. Fengler: “At these kinds of events the objective is to reach the finishing line, and the team achieves that objective by making the most of each member’s personal strengths.”

Not all the activities that the consultants do in their spare time are as strenuous as long-distance relay races. In fine weather the Hamburg team like to go stand-up paddling on the Alster, and in rainy weather you’ll often find them playing a round of darts. The Munich team enjoy both: outdoor activities in the English Garden next door, or on the River Isar, and indoor go-cart racing or complex escape games for mental training. “Although all the leisure activities are very different, the main thing is that we’re undertaking them together as a team,” said acondas managing director Florissen.

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