Five hidden benefits of a Corporate Firewalk
So, it’s that time of year again. You and your colleague are discussing your annual Team Building Event and some bright spark (pun intended) suggests a Corporate Firewalk. And of course, some people will be wondering “what are the benefits of a Corporate Firewalk?!”
Before we get into exploring the possible benefits of a Corporate Firewalk there are some hidden benefits that deserve the spotlight. To do this, you need to know that when a Firewalk is suggested in the office, it usually generates three types of response:
- Firewalking! Sure, why not? I always fancied trying that
- Firewalking! There’s not a chance I’ll do that, but I’ll watch
- What on earth is Firewalking?
The third response is the easiest to deal with first. Share the blog posts and video below with those people. They are worth reading and watching even if you do know what Firewalking is about.
What does it feel like to Firewalk?
Firewalking: A personal impact story
Before we explore this any further, there is one very important thing you should know. We do not coerce people to take part in a Firewalk and we strongly advise against this. Using peer pressure to encourage someone to walk on Fire can be dangerous. More about this later. But rest assured, just because someone doesn’t want to take part in the Firewalking it doesn’t mean a Corporate Firewalk won’t be a great Team Building event.
People can change their minds!
Usually, when we meet a Team before their Firewalk, there will be some people who are adamant that they will not do it. That is fine by us, and as mentioned earlier, we will not encourage them to do it. We work on the principle of Challenge by Choice. For this to happen, people need to be given the space and freedom to pay attention to their feelings and emotions. From there, they can make their own the decision; and own that decision.
At every Firewalk we ask everyone to remove their socks and shoes when we gather around the fire. It is only when you are standing in your bare feet, in front of the fire, that you can truly know whether you want to walk the fire. Everything else, back in the office, in the training room, is all in your imagination.
The Comfort Zone!
You might be surprised to know that we have never had anyone refuse to take off their footwear. They might object but when we give a few reasons why they should, they will remove their socks and shoes. Indeed, these people now already know that they have pushed themselves further than they thought they would. They have stepped outside of their comfort zone! Even more surprising is the number of these people who then go ahead and do the Firewalk!
Experience shows that those who do not walk across the Fire Bed can find the whole event just as powerful anyway. Believe it or not, and there is research that shows this, their heart rate will increase, just the same as those walking across the fire. Pretty interesting, right?
So, what are the hidden benefits of a Corporate Firewalk?
Without getting into the nitty gritty (for now anyway), everything discussed so far covers the following benefits:
- Stepping Outside the Comfort Zone
- Paying Attention – observing your feelings and emotions (fear & excitement)
- Responsibility – owning the decision
- Camaraderie and Team Bonding – synchronized adrenaline and heart rates
- Mind Education – imagination v reality and dealing with fears
So, there you go, five potential benefits of a Corporate Firewalk that you and your colleagues may get to experience. And that is without considering the benefits available as we prepare you for the Firewalk or from the actual act of Firewalking. We will post about those soon!