Community Team Work in Laos

I spent last week in a rural village in Laos together with World-Volunteers.com and co-founder David Jonsson and his team.

World-Volunteers is a company dedicated to small scale development programs in SE Asia. They have built fit-for-Airbnb small bungalows to generate income for the local village, micro bio plants fueled by human and animal waste to produce cooking gas, and improving facilities in and around schools.

Normally the target audience for participation is students from various international schools. However, last week, a company joined with 15 senior leaders, as a part of an internal training program.

It was transformational.

Transformational for the school children who live too far away from the school and who soon will have a dormatory to sleep in during the school week. Transformational for the participants who lived in homestays in the local village, and who possibly were impacted more than they were impacting . Transformational for me as a coach and student of broad value creation to witness the potential of this kind of program.

Starting each day early with introduction to core stretching and mindful silence time. Working hard during the day with basic materials and basics tools. Having the school kids beat us in every sport we challenged them to. Getting close to daily village life, eating, sleeping and talking to our host families. Reflecting each evening around the bonfire.

Watching authenticity, presence, and simple appreciation emerge and weave a bond between all.

More so, observing how this kind of program connects an emerging and rising world with a developed world and how tangible and intangible values flow both ways. How leadership and making things happen can readily be amplified into any team and organisation. How mindfulness and core body stretching and strengthening exercises plant a seed in everyone as tools for restoring capacity and capability to regenerate. How shared purpose immediately shapes culture .

Personally I can’t wait to go back, and do more. If you are interested in a similar program for your team, your board, your company or yourself, then get in touch and we will make it happen.

#selfacceptance #lifestyle