The experience we had as a team running “El Cruce” in Argentine Patagonia is a great example of the power of epic events to motivate an organization.

Coming out of the pandemic, our organization was strained and fragile: with no in-person interaction for a long time, high turnover, and many new consultants and clients we needed to win back. In this context, at the beginning of 2022, our consultants responsible for team-building activities proposed something new, challenging, and “special”: running 100km in 3 days in the uniquely beautiful environment of Patagonia, as a firm. The proposal involved substantial costs for logistics, training, and consultants’ time. It required commitment from everyone, discipline, effort, measurement, etc. No one was a runner, and consultants are not generally known for their physical condition. The decision was not easy and required discussions with everyone. But together, we took the plunge.

We prepared for months and arrived in very good shape, with some achieving performance worthy of trail running champions. It was tough and demanding but truly extraordinary, both for each individual and for the team as a whole: the physical challenge and the thrill of finishing brought tears to many, the mutual moral support strengthened the team, the personal and collective overcoming, thanks to the extensive training, created team pride—it was an epic event. We also discovered many similarities with our consulting work, particularly in the context of excellence projects. We summarize them here in these 7 points:

1. Making the Decision: It came from the team; we established a clear business case and the conditions for success. We decided that the circumstances called for a significant investment in ourselves. We presented it as a challenge for everyone, sought and obtained everyone’s commitment
2. Challenging Goals: We set challenging goals beyond the known. At the same time, the demands were feasible for everyone. The motivation of self-improvement is a powerful tool
3. Planning and Preparation: Meticulous planning and preparation were essential for challenging projects and their success. The epic is also built in daily preparation, long before the finish line. We hired the best expert or coach. We conducted over 70 training sessions between March and December. Furthermore, we measured and published individual and group progress using appropriate tools like Strava
4. Culture of Support: The project must foster a culture of mutual motivation and support within the team, both during preparation and at the event. In our case, some firm members did not run but trained with the group and took care of all logistics and support during the race—a crucial support. It allows for rapid integration of new members
5. Overcoming and Celebrating Achievements: In a multi-month project, we conducted monthly reviews of individual progress and celebrated achievements in both sports and work. We set milestones and symbolic rewards to maintain team motivation and enthusiasm as the challenge approached. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” according to Lao Tse. We leveraged our sports journey to build our business plan as well
6. Open Communication: We established spaces for open communication and idea exchange among team members at each step. We listened to their opinions on how to apply the lessons learned in Patagonia to our work challenges
7. The Essence of the Epic: The essence of the epic connects with the essence of the firm. We used the opportunity to work on our development plans, drawing on references from the race and drawing inspiration from the majestic beauty of Patagonia

Our team indeed emerged strengthened from the experience, united, and with a renewed appetite for building the firm and striving for excellence. We fulfilled our commitment to ourselves, exceeded our ambitions, got to know each other better, and confirmed our feeling that we are a unique consulting firm!

For the same reason, in 2023 we ran the Ultrapaine, and now we are preparing for the Huilo Huilo. Montblanc continues to make its mark!