Strategy, Brainstorming and Jenga!
The MCP Group Workshop
Our Annual MCP Group Meeting
with a difference!
Last week saw our Annual MCP Group Meeting… however, this year’s set up was quite different from previous years…
Each year, when the MCP Group get together, we generally focus on the interesting projects we have been working on, and any exciting new assignments coming up. This year, our CEO Designate, Reinhard Korb wanted to do something a little different.
Nearly 50 Years Old
In 2026, MCP will be 50 years old. We have seen some major changes during those years and have always adapted ourselves to meet the demands of the difficulties in economic climates, industry issues and client requirements. To ensure we continue to evolve and grow for the next 50 years, Reinhard wanted this event to be more strategic and to focus on how we can build on our strengths. Read on to find out more about what we covered from strategy to SWOT, jigsaws to Jenga!
The Horwood House Hotel
The Horwood House Hotel Grounds
Dinner and Greet
We all met at a lovely hotel in the countryside called Horwood House Hotel. This hotel is famous for the original Head Gardener’s son being Percy Thrower - who knew!
The setting was idyllic, and we gathered in the evening to say our hellos and welcomes. Our CEO, Peter Gagg, took the opportunity to reflect on our past and the fact that we are now the oldest, maintenance consultancy in the UK. This is quite an achievement and something that we are all very proud of.
We also looked at recent successes and strengths which set a positive tone for the 24 hours ahead. We were then introduced to our facilitator Nicola Pease, Director of Ignite Coaching, who was tasked with keeping us in order and ensuring we all got the most out of the time spent together.
Reinhard Explains our Strategy
Strategy
We re-convened early on Friday morning where, after a ‘handshaking’ competition icebreaker, Reinhard began to look at our future vision for MCP. As you can imagine, with so much experience and history in the room, this led to quite a discussion, as the combined passion for our business success was noticeably evident.
SWOT
For any company looking to the future, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis is key. Not only does it give a chance for all staff to be able to air their thoughts and concerns, but it also highlights our strengths which we can build upon to overcome the weaknesses and threats. Understanding these weaknesses and external threats better and being open and honest with how we plan to overcome these, along with exploiting identified opportunities, will form the basis of our plan to move forward, to ensure that MCP continues to grow for the next 50 years.
Our Pillars
Another area that we spent some time on was analysing the pillars that make up our organisation. The message here was clear. Everything we do is built on our clients’ needs, and how we grow, is down to our people. Of course, we had many pages of flip chart paper covered with ideas for improvement and the task now is to analyse this and form a robust plan upon which we can build our future.
The Jigsaw
Although the day had a serious undertone, it wasn’t all spent writing on flip charts. Nicola had arranged a number of activities throughout the day that focused more on our skills to communicate effectively. We were given sections of one jigsaw to complete and discuss how they might be joined back together to complete the whole picture (without seeing the original picture!). We held random letters up and the remaining team had to instruct us where to move the letters to form a word. We also had the opportunity to learn more about each other, by just listening.
Jigsaw Puzzling
The Bosses Very Puzzled
Another Piece of the Jigsaw
The Winning Jigsaw Team!
What came through is that we are all willing to talk and share … well, we do have lots to say …. especially about topics that we are enthusiastic about. However, what the activities highlighted is that by ‘really’ listening to one another, we can truly understand what someone is trying to explain. This can easily be related back to our communication with our clients. By ensuring we continually listen clearly to their needs and working together with them, we can form and establish strong and trusted relationships, that can last for years.
Our Proudest Moments
At the end of the day, we had a chance to share what we each believed to be our proudest moments working with MCP… of which there are many. These included, the well-known brand names we have the pleasure of helping, the major consultancy projects we have successfully completed, the huge growth we have seen in technical training, winning the Queen’s Award and how well we navigated the challenging times during the pandemic. The most important one is how MCP have brought together such a loyal and dedicated team, working in such a way, that we are proud to call ourselves a family.
Making Up Our Own Words
Jim Making Up His Own Jigsaw!
Jenga!
After a very thought-provoking day, the evening saw a chance to relax while being entertained by the award-winning Master Magician, Chris Priest. Chris displayed his talent with some amazing card tricks which left us all speechless for once!
We enjoyed a delicious dinner and then some more shenanigans afterwards. We had 3 tables for dinner, and not having been competitive enough during the day, we decided to pitch against each other at a game of Jenga. Everyone who took part took this very seriously indeed, but it was table number two who were the victors, with 26 blocks saved.
Helen Jengaing
Dave Jengaing
The Jenga Winners!
Jokes and a Sing Along
Ron Lucas our Senior Consultant and Management Trainer had come prepared with a bag full of jokes for us all to relay to each other, resulting in much hilarity. We then turned the music on and Dhanya, our Business Analyst danced for us to her music of choice, Unnai Kaanadhu Naan, from the Tamil song, which really moved us all. It was then time for the MCP sing along. In hindsight, we probably should have just stuck with Jenga!
Our Fantastic Facilitator Nicola
Our Card Magician and Robin’s Five Pound Note
Dhanya's Elegant Dance
Dinner Time
Joke Time
Sing Along Time
Wine Time
And Quoits!
Thank Yous
We had a lot to discuss together at the event and we haven’t broached every subject or answered every question. However, what we did achieve was a chance to get together, learn from one another and continue to build strong working relationships, to build mutual understanding of each other and our roles, to work seamlessly as a team. With a 50-year anniversary just 2 years away, we have much to be proud of and much to look forward to.
Watch this space to see how we take the learnings from our day together to improve and grow to offer you, our client, a service that will be the start of a long-lasting relationship.