CHALLENGES

#1: Some of the most important skills for Cisco’s leadership to have are the ability to communicate effectively and work together with others towards a common goal. These skills will also help you successfully complete this challenge. Anywhere along the way, have someone take a video of your team as everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder in a tight clump/circle with your backs all facing in and your arms interlocked. Slowly lower the entire interlocked group to the ground until you are in a seated position with your butts on the ground. Then work together to slowly stand all the way back up while remaining interlocked the entire time. To watch a video of a group performing this maneuver click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #1

#2: Get your team to It’Sugar (450 Fifth Ave) here in the Gas Lamp District for the Extreme Sour Challenge. Head inside and let one of the staff know that you are from the scavenger hunt. They will bring out a container with various flavors of extremely sour candy. Have each team member reach in without looking and get one piece. Then take a video of all your team members putting their candy in their mouth at the same time and sucking on it for roughly 30 seconds (to get the full sour experience). Disclaimer, this will likely not be pleasant for everyone, which is exactly the point. Because a team that suffers together, grows together.

Connection Question For Challenge #2

#3: In honor of "International Women's Month" global superstar & humanitarian, Shakira, recently announced a year-long partnership that aims to empower women here in San Diego, and around the world, to tell their stories, be their authentic selves and unite through the power of music. To celebrate Shakira’s impact on women across the globe find her actual concert-worn leather and copper accented bra top that is on display here in the Gas Lamp District. Once you’ve found it, take a video of your team all dancing just like Shakira (with shaking hips and bellies of course) while her memorabilia is in the background. For an even more authentic performance, have someone play one of her iconic songs on their phone while you dance.

Connection Question For Challenge #3

#4: In order to achieve the increased growth that Cisco is forecasting for 2025 and take on competitors like Dell and HP in the AI server market, you need to be listening to the people you provide products for and understand the stories that make them who they are. Take a video of your team with any stranger (not someone on your team or from Cisco) that has a tattoo while they explain what that tattoo means to them or why they got it. The tattoo must be visible at some point during the video.

Connection Question For Challenge #4

#5: Get to any clothing or apparel store and find two different items with enough in stock that every team member can be wearing the same two items in their own sizes. Then take a fun team picture with everyone wearing those items. For example it may be a wacky shirt, and a pair of shorts. Or maybe some cozy slippers and a large sun hat. As long as everyone is wearing the same exact two items but in their own sizes.

Connection Question For Challenge #5

#6: Anywhere around the area, find an establishment that has an animal in it's name and take a fun team picture or video with everyone posing or acting like that specific animal while the establishment’s signage is clearly visible in the background. Please note you’re looking for a place with the animal in it’s actual name such as "The Friendly Giraffe" and not a place that lists an animal as something that is served there such as "Joe’s Spicy Chicken".

Connection Question For Challenge #6

#7: Tomorrow is National Girl Scout Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the group’s first ever meeting in 1912. Their annual cookie program is one of the largest girl-led entrepreneurial programs in the world, generating hundreds of millions in revenue each year to fund local troop activities and community projects. To honor this impactful organization, anywhere around the area take a video of any ONE team member successfully completing the Cookie Face Challenge. Place any kind of cookie (not necessarily a Girl Scout kind) on your forehead and using only your facial muscles and gravity attempt to move the cookie down your face and into your mouth without grabbing it with your hand or having it fall off. If it falls off place the cookie back on your forehead and try again. All team members can be attempting the challenge but only one needs to successfully complete it. To watch a video of someone completing this challenge successfully click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #7

#8: Sometimes in business being able to come together with other leaders in the industry or even competitors is what is needed to succeed. For example, Cisco’s largest acquisition to date of Splunk will bolster Cisco's software business and strengthen its cybersecurity capabilities. To complete this challenge you will need to come together with your competitors as well. Coordinate with the other scavenger hunt team and get to the historic Gaslamp archway sign. Once there, have someone take a picture of both teams together while everyone is jumping in the air at the same time and the archway is visible in the background. This will require working together not only with each other, but also with the photographer. Click HERE to see a hilarious example from The Office of how this challenge will go if you don’t have clear communication.

Connection Question For Challenge #8

#9: Working for a global technology leader that has been powering the internet and shaping the future of connectivity for decades, you all have likely used Scotch Tape for just about everything. Well, except this. To honor this incredibly versatile American-made product take a fun team picture after everyone uses Scotch tape to dramatically stretch and distort their faces. To create the proper distortion you’ll need at least 5 pieces of tape per face, although the more the better! For some inspiration click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #9

#10: Being able to focus while surrounded by distractions is a skill that will help you succeed in your leadership role at Cisco. This challenge will test how well you can do that. Click HERE to get to the brain puzzles, scroll down and then select “Memory”. Then, anywhere along the way have at least two team members achieve a score of 50 or more points. Once you have your two super focused teammates, take a celebratory picture of them while they’re displaying their phone screens and the point totals are clearly visible. If needed, you can take an additional close-up picture of the two devices to clearly show the point totals (for bragging purposes of course).

Connection Question For Challenge #10

#11: At any point throughout the adventure get your team to a place (or multiple places if needed) with a variety of drink options. Once there, have each team member order a shot or cocktail (traditional or non-alcoholic) that starts with the same first letter as their first name. Then take a quick video with each person one at a time saying their name and the name of their drink, followed by everyone doing a cheers and drinking up! To view a helpful alphabetic drink list of shots click HERE, and cocktails click HERE.

Connection Question For Challenge #11

#12: March is Mental Health Awareness Month. To honor those, and their families, who are impacted by mental health, take a proud team picture showing off your hands once every member of your team has gotten at least one of their fingernails painted green (the international color for mental health awareness) using real nail polish. For every team that completes this challenge successfully and emails us the photo proof, our company (Team Building Anywhere) will be donating $25 to a local San Diego mental health charity!

Connection Question For Challenge #12