Corporate team building for Xiaomi: Innovation and tradition combined in Valtellina
When a global tech giant needs to unite diverse teams, off-the-shelf solutions won't cut it. Xiaomi's Milan office reached out to us to help bring together 80 employees, half Italian, half Chinese, for an experience that would transcend language barriers and cultivate genuine connections.
We came up with the idea of treating them to a tour of Valtellina's pastoral heartland.
Corporate team building in a rural setting
Xiaomi sought to create an environment where colleagues from vastly different backgrounds could interact beyond their usual professional roles and find common ground in simple, immediate human interaction. The brief was as straightforward as it was demanding: create an inclusive, bicultural experience conducted entirely in English that would resonate with participants regardless of their backgrounds.
The answer, as it turned out, lay 90 minutes north of Milan's urban sprawl, where alpine valleys meet agricultural tradition. The Valtellina landscape and its local community offered exactly what corporate team building is often found to lack: authenticity.
Not the manufactured sort, mind you, but the real thing: quaint farmhouses, cheese factories where some of the most sought-after Italian delicacies are born, and generations-old culinary traditions for the team to uncover.
Strengthening team bonds: food is a universal language
On the first day of the event, eighty professionals reached our chosen accommodation: a traditional farmhouse, nestled within Valtellina's breathtaking landscape. We had calibrated their agenda carefully, to balance relaxation with engagement.
The day kicked off with a welcome drink before transitioning into a feast showcasing regional specialities. Pizzoccheri (hearty buckwheat noodles that have sustained mountain communities for centuries) took centre stage alongside artisanal cured meats and some of the locally produced cheeses for which this region is rightfully famous.
Farm-to-table isn't merely a buzzword here: it's the only way things have ever been done.
A lottery featuring farm products injected spontaneity into proceedings. Small touches matter: they transform scheduled events into memorable experiences.
Hands-on collaboration as a vital team building tool
Following lunch, participants explored the premises through a guided tour. Stables, cheese factories, surrounding grounds, each stop revealing insights into Valtellina's agricultural heritage. These are all activities that don’t usually feature in a typical tourist’s agenda, but this was not, after all, about tourism. Understanding how tradition shapes contemporary practice proved surprisingly relevant for employees of a company that balances innovation with respect for established methodologies.
The afternoon's centrepiece was the "Cheesemaker Challenge”, because there is no better way to learn about traditions, than trying your hand at them. Teams competed to craft and decorate butter pats with Christmas-inspired designs. Simple concept, profound impact. The activity demanded coordination, creativity, and communication: precisely the skills that enhance workplace collaboration. Organisational abilities emerged naturally as groups strategised their approach, dividing tasks and executing under time constraints.
Friendly competition energised the atmosphere. The winning team received recognition, though arguably everyone benefited from the collaborative problem-solving process. Traditional sweets such as panettone and bisciole valtellinesi accompanied the closing snack, providing a sweet finale to an already satisfying day. Yet the true achievement extended beyond culinary delights.
Beyond conventional outcomes
Xiaomi's objectives were comprehensively realised. The natural setting facilitated genuine bonding amongst colleagues who might otherwise interact only through screens and scheduled meetings. Cultural and linguistic differences, initially potential obstacles, became opportunities for understanding and connection. The bilingual framework ensured inclusivity without compromising authenticity.
Team morale received a measurable boost. New relationships formed. Existing ones deepened. Participants departed with shared memories that transcended their professional identities—they'd learned together, laughed together, created together.
Lasting impressions: what team building should feel like
Corporate team building succeeds when it stops feeling corporate. Xiaomi's Valtellina experience demonstrated how tradition and innovation needn't exist in opposition. By embracing regional culture and hands-on activities rather than generic exercises, the event achieved something increasingly rare: authentic engagement.
The farmhouse setting, local cuisine, and collaborative challenges combined to create an experience that resonated across cultural boundaries. Sometimes the most forward-thinking approach involves looking backwards—honouring time-tested methods of bringing people together around shared experiences, good food, and meaningful work.
For organisations seeking to strengthen international teams, the lesson proves clear. Authenticity matters. Context matters. And occasionally, the best path forward involves stepping away from technology's constant hum to rediscover what connects us fundamentally: our shared humanity, expressed through collaboration, tradition, and genuine presence.