On Thursday June 15th, Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy (GSA) and Little Village Academy (LVA) had their final Team Captain Huddle of the year. However, this Huddle was not done in a traditional school setting. For this Huddle, Team Captains traveled to Michael Lewis & Company and completed Urban Initiative’s first ever off-site Huddle. The theme for this Huddle was decision-making, and from the moment the students arrived at Michael Lewis and Company, they began to learn and understand the importance of the decision-making process.
This Huddle was kicked off with a quick introduction, followed by a very fun and energetic game of Handball. Students met some of the amazing Michael Lewis & Co. team members, as they shared their roles to the group. Once the game of handball began, it could have continued forever. The captains and the volunteers connected with one another instantly. After the game, Team Captains and volunteers huddled up to discuss the decision-making process and how it was applicable in the game. Captains then talked about the decisions they made during the game and the risks or consequences that came along with making that choice. While talking about the decision-making process, they agreed on two things. The first was that not all decisions have good and bad options. The second was that the decision-making process is not over because you made a choice.
They discussed the importance of evaluating the decisions they make and realizing how can affect them at that moment or in the future. After the discussion, Captains went on a tour of the Michael Lewis & Co. facility and had a blast. They got the chance the see the warehouse, where there were over 50 different loading docks. The students had the chance to use barcode scanners to go on missions to find specific products. They also took on the challenge of entering the huge coolers and freezers that were at the facility. Although there are some tough team captains at GSA and LVA, none of them lasted more than thirty seconds in that freezer.
Throughout this incredible tour, the employees of Michael Lewis were discussing how important it was for them to go through the decision-making process during their job. They spoke on possible risks and consequences that could happen if they were not evaluating the pros and cons of every decision they made. They also discussed the importance of communicating with one another to make sure they were making the best decisions for the company and not just for their individual department. The final portion of this huddle and site visit was the dinner and goodie bags that the captains received. Each captain ate like they were dining in First Class on an airplane. While having dinner, Captains and volunteers continued to talk and connect. They talked about sports, school, family, and even shared stories about difficult decisions they have had to make in the past. After leaving Michael Lewis & Company, it was clear that the captains had fun and understood the importance of making good decisions in every area of their lives.