Team Otis — The Making of a Partnership
Introduction
A management philosophy — "If I dream, if I believe and if I try, there is nothing we cannot do" — launched Team Otis, an unprecedented corporate initiative developed by Otis Elevator in support of Special Olympics Programs worldwide.
Team Otis was initiated in the fall of 1994, and in less than a year's time, it was flourishing companywide in a decentralized environment with diverse cultures and social barriers.
The first major milestone of Team Otis was achieved in July 1995 when more than 100 Otis Elevator employees from outside North America joined 800 of Otis' U.S.-based colleagues as volunteers at the 1995 Special Olympics World Summer Games in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Today, more than 4,000 Otis Elevator employees throughout the world are volunteering in some 40 nations, promoting awareness about the abilities of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Collectively and without company subsidization, employees, on their own and as teams, have raised nearly US$1 million for Special Olympics Programs worldwide. Employees have done so through a myriad of innovative fundraising projects that often involve customers and suppliers.
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