The Monkey in the L'Oréal Salon: Why Team Building Needs More Than Just Adrenaline through Games (Based on a column Jerry wrote for a Business Magazine a few years back https://www.businessworld.in/article/the-monkey-in-the-l%E2%80%99oreal-salon-113880 )
Important note: Besides learning Team-Building with Drum-Circles, Fire-walks, Trust-Falls etc, Jerry has created indigenous, unique and exclusive relevant games for team-building which are not just HAA HAA, HEE HEE, HOO HOO ice-breakers or fun games or funny activities, but are real-time learning games that are not only GREAT FUN WITH HIGH ENERGY, ENTERTAINMENT & EXCITEMENT but also blended with life, leadership and learning2learn lessons, insights and ideas-for-action for day-to-day teamwork with great team-spirit and REALTIONSHIPS OF TRUST. The games are accompanied by Trust Mindset Cards, Skill-Pill Cards, Team Strength Cool-Tools, compelling true stories, powerful award-winning videos and dollops of humour. Jerry has singlehandedly managed these games for large offsite events ranging from 100 to 3000 people with volunteers that he chooses from the participants and trains them to become Game-Coaches.
Important note: Besides learning Team-Building with Drum-Circles, Fire-walks, Trust-Falls etc, Jerry has created indigenous, unique and exclusive relevant games for team-building which are not just HAA HAA, HEE HEE, HOO HOO ice-breakers or fun games or funny activities, but are real-time learning games that are not only GREAT FUN WITH HIGH ENERGY, ENTERTAINMENT & EXCITEMENT but also blended with life, leadership and learning2learn lessons, insights and ideas-for-action for day-to-day teamwork with great team-spirit and REALTIONSHIPS OF TRUST. The games are accompanied by Trust Mindset Cards, Skill-Pill Cards, Team Strength Cool-Tools, compelling true stories, powerful award-winning videos and dollops of humour. Jerry has singlehandedly managed these games for large offsite events ranging from 100 to 3000 people with volunteers that he chooses from the participants and trains them to become Game-Coaches.
When Managers Mistake Adventure for Transformation- Every time a manager nudges Jerry to run an outdoor program claiming it'll magically teach values like fairness, integrity, passion, teamwork, resourcefulness, and commitment, he thinks: "Yeah, because nothing says 'integrity' like trying to look brave on a rock wall or walking on fire with your boss watching”. Don't get that wrong—rafting, rappelling, fire-walking, glass walks, trust falls, drum circles, and all those adrenaline-pumping activities? They're great! They're fun! Everyone's high on adrenaline, team spirit is through the roof, and people are bonding like they're auditioning for a reality show. But the minute everyone gets back to the office? Guess what happens? We're all back to the games people play and monkey games. This isn't long-term values transformation—it's a cosmetic makeover. It's like assuming a five-star spa day will solve all your life issues. Spoiler alert: It won't. The real character work? That needs something more substantial than a weekend adrenaline rush.
The Real Issue: Collective Visioning is Missing- Here's Jerry's big revelation, the one that most managers completely miss: Very few leaders understand the importance of real collective visioning. Most think vision is something you sit down and decree from a glass conference room, far removed from reality—like an "Agri-investor in Gurgaon dictating farming techniques to a guy in the fields of Punjab and Maharashtra without knowing the F of farming (all puns intended)". Sure, you may have your strategy beautifully nailed down on PowerPoint with impressive graphics and corporate buzzwords, but if you're not out there listening to the real folks who live and breathe the work every day—you've missed the story entirely. It's not about fancy slides or motivational posters on the wall. It's about shared vision, values, and relationships of trust that Jerry emphasizes must be woven into every team building experience. Elite teams—whether they're special forces, sports teams, emergency responders, or resilient families—share one defining trait: relationships of trust. This fosters mutual respect, empathy, and a relentless focus on outcomes with ROA (Responsibility, Ownership & Accountability).
The Alternative: Facilitation with Life, Leadership, and Learn2Learn Lessons- Instead of hauling your managers off to the mountains to "build character" through white water rafting or drum circles alone, Jerry proposes something radical: Bring them into a collective visioning and shared values workshop. Actually listen to what people have to say. Craft that vision together. Here's where Jerry's approach shines: Team building games and outdoor activities aren't inherently useless—they become powerful when facilitated with life, leadership, and learning lessons. When these experiences are inspired from the participants themselves and tied to understanding shared vision, values, and relationships of trust, that's when transformation happens. It's about bridging grassroots wisdom with glass tower intelligence. When the people on the ground—who actually do the work—connect with strategic leadership thinking, that's when you're set up for a win.
What Happens Without This? Just Monkeying Around - Organizations and teams that lack this culture of trust and cutting-edge chemistry often devolve into bureaucracies where games people play to protect individual interests override cool collaboration and great results. Research shows that a significant portion of leadership energy gets wasted on "status management"—protecting turf, titles, and influence—rather than advancing the shared mission. For organizations in the knowledge economy or those aspiring to industry leadership, this is existential. Creating psychological safety and cultivating the Speed of Trust minimizes friction, unlocks innovation, and empowers bold thinking. Without the facilitation element—without connecting outdoor activities to deeper conversations about values, vision, and trust—you're just getting a bunch of people tired, muddy, and temporarily enthusiastic. No salon, no matter how fancy, can fix organizational dysfunction if the underlying culture remains unchanged.
The Bottom Line: Character Work Isn't a Weekend Getaway - Jerry's message is crystal clear: Don't confuse motion with action or progress. Team building activities can be thrilling, memorable, and even bonding—but they're not a substitute for the hard, ongoing work of building trust, establishing shared values, and creating genuine psychological safety. Otherwise, you're just in for a lot of monkeying around—and no L'Oréal salon, no matter how fabulous, can fix that. The Real Win? When your team building experiences are facilitated to help participants discover their shared vision, articulate their values, and build relationships of trust that endure long after the adrenaline fades. Because great teams aren't built in cocktail hours or Bali offsite events—they're built in moments where truth matters more than titles.