Imagine the CEO of a major organization sitting at a table decorating a potato head in his or her own likeness. You might think it was time for that CEO to retire. However, at the Family First Sports Park in Erie, PA, this is one of many exercises used to help build teamwork and leadership skills.

Junior and senior Entrepreneurship majors traveled to Erie with Dr. Jim Dupree to learn valuable teamwork and leadership skills through an all-day experiential learning workshop. The experience consisted of numerous activities but the main event was a gourmet cook-off.

The day began with exercises designed to break down barriers within the group caused by our own paradigms. One activity required the group to wave their arms in a ridiculous and complex pattern. This was a humbling experience and eliminated the urge to “look cool” in the group. It provided us with greater unity and equality. After that, each person was asked to decorate a potato to look like themselves. They then had to introduce their potato to the rest of the group and describe themselves. The activity allowed the group to see how each individual viewed themselves as opposed to how the group viewed them. The director of the program, Jordan Rimmer, explained that a team is more successful in working together when they better understand each other. Our biases and presuppositions can inhibit our ability to work together. The group then completed various other activities all designed to build teamwork and leadership skills.

Later in the day, the group was divided into two teams who then participated in a few more activities that allowed them to get to know each other better. These teams competed against each other in the cook-off with the assistance of two gourmet chefs. Each team developed their own strategy on how to work together and prepare their meal. Their final product was reflected through these strategies. One group focused on uniformity and consistency and their meal tasted as such. All of the dishes matched well and there was a consistent flavor in the meal. The other group focused on respect for each other’s individuality. Their meal had a lot of variance in flavors and though it was not as uniform throughout, it added variety and flavor. Each group’s teamwork was exceptional and the meals were delicious. The gourmet chefs gave the meals great reviews.  Overall the Entrepreneurship students took away some great life lessons from the day’s activities. The experience was enjoyable and a nice change from the daily routine of classes.