It’s what Watkins, 53, says at the start of every Eco Seagate, the annual
$2 million mother of all team-building events held at the bottom of the world.
That’s a lot to spend on what looks like a boondoggle. What does running
around the southern Alps have to do with engineering? Nothing, actually,
and that’s the point. The glaciers of New Zealand’s South Island form an
environment completely unfamiliar to the average tech worker. It’s expansive,
glorious, and awe-inspiring, but it’s also uncertain and intimidating, making
everyone feel off balance. Of course Watkins isn’t trying to kill his charges.
But he is making them uncomfortable as a way to open their minds. He thinks
Eco week, which Seagate has been holding since 2000, helps build a more
collaborative, team-oriented company. He also thinks it teaches his people
something about priorities.

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