Morgan McKinley Amazing Race 2015 - Shanghai Rush
The world-famous series "The Amazing Race" is no longer just on your TV screens. On 17 July, Morgan McKinley TEAM CHINA organized our very own live version of The Amazing Race. That afternoon, in Shanghai's bustling CBD (in areas such as Lujiazui, Nan Jing Dong Lu and Jing'an Temple), several teams wearing green, orange, white and blue uniforms with the Morgan McKinley logo printed on them completed a series of diverse and challenging tasks.
The premise of this event was to encourage the teams to make full use of their creativity and team spirit while venturing outside of their comfort zones. The entire event took more than four hours. 24 staff members were divided into four small teams (Team Big Bang, Team Flower & Youth, Team Magic and Team Warrior) before engaging in a heated competition. Alan, Marlon and Katrina were the "brains" behind this Amazing Race event: they formed a committee responsible for designing the entire track. Over four hours of running and physical challenges not only tested the stamina and wisdom of our teams—it also put into play some of the soft skills required during our daily headhunting work.
There were a total of 24 different tasks that made up the competition. These tasks were divided into two categories: 9 of them were the main challenges, while 15 were optional bonus challenges. It is compulsory to complete all of the main challenges, which are interlinked. Only once you have completed one task will the organizing committee give you the clue for the next tasks. The team that completes all of the main challenges and reaches the finish line first wins 100 points; the team that finishes after has 30 points deducted, and so on. The final outcome is decided according to the combined total of the points for the main challenges and the optional bonus challenges. What is particularly worth mentioning is that each team has a spy in its midst who is secretly serving to help another team. However, this is a secret that is only revealed at the very end of the competition. All in all, one could say that the competition that day was white-hot.
The tasks designed by the organizing committee were highly unusual and considerably challenging. For example, Lujiazui was the first checkpoint along the track; it is also the site of our offices, as well as the country's financial centre. At this checkpoint, every team had to assemble into a plank pyramid against the backdrop of the Oriental Pearl Tower. We also had to find a specific book in a bookstore, as well as thinking of ways to take a commemorative group photo inside a police car. The most dramatic of the tasks required that the teams take an enthusiastic group photo at the front desks of one of our rivals. This task was successfully completed by all of the teams, and was the subject of much discussion in the days that followed.
The next checkpoint on the track was Shanghai's oldest and most bustling pedestrian streets, Nan Jing Dong Lu. The teams were once again required to decode subtle hints—this time, in order to find a specific clothes store and put on an eccentric outfit that had been pre-determined by the committee. The teams also had to obtain extremely high scores on the basketball machine in an arcade. Even more difficult to believe is that afterwards, the teams had to take a group photo of over 30 strangers. This particularly challenging task was the source of much frustration for our teams! Finally, the orange team led by Tracy Luo won first prize by a wide margin. The first prize was a cool LEGO toy for every team member; meanwhile, the punishment for the last team was particularly terrifying.
Although throughout the entire event teams differed in terms of speed, what is astonishing is that they all managed to complete the assortment of gruelling challenges determined by the committee, as well as reaching the finish line. Regardless of scores, everyone who participated was a winner! Morgan McKinley TEAM CHINA used this event as a means of reinforcing their cohesiveness, as well as a way to get to know each other in more depth. The event was also an opportunity to unearth talents and qualities that are not easily observable in the office. This time next year, we hope to present to you the even more challenging Morgan McKinley Amazing Race, Episode 2!
