ABF team gears up for upcoming challenges

February 25 to March 8, 2024. In the picturesque landscape of Feldafing - Germany, the team from the Agri-Business Facility for Africa (ABF) project gathered for a highly anticipated strategy and cooperation workshop. After over a hundred intriguing and hands-on team-building activities, ABF team fondly described their moods as "sunlight and rainbow," a testament to the positive energy and colorful interactions that characterized the time together.

The first session, "Strategy and Cooperation", was hosted at GIZ’s Akademie für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (AIZ) in Feldafing. Directed by organizational development and systematic coach Isabella Bauer, the workshop offered more than just a space for lively debates, information exchange, and sessions for effective planning. It was a comprehensive experience that covered a range of topics essential to our team's performance and provided a forum for vibrant discussions, knowledge sharing, and strategic planning sessions.

The team learned how clear communication, shared goals, and mutual trust are essential for fostering a culture of cooperation within teams by leveraging each member's strengths and perspectives.

Moreover, the workshop emphasized the role of leadership in promoting a culture of cooperation, where leaders are encouraged to facilitate open dialogue, encourage innovation, and empower team members to contribute their ideas freely.

It is inevitable that conflict will arise in a work environment; however, what counts is how the team resolves it: The team discussed various constructive conflict resolution strategies and learned how to manage arguments with empathy and decency.

The second week, themed "Strategy and Operational Planning“ in Eschborn from March 5th to 8th, 2024, dived deeply into technical domains. This included practical and technical discussions, providing the platform for sharing insights, examining indicators, defining milestones for the next three years, and crafting a work plan for 2024. The team also finalized the distribution of roles and workload for the upcoming year.

Additionally, the workshop included a field tour to explore the value chains of ABF and another day dedicated to peer learning, where colleagues prepared diverse topics.

The workshop strengthened unity, teamwork, interaction, and solidarity among colleagues while also serving as a platform for establishing long-term objectives, tackling obstacles, and fostering innovation.