Outdoor team-building in Brussels: how Motel One strengthened teamwork and leadership
Getting lost together. Coming back stronger together.
Sometimes a team doesn’t need a meeting room. Sometimes all it takes is some fresh air, a challenging outdoor activity and a map that isn’t quite right.
Motel One Belgium runs one of Brussels’ busiest hotels. With over 500 rooms and operations running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, everything relies on well-oiled cooperation between the various departments.
The ten department heads who help run this organisation on a day-to-day basis know each other well. There is trust. There is respect. And when they come together, valuable discussions take place.
But those moments often arise by chance. A brief chat in the corridor. A quick discussion during an operational meeting. Informal, fleeting and usually over sooner than one would like.
The question was therefore not: Do we know each other well enough?
The question was: Do we make enough time for each other?
Why did Motel One Brussels invest in this leadership team-building exercise?
In an operational environment such as a hotel, you don’t save time by working harder. You save time by making conscious choices about where to invest your time. And sometimes that means taking a step back from the daily hustle and bustle to reflect on the team itself.
That’s exactly what the management got spot on… Not with a traditional team-building event full of presentations and flipcharts, but with an experience that energises people. An activity that people look forward to. A moment that brings people together.
The decision was an easy one: an outdoor team-building event in Brussels, surrounded by greenery in the Sonian Forest.
In this article
Our approach: talent analysis, outdoor team-building and reflection
Step 1: Understanding talents, communication and leadership style
Before the team-building event, all participants completed an online talents assessment.
Each participant received a personalised report providing insights into their talents, motivations and contribution to the team. The team’s overall results were also discussed. What are the strengths of this leadership team? Which talents complement one another?
That preparation sparks curiosity.
Does the impression I have of my colleague actually match who that person really is?
The answer, it turns out, is surprisingly often: not quite.
Because what might be a 6 for one person could be a 9 for someone else. Two people might be at the same point on a scale, but they’re coming from completely different backgrounds.
The talent analysis highlights these differences even before the team heads into the woods.
Step 2: an outdoor challenge in the Sonian Forest
The highlight of this team-building event in Brussels was an outdoor challenge in the Sonian Forest.
Five pairs were each given a card. However, they weren’t all given the same card.
On each map, certain checkpoints scattered throughout the woods were missing. The task was simple: gather all the information, find all the checkpoints and return to the starting point in time.
It sounds simple. It wasn’t.
Because success did not depend on speed or a sense of direction. Success depended on communication and cooperation. Participants had to share information, ask for help, support one another and constantly coordinate with teams they could not see.
The walkie-talkies made it feel even more real.
Teams had to use the radio to exchange information, adjust their routes and help one another. But the connection wasn’t always perfect. There was static on the line. Messages were incomplete. You had to interpret the information without knowing the full picture.
Just like in many organisations.
This outdoor team challenge held up a mirror to the team in a light-hearted way:
- How do we communicate under pressure?
- Shall we keep our lines of communication short?
- Do we dare to ask for help?
- Do we also think about colleagues we don’t see face to face?
Step 3: Reflection on leadership, trust and collaboration
After the challenge, the whole team got together again.
With a drink in my hand and the fresh air still in my mind, I found myself with some time to reflect.
- What happened today?
- What does that say about our collaboration?
- How do we make decisions?
- How can we make the most of each other’s talents?
Through a series of targeted reflective questions, conversations emerged that are often not given enough space in day-to-day operations. Not because they are difficult.
But because the agenda is usually filled first with operational priorities.
This reflection is absolutely crucial; it ensures that it’s not just another fun team-building challenge.
The main lesson of the day: "Are there still people in the woods?"
During the challenge, one team failed to return in time. Not all checkpoints had been found.
Afterwards, someone asked a simple question:
“Are there still people in the woods?”
That sentence stuck with me. Not just because it was relevant to the assignment, but also because it said something about working together.
- Is everyone still with me?
- Do we know how our colleagues are getting on?
- Are our lines of communication short enough?
- Or do we sometimes leave someone behind in the woods — figuratively speaking, that is?
The team recognised the message straight away. Not as criticism, but as a light-hearted and relatable reflection of their own team dynamics.
Result: greater awareness, trust and connection
Above all, this team-building exercise simply confirmed what was already there.
But she gave the team the language, insights and energy to deal with this in a more conscious way.
Key insights included:
- Making a conscious effort to keep in touch with one another
- Continuing to build on the trust we have established
- Striking a balance between operational pressures and genuine connection
- To continue to challenge one another with a view to achieving a shared result
- Regularly ask yourself: “Is everyone still with us?”
Looking for an original outdoor team-building activity in Brussels?
An outdoor challenge in the Sonian Forest is a powerful way to step away from the everyday and look at teamwork, communication and leadership in a different light.
The combination of a talent assessment, a challenging outdoor team-building activity and a guided reflection session offers more than just a fun team day. It creates insights that stick with you – about yourself and about your colleagues.
And on how you can work together more effectively as a team.
👉 Wondering what an outdoor team-building event could do for your team? We’d be happy to help you explore the options.
Connecting action in the mossels pot
24 June 2026
May 6, 2026
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