Team building through sailing together

On board a sailing ship, teamwork is required: you have to work together when you’re putting out to sea or setting sail. In order to quickly grow together as a team, the trainees of Forum Media Group, based in Merching, Bavaria, start their professional journey with a special experience: a sailing trip on the company’s own sailing ship “Eye of the Wind”. This year, they sailed from Kappeln in Germany across the Baltic Sea to Denmark from September 17 to 21.

Learning on board

The trip began with a train journey across Germany to the town of Kappeln an der Schlei. During the train journey, knots were practiced in preparation for sailing and friendship bracelets were tied for the other team members. The eight participating trainees and students from the Forum Media Group (FMG) and its subsidiary, Forum Verlag Herkert GmbH (FVHG), were accompanied by Daniela Krauss, Head of HR and Training at FVHG.

The main purpose of the sailing trip was to onboard the new trainees and develop their communication and organizational skills. On board, the participants learned how a ship – and, figuratively speaking, a company – works. The ship’s young crew guided the trainees and involved them in challenging tasks: they climbed high up the masts to hoist the sails together. The trainees were motivated and worked diligently on board. The first leg took them to the island of Lyø in Denmark on September 18. The following day, the group sailed on to the island of Ærø before arriving in Kiel on September 20.

Workshops and team development

In addition to working on board, interactive workshops on topics such as project management and communication were an important part of the trip. These were prepared by the trainees themselves and offered plenty of opportunity for reflection. In addition to the intense learning phases, there was also plenty of fun and shared experiences. The evenings were used to explore the ports and islands. The crew of the “Eye of the Wind” actively supported the participants and created a pleasant atmosphere on board, while the excellent catering provided additional motivation. The weather also played along and there was bright sunshine almost all the time.

“All in all, it was an inspiring, instructive and extraordinary trip that brought us together and contributed a great deal to our personal development,” says Daniela Krauss. The sailing trip allowed the new trainees and students to grow together as a team and was received with enthusiasm by everyone.

Start of training at the beginning of September

This year, three young people started their training in IT at FMG and two as digital and print media specialist and marketing communications specialist at a subsidiary, FVHG. The start was marked by a welcome event on Monday, September 2. The focus was on getting to know each other and experiencing new things together. Katrin Krauß-Herkert, CFO of the international media group, and Marcus Edholzer, Managing Director of FVHG, welcomed the young talents and provided insights into the history, philosophy and day-to-day work of the companies.

The initial nervousness quickly evaporated during relaxed games to get to know each other. The new trainees were then given a tour of the building and were able to gain an overview of the various companies on site and the different departments. A total of nine trainees and students are currently working at FVHG, six at FMG and one trainee at Forum Zeitschriften und Spezialmedien GmbH at the Merching site.