The Sandstone Team Building Blog

I have just returned from a fantastic time in what was once war-torn Sarajevo.  As regular readers of our blog will know, we have recently added to our family of international partners and associates with a company in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  I had the good fortune to be the member of our team that went out there for the first time.  Our partnership was presented to the various media and a select group of senior directors from top multinational companies in the region.  Sarajevo Business Consulting has created a specialist company called TBA as the first professional team building company in Bosnia and Herzegovina and selected Sandstone as its exclusive partner.  They have translated Liberation and Iceberg already and will do the same with all of our options slowly but surely.

As much as I enjoyed the spotlight of the evening presentation, I had even more fun the next day helping our new colleagues run their first client event – Iceberg.  They really pushed the boat out for this first event.  It was held at one of the most unusual and unique locations we have ever run an event at.  Set high in the Bosnian mountain area about an hour and half’s drive from Sarajevo city centre, “Bijele Vode” is a hunting lodge and exclusive conference venue.  The group was a senior management team from a high profile international company and so mixed English and Bosnian languages was the order of the day.  Future events are likely to be all Bosnian, but I wasn’t complaining as my Bosnian is limited to hastily learned phrases such as “please” (molim), “thank you” (hvala) and “pleased to meet you” (drago mi je).

The event went, as ever, very well.  One delighted client and one new partner showing a mixture of relief, vindication and sheer excitement at what they have in our options.  When we eventually returned to Sarajevo, the journey back was one of excited and rapid Bosnian as the three members of our partner’s team who attended the event discussed what they see as a future filled with excellent possibilities.  I enjoyed the general tone and ambience in the car if without any great understanding of the conversation!

Before we left Bijele Vode, however, we were taken into the forest to look at where the animals that clients can hunt live in abundance.  The timing was not right for us to see any mountain bears or wolves, but there was plenty of evidence that they were not far away.  I managed to avoid stepping in some of that “evidence”, I am pleased to say!

My visit stretched across just 5 days, but it seemed like far longer because of everything we packed in.  In addition to the presentation and the first event, we ran Liberation for the SBC team themselves and that was a great day.  My generous hosts also took the trouble to show me the city and surrounding spots of beauty and I had a great time.  I left just yesterday (Sunday) and already miss the place.  Sarajevo is a beautiful, compact city that has been rebuilt in a careful way that has restored the tradition and heritage of the city.  The country is stunningly beautiful and I can see why its tourist trade is growing.  I can hardly wait for a return visit.

Alan