When a Team Building Becomes a Turning Point

Team building often gets reduced to activities, fun moments, and shared meals.

All of that matters — but on its own, it rarely changes how a team actually works together once everyone is back at their desks.

This case study shows what happens when a team building goes deeper — and creates real, lasting shifts in trust, clarity, and communication.

The Context

An international company based in London was bringing its full multicultural team (18 people) to Cannes during a major industry event.

The leadership team had planned a series of activities and moments together — and reached out to me to add workshops focused on team cohesion and communication.

What initially sounded like a classic team building quickly revealed something else:

There was a lot left unsaid inside the team.

Before Cannes: Creating Space for the Truth

Before designing any workshops, I suggest we slow down — and listen.

To ensure every voice could be heard safely and honestly, I put in place:

• 1:1 confidential interviews with the management team

• Anonymous online surveys for all other team members

Everyone was invited to speak openly about:

• Values and behaviours

• Team dynamics and communication

• Trust and collaboration

• Leadership and management experience

What came back was… a lot.

The volume, depth, and emotional charge of the data were striking.

When people are given confidentiality and a neutral external ear, transparency increases dramatically. Things that never surface in day-to-day work suddenly emerge — clearly, honestly, and constructively.

What the Data Revealed

The analysis showed a significant gap between leadership perception and team experience.

Key themes emerged:

• Lack of clarity and transparency from the top

• Inconsistency in decisions and expectations

• Lack of accountability and authority

• Little to no constructive feedback culture

• Trust erosion, back-channel conversations, and unspoken frustrations

In short:

Trust was fragile.

Expectations were unclear.

Communication was misaligned.

In the report I shared, I wrote:

“It’s time for the team to press the reset button together.”

Not as a criticism — but as an opportunity.

Designing the Cannes Team Experience

Over three days in Cannes, the objective was clear:

To (re)create a common language, define shared values and behaviours, and establish clear expectations — while reigniting trust, belonging, and the company’s strong family spirit, without losing professionalism.

The programme blended structure and humanity.

We worked on:

• Clarifying the founder's vision for the company

  • Their direction, ambitions, and expectations had never been expressed so clearly

  • The team was genuinely stunned — they had no idea how management felt or what wanted

• Redefining company values

  • Moving them from “marketing words” to lived, tangible behaviours

  • Making them actionable in daily work and interactions

• Communication exercises

  • Highlighting the gap between intent and impact

  • Revealing how messages were actually received by others

• Deep introspection

  • Each person described their favourite version of themselves at work

  • These were read aloud — prompting vulnerability, emotion, and powerful bonding

• A round of appreciation

  • Honest, human recognition rarely expressed before

  • A turning point in trust and connection

• Reflection on purpose and legacy

  • Why they were at the company

  • What they wanted to contribute and be remembered for

Alongside this, the leadership team shared their strategy, new organisational structure, and responsibilities — now anchored in clarity and context.

The rest of the programme included activities, shared meals, and moments of lightness — allowing everything to integrate naturally.

After Cannes: Measuring the Impact

At the end of the experience, I sent a follow-up survey to the entire team.

The results showed:

• Increased trust and openness

• Stronger sense of belonging

• Clearer understanding of direction and expectations

• Appreciation for having been heard — many for the first time

From there, the work continued:

• I designed and analysed 360° feedback reports for the management team

• These fed directly into 1:1 leadership coaching, ensuring the momentum didn’t stop at the team building

Because transformation doesn’t come from one event — it comes from what you do after.

What This Case Shows

Effective team building isn’t about fixing people.

It's about creating the conditions for:

• honesty

• clarity

• trust

• accountability

• and shared ownership

Sometimes, what a team needs most isn’t another activity — but a safe reset.

How I Support Teams

I design team experiences that go beyond surface-level cohesion.

By combining:

• deep listening and diagnostics

• leadership and communication coaching

• values and behaviour work

• and carefully facilitated in-person experiences

I help teams say what needs to be said — and rebuild how they work together, sustainably.

You can learn more about my approach to team communication & collaboration here and get in touch to discuss your next Reset: coaching@audreyzander.com.