Is it too early to remind you that 2024 is coming to an end?

As we near the end of 2024, it's the perfect time to start planning for a productive, cohesive, and engaging 2025. Many organizations are already reaching out to us to book their 2025 team building and bonding activities. Some are even looking to use remaining 2024 budgets to invest in next year's initiatives, ensuring they hit the ground running in January.

If there’s one thing the past few years have proven, it’s that companies can’t overlook the value of a Cohesion Culture™, where all employees feel a sense of belonging, are valued, and share in mutual commitments. When companies recognize their most valuable asset, their people, they realize the important role culture plays in retaining that asset.

With this in mind, here are the team building and corporate culture trends we expect to see in 2025.

For over a decade, I’ve been running my own businesses, and while I’ve mastered some things, delegation is still a challenge. Handing over important aspects of my work, especially when I care so deeply about my business, has been tough. I know I can handle the tasks, but I haven’t given others the opportunity to prove whether they can.

My mindset often drifts into uncertainty:

• What if an event doesn’t go as planned?
• What if we let a client down?
• What if I could have done it better?

I can only stretch so far, though. At On Purpose Adventures, I manage sales, design events, and facilitate activities. I’m fortunate to have an incredible team to assist with facilitation, but I’ve struggled to pass off the event design.

Over the last week and a half, I’ve struggled mentally. Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc, leaving devastation across Western North Carolina and the southeast. I called Upstate South Carolina my home for five years, and I've hiked several hundred miles in WNC. I've lead cabin getaways, multi-day hikes, and taken clients ziplining in this mountainous region. In fact, my next men's ministry hike was scheduled there in just a few weeks. A piece of my heart resides in this beautiful, now devastated, region.

My thoughts have been with those hit hardest, and I feel the weight of each painful loss. I grieve alongside the families who’ve lost loved ones. Yet, as I try to process this tragedy, I find myself needing to move forward.

I failed a client... And that client came back.

About 8 years ago, I messed up an event. I made a series of decisions that, in hindsight, were missteps. I actively chose to take on more than I normally would have. Beyond planning the activities, I agreed to plan transportation and meals for attendees. This was an event where anything that could go wrong, did go wrong, and mistakes compounded. I didn't have the experience I have now to ride the waves and make adjustments as needed.

Leadership can easily become a race, whether it's chasing deadlines, managing teams, or navigating the pressures of performance. However, the most effective leaders know that slowing down is sometimes the key to speeding up. This concept, rooted in mindful leadership, is a core idea that can reduce burnout and increase productivity.

A cornerstone of mindful leadership is the understanding that we are only in full control of two things: our attitude and our actions. While that sounds simple, mastering these two areas can have a big impact on both personal performance and organizational culture.

We often talk about mastery, about being at the top of our game. But how often do we celebrate the times when we're not? When we're awkward, unsure, and, quite frankly, not very good at something?

Today, I'll be stepping on stage for my first improv recital with Dr. Troy. We're jumping headfirst into the world of improvisational theater. It's been a humbling experience, to say the least.

When connections are often measured in likes and comments, maintaining deep, meaningful friendships can seem almost impossible. Especially as an adult, making and keeping friends can feel like work, and it's tempting to believe that friendships shouldn't require effort. But anything truly meaningful in life is worth working for and what could be more meaningful than the relationships we build with others?

Recently, I found myself reflecting on the importance of friendship, especially my male friendships, and how these relationships have shaped my life. This reflection was sparked by an interview between Simon Sinek and Steven Bartlett, as well as some books I've read recently: Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam and Community: The Structure of Belonging by Peter Block. These resources, along with personal experiences, have led me to a profound understanding of the need for friendship in combating loneliness, anxiety, and even addiction.

Businesses see an average return on investment of $7 for every $1 spent on leadership development. (BetterManager)

That's it, that's the end of the newsletter.

Just kidding, but isn't that data enough to make you realize the benefit of investing in leadership development?