On December 17 and 20, 2021, the NNC-NCR Achieve Team took a break from their regular work and participated in the various teambuilding exercises. This year’s theme of the teambuilding was inspired by the African Philosophy of Ubuntu, “I am, because We Are”, a concept in which your sense of self is shaped by your relationships with other people. It emphasizes the importance of interconnectedness and that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others. As then US President Barrack Obama said in one of his messages, this principle means that we are all connected, and that one can only grow and progress through the growth and progression of others.
Guided by the theme, the teambuilding activities enabled the members of the NNC-NCR Achieve Team to affirm that everyone in the team needs to play a part, regardless of how small they think it is to continue achieving success. What the individual member will become is largely a result of what the team has become.
The teambuilding started with the members having a hearty breakfast at Gourmet Farms where they had the chance to bond and talk with each other about family and life while waiting for the food to be served. After which, the team visited the Sister of the Merciful Heart of Jesus Church in Tagaytay to give thanks to the Lord for the blessings and prayed for the good health and safety of everyone, as well as continued success of the team in its endeavors for the coming year.
Next stop for the team was Sonya’s Garden in Alfonso, Cavite where everyone was given an hour of ’Me Time’, a time to relax and recharge. After an hour, the members gathered at the restaurant for lunch. While waiting for the food to be served, each one shared his/her experiences and discoveries during the ‘Me Time’ activity and how these can help him/her be a better team player. Because of inclement weather in Tagaytay, the team decided to cancel the succeeding activities and continue the teambuilding exercises at the NNC-NCR office.
The teambuilding activities were continued on December 20, 2021 at the NNC-NCR office in Mandaluyong City. Everyone enjoyed the “Sneak a Peek” game wherein the team gained deeper understanding of how each team member contributes to the team’s overall success. In another activity, each member took turns in sharing what they appreciate about each other and the Achieve Team. They also shared their insights on the theme of this year’s teambuilding, capping the 2-day event with a prayer of thanksgiving.
This year’s teambuilding enabled the NNC-NCR Achieve Team to experience the meaning and value of interconnectedness and that a person is a person through other persons. As what the highly respected South African leader Reverend Desmond Tutu said, “We need other human beings in order to be human. A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good. This is based on a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished.”
Keeping in mind the Ubuntu philosophy, the members of NNC-NCR Achieve Team commit to work harder and smarter, giving emphasis to the value of interconnectedness and collective action toward a productive and successful 2022 and beyond.
Written by: NOIII Emerenciana L. Francia and NPC Milagros Elisa V. Federizo
References:
- “I am because you are” by Million Belay accessed from https://theecologist.org/2019/oct/25/i-am-because-you-are
- “The Story of Ubuntu” accessed from https://ubuntu.com/about
- “What is the Sprit of Ubuntu? How Can We Have It in Our Lives?” accessed from https://www.globalcitizen.org/fr/content/ubuntu-south-africa-together-nelson-mandela/
