Junior colleagues at Ellis Jones Solicitors recently swapped their office desks for a hands-on team building day run by professional soldiers from the British Army Reserve.

The team of 20 lawyers, trainees and paralegals completed military-themed activities designed to challenge them while encouraging confidence in problem solving, leadership and ‘followership’.

Dubbed ‘Operation Team Build’, the experience featured against-the-clock assignments that required participants to work together and pool ideas on tactics, delegate tasks and take responsibility.

Activities tested both physical skills and logical thinking. They included a subarctic survival scenario and a ‘mission possible’ exercise that involved performing 24 command tasks in 45 minutes.

The day was organised by the Royal Wessex Yeomanry, the UK’s part-time tank regiment, and held at their centre on Wallisdown Road, Bournemouth.

A unique unit, they’re based across the South West and offer the opportunity to train on the Challenger 2 tank alongside civilian day jobs and studies.

Major Jake Meyer, Officer Commanding of the Old Sarum-based ‘B Squadron’, said: “The aim of the day was to not just test but develop participants’ teamworking skills in a memorable and meaningful way, with a focus on leadership and exemplary followership at the core of effective teamwork.

“The participants did extremely well and have given us top-class feedback which is very much appreciated.

“It was clearly a fantastic experience all round.”

The day was coordinated on the Ellis Jones side by senior associate solicitor Conor Maher, a commissioned officer in the Army Cadet Force with the rank of Captain.

Conor said: “We invited junior team members from different departments to challenge themselves on some of the elements you would find on an army leadership course.

“They’ve now gained a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, leadership styles, capacity for critical thinking and how they go about problem solving.

“At the same time, it gave our team some fascinating first-hand insight into the mission-critical decisions that reservists and other armed forces personnel have to make in what can often be life and death situations on the frontline.”

Suzi Daver, a trainee dispute resolution solicitor at Ellis Jones’ Bournemouth office, said: “I found the time constraint activities the most challenging.

“Liaising with teammates, delegating tasks, time management and understanding what was set with a time pressure was quite intense.”

Tamzin Bouzad, who’s on a legal placement in the firm’s business services team, added: “The army reservists who held the event for us did an excellent job in initiating team tasks and building our skill sets.

“They went above and beyond to give us a great day. Everyone had such a positive attitude and deserves a huge thank you.”

Ellis Jones has a number of staff with regular, reservist and cadet force connections.

It’s also a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, as well as their families, are treated fairly.