Client: Booking.com – Senior developers team
Location: Amsterdam
Program Focus: Team bonding
Background
This team of senior developers was large and working remotely all around the world, some of their team members had never met in person. With employees spread across different continents and time zones, building strong collaboration and trust had become a pressing need. Recognising that effective remote teamwork begins with strong human connections, one of the team leaders sought a team-building experience that went deeper than just surface-level interaction. They wanted something that could enhance self-awareness, improve interpersonal understanding, and create a solid foundation for ongoing collaboration.
Objective
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Bring together a globally distributed team who meets together face-to-face only twice a year.
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Foster genuine connection and communication.
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Enable team members to better understand their own and others’ behavioral patterns and motivations.
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Equip the team with tools to improve collaboration across distances.
Program: Understanding Metaprograms
The team leader chose a program focused on Patterns/Metaprograms — the mental shortcuts that unconsciously drive our decisions, behaviours, and interactions. Think of them as the software of the brain: always running in the background, influencing how we interpret the world and relate to others. During the session, we explored three key metaprograms:
Away from Pain / Towards Pleasure
Do you act to avoid problems, or to pursue rewards? Understanding this motivation helps predict decision-making styles under stress or opportunity.
Internal / External Reference
Do you trust your inner judgment, or seek validation from others? This distinction informs leadership styles and receptiveness to feedback.
Specific / General
Do you focus on details or big-picture thinking? Understanding this preference aids in task delegation, presentations, and collaborative planning.
Impact
Over the course of the day, the team engaged in guided discussions, interactive exercises, and reflective practices centered on these mental models. Participants discovered not only how their own mental “software” operates but also how vastly different others’ programs might be — and how that’s not only okay but essential for a well-rounded team. By the end of the session:
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Team members had developed a stronger sense of mutual respect and understanding.
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There was a noticeable increase in open, authentic communication.
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Participants left with practical tools to enhance collaboration, especially in remote contexts.
Client Feedback
“The program was incredibly valuable in helping us understand how each of us thinks and what drives our priorities. It gave us deeper insight into one another, which has already started improving how we work together. Meeting the entire team in person created an immediate sense of connection.”