The Learning Journey was a remarkable journey for all of us, that’s for sure! If we’d had to share this experience in one word, it would just be “Awesome”. It’s hard to summarize why in just one page, but here’s a try…

The Accenture team: the ‘work hard, play hard’ philosophy applied 100%. From the first till the last day, we worked from breakfast until dinner (with dinner often starting at 10pm…). From making long term strategies to defining quick wins, we tried our best to make difference for the NGO. And we believe we did! The fact that we had such a diverse team with people from across Accenture NL contributed a lot to that. Apart from the work we did, the ‘play’ part was also memorable. If you spend 4 hours with 11 people in an overheated, wobbly car, but find yourself not wanting to get out when you arrive because you’re having too much fun… that’s awesome. Celebrating promotions together on Monday night, when the city was sleeping, with only a group of 10 crazy Dutchies & 1 Indian dancing in the club is another example of a journey that we will never forget.

The NGO: ever met a client who hugged you the first time you walked into their office? Or a CEO who thanked you with words like ‘when you’re 90 years old and look back on your life, realize that you made an impact here!’?  Join the Learning Journey and you might 😊. Becoming friends and making your ‘guests’ feel at home is an important part of the African culture. It made us feel very welcome, special and valued, and we learned so much from these people in terms of that.

Coaching & self-development: a big part of the intensity of the Learning Journey is also due to the coaching that is part of it. The coach travels along and is part of the team but also an outsider – he helped us reflect on team dynamics and our personal development goals. Getting real-time feedback from a professional coach (and from your coworkers) is very insightful and ensures that also from a personal learning perspective the Learning Journey was very valuable for us.

We surely recommend the Learning Journey to anyone who would like to make difference in their life and in the life of others. If you consider joining – stop doubting and apply! If you need any tips, want more information or hear more of our stories, contact any of us, we are glad to share!

Vandana & Suzanne on behalf of the team