Prior to establishing EcoSeagate, the employees of Seagate
Technology: a computer hard drive manufacturer experienced some problems within
the company. Due to constant firing and other issues, employee reputation was
poor: often times renaming the company “Slavegate”. CEO Bill Watkins was very
well aware of the situation and established EcoSeagate immediately after
becoming president in 2000. Watkins’ goal was to transfer the values and
experiences of teamwork from the multi-day lab back to their work (Brown, 2011).
EcoSeagate is a five-day, experience where Seagate
employees from around the world travels to New Zealand to participate in various
outdoor activities including kayaking and racing. After watching the videos for
this week’s module, I recall a similar experience I had and can relate some of
the values obtainable from EcoSeagate. In 2004, I participated the annual Yoron
Island Adventure School. The camp is an International Youth Association of
Japan program in which fifth graders build relationships with others from
different countries (Fisher, 2009). When I participated, the camp mostly consisted
of DODDS and Japanese students.
Just like EcoSeagate, the Yoron Island camp lasted a
couple days and we participated in various activities including holding dragon
boat races, as well as building bamboo rafts. Since every activity involved teamwork,
it was crucial for our team to communicate with one another. As I communicated
with my team members, I was able to make new friends. This made me feel more
comfortable and open: which made communication and trust stronger and easier.
Since the program consisted a mix of kids from different schools and countries,
we were also able to learn various things from one another. Similar things can
be seen in the EcoSeagate video: where employees from various departments, locations,
and cultures come together. Just as I did in my camp, employees can meet new
people in addition to teaching one another. An example from the video included
an individual replacing a bike tire for another team member. While it’s
uncertain, we can see how the individual changing the tire likely had previous
experience and knowledge than the one needing help (Chao, 2008). With new information,
ones can not only obtained new information, but they can use that information
to enhance their work.
After watching the EcoSeagate video and relating to my
own experiences, I believe that my organization can gain some benefits for hosting
a similar event. In my organization, there are over 100 different campuses scattered
around the world. Each campus is unique and consist of different operations and
student demographics. By occasionally bringing everyone together, we can
enhance relationships and learn from one another. Recently, my university had a
mandatory month-long training program where every campus and their employees
reviewed and learned an array of campus standards, operations, and procedures.
Throughout the training, we were encouraged to communicate with one another. Often
times, we were able to obtain new information and ideas and used them at our
own campus to improve everyday operations.
References:
Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to
organization development (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Chao, M. (2008). Eco Seagate 2008 [Video file]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCOfOFMiLtE
Fisher, C. (2009). DODDS students relish Japanese
adventure. Stars and Stripes. Retrieved
from https://www.stripes.com/news/dodds-students-relish-japanese-adventure-1.89834
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