Supporting meaningful conversations around the campfire with the ACUMEN BUSINESS CLUB
Who they are
The ACUMEN BUSINESS CLUB is a vibrant and exclusive club of around 50 members who are business owners, executives and entrepreneurs.
The club is all about forming deeper and meaningful connections that are rarely possible in the standard networking scene.
Members get to share unique monthly experiences, are challenged to stretch out of their comfort zones as well as have a lot of fun, and make new friends.
The club is all about forming deeper and meaningful connections that are rarely possible in the standard networking scene.
Members get to share unique monthly experiences, are challenged to stretch out of their comfort zones as well as have a lot of fun, and make new friends.
The aim
During 2017, under the auspices of culture change consultancy Then Somehow, we were invited to deliver activity sessions for the Club to leverage the benefits of being in nature, because the best conversations never happen in a meeting room.
The aim was to teach members of the club new skills and help them build deeper relationships with each other, using the activities in nature to support more meaningful connections, and have some fun.
The aim was to teach members of the club new skills and help them build deeper relationships with each other, using the activities in nature to support more meaningful connections, and have some fun.
Whittling, making fires, and creating string - new skills and more meaningful conversations in nature with Acumen Business Club
What we did
We ran three different sessions over the year:
1. In the woods
In September at the start of the club's year, we brought 35 Sussex business owners into the woods and gathered them around campfires. We ran three different activities - whittling, making fire, and making string from wild plants - all designed to help the club members get to know each other, learn something new, and have fun, away from the office and their normal environments.
Being in the woods is not a standard way of networking, and combined with the activities, facilitated conversations, action learning style breakout groups, and some space for individual reflection, it enabled the group to meet each other and find out about each other's businesses in a deeper and more relaxed way.
In September at the start of the club's year, we brought 35 Sussex business owners into the woods and gathered them around campfires. We ran three different activities - whittling, making fire, and making string from wild plants - all designed to help the club members get to know each other, learn something new, and have fun, away from the office and their normal environments.
Being in the woods is not a standard way of networking, and combined with the activities, facilitated conversations, action learning style breakout groups, and some space for individual reflection, it enabled the group to meet each other and find out about each other's businesses in a deeper and more relaxed way.
2. Ice walk
In early February, we led the members on a slow walk on the land around Wolstonbury Hill, and showed them some mindful, awareness expanding activities that they could use in their everyday life for wellbeing and stress reduction.
The walk culminated at the top of the hill with a deep time travel experience that took participants through millions of years of unfolding history of the South Downs.
A slow walk in nature is a great way to facilitate conversations, and the shared group experience offered new perspectives for the year ahead.
In early February, we led the members on a slow walk on the land around Wolstonbury Hill, and showed them some mindful, awareness expanding activities that they could use in their everyday life for wellbeing and stress reduction.
The walk culminated at the top of the hill with a deep time travel experience that took participants through millions of years of unfolding history of the South Downs.
A slow walk in nature is a great way to facilitate conversations, and the shared group experience offered new perspectives for the year ahead.
3. Foraging and wild food cooking
On a gorgeously sunny day in June, we led 30 club members on a foraging walk to explore the wild plants and the edible landscape that's all around us. The group were surprised at the abundance of wild plants that you can eat.
As a group, we picked nettles and ground elder, and returning to the fire, each person made a wild nettle zinger cocktail, then we cooked some wild food together: foraged hogweed shoots, a wild leaf salad and mackerel fillets (that we'd brought along).
In the sunshine, cocktails were drunk, food was eaten, and conversations were had. A really tasty and delicious end to a great afternoon. A relaxed and fun way of deepening the friendships and connections that had already formed.
On a gorgeously sunny day in June, we led 30 club members on a foraging walk to explore the wild plants and the edible landscape that's all around us. The group were surprised at the abundance of wild plants that you can eat.
As a group, we picked nettles and ground elder, and returning to the fire, each person made a wild nettle zinger cocktail, then we cooked some wild food together: foraged hogweed shoots, a wild leaf salad and mackerel fillets (that we'd brought along).
In the sunshine, cocktails were drunk, food was eaten, and conversations were had. A really tasty and delicious end to a great afternoon. A relaxed and fun way of deepening the friendships and connections that had already formed.
The result
Great days out, with a great cohort that got to know each other well, and very successful events.
Foraging and wild food cooking in the Sussex sunshine with the Acumen Business Club
