Simple Games to Divide Your Group into Smaller Teams

• Team Building Poker: Just distribute playing cards out individuals and then ask them to make the best seven card stud hand. Don’t worry if many of your group members have no experience with poker or card games, because eventually, a team will need the card that each person is holding, and they will be recruited into a group. To setup the card so that you get an equal number of people on each team, divide the number of people in the entire group by seven and round up. For instance, if you have 30 people, 30 divided by seven is 4.28, so you’ll round that number up to five. Add royal flush sets for this many groups (in this case five groups). So, you’ll create a suited 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace for each team. Then add a nine of the same suits until you get to the total number of people in the whole group. In this case, you’ll add five nines to the stack of cards, because the original Royal Flush cards (five groups of five cards) will total 25 cards, and you have 30 people, you’ll need five additional cards so that every person receives a card. If you have additional people, add eights as well.
• A Numbers Game: This is a simple but effective game to divide up a big group (the bigger the group, the more fun and challenging this activity is). Setup is simple. Just divide the number of people in your group by the number of teams that you want to create and then create a group of numbers for each team and a table for each group to organize around. For instance, if you have 100 people, and you want 20 teams, you’ll have 20 tables, and you’ll create five separate number 1′s, five separate number 2′s, etc. until you have all twenty sets of numbers. Then just distribute a number to each person and ask them to group themselves by their numbers. The trick is to make sure that you don’t put the tables in numerical order. The more random the order and the more groups that you have, the more challenging the activity becomes. By the way, you don’t necessarily have to use numbers. You can use colors or any type of category to divide up the group.
• Barnyard Blitz: I have to admit that I was really resistant to this one until I actually saw it work, but it can be really funny. Similar to the the numbers game, each person will receive a card, but each card will have a specific barnyard animal on it like pig, rooster, goat, etc. Give the instructions for the group to divide themselves into teams based on the item on their card, but they have to do so without talking to each other and without showing anyone their card. Of course, the individuals will begin to make sounds and actions to describe their animal, and there will be lots of laughter throughout the room. Within just a few minutes, your group will lose all inhibition and begin to do crazy things to attract the attention of their team members. In fact, the less responsive the other team members are, the more aggressive and outgoing to individuals will become. This one is very funny!

Ice Breaker Games to Get the Group Moving

• Column Like You See ‘Em: Tie a series of ropes to a circular, elastic form like an inner-tube or you can also use the elastic workout bands that you have formed into a circle. Space the ropes equidistant apart with the number of ropes equal to the number of people on a team. So, if you have five people on a team, attach five ropes. Ask the teams to stock boxes using only the elastic bands. Teams will need to stretch the band using their ropes to make it big enough to fit over each box, and then slacken up on the ropes to grip the box. Then, the team must work together to stack each box without knocking over previously stacked boxes. You can number the boxes and ask the teams to stack the boxes in numerical order or stack the boxes by size. If you add some weight to each box, you can make moving them more difficult. To make the challenge more difficult, move all of the boxes into one general area and have each team stack their own boxes at the same time others teams are also stacking. Other groups will often try to sabotage each other if the other groups begin to get ahead. Offers good debrief material to what happens in the real world.
• Cheer Contest: A cheer contest is a great way to get the energy up in a room, because the contest uses positive peer pressure to get individuals to really cut loose and have some fun. After the group is divided into smaller groups, have each of them elect a team captain, come up with a team name, design a team flag, and also create a team cheer. Give them a 15 minute time limit and bunch of arts and craft to create their flag and let them go. At the end of the time limit, each group will take turns delivering their cheer. Choose a few finalists and have a “cheer-off”. Let the finalists each do their cheer one more time for the entire group and let the audience decide by applause who the winner is. When most people organizing a meeting come across an activity like this one, their automatic reaction is to think, “Oh, our group is so introverted or conservative that they’d never go for something like this.” That is a big mistake, because the group will actually use positive peer pressure to ramp up each consecutive cheer, because each group wants to outdo the previous groups. The energy builds and builds throughout the activity.
• Have You Ever?: Start by putting place markers of some kind on the ground arranged in a circle or square. Have on fewer place markers than you have people, so if you have 30 people, use 29 place markers. Have everyone start at a different place holder with the extra person in the center of the group asking the first question starting with, “Have you ever…?” The question can be anything that a lot of people in the group will have in common such as, “Have you ever been to the beach?” or “Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?” When the people stationed at the place markers answer “yes” to the question, they must rush around the outside of the shape until they complete one full rotation, and then they can stand next to any place marker that doesn’t already have someone standing next to it. After every rotation, one person will be without a place holder, and that person will come to the center and ask the next question. This is a great exercise to let participants get to know each other a little better, because with every new rotation, they learn a little more about the experiences of their coworkers and what they have in common with each other.

We’ll add new games to this list every few months, so make sure and check back over and over for an updated list. Regardless of which game you choose, make sure and have some fun at your next meeting!

While you may have your own methods for dealing with conflicts outside of the workplace, resolving conflicts at your place of employment requires a much more methodical approach. Arguing until you reach a common ground may be a technique that works for you with your friends and family, but in the workplace, taking such an approach can actually lead to distrust, can tarnish your reputation and can potentially hinder your position.

That being said, it is never a wise idea to leave a conflict unaddressed, as doing so can have a negative impact on the entire workplace. Utilizing effective conflict resolution strategies in the workplace will help to keep the work environment healthy and productivity high. Leadership, problem solving skills and the ability to make decisions are essential for effective conflict resolution.

If you are a superior who is handling a conflict between disgruntled employees, here are some strategies that will help you successfully handle the situation.

• Listen First. The very first step to handling a conflict is to listen. Allowing the parties who are involved in the conflict to state their issues will allow you to gain an understanding of the problem and will allow them to verbally announce what is bothering them. If necessary, jot down notes so that you can remember key points of the problem at hand.
• Start Troubleshooting. Once all parties have shared their concerns, you can start to troubleshoot the situation. Take into consideration everyone’s feelings and think about those key points that were made. Try to think of the best possible solution for the stated issues.
• Remain Impartial. It is always important that you remember to remain impartial. Remember that you are a leader and choosing sides, or offering a solution that has a better outcome for one person than it does for another, will only result in even greater conflict. It should be noted, however, that there may be instances in which you have to take one side over another. If you find yourself in this situation, explain your reasons fully so that all parties understand where you are coming from.
• Act with Haste. You should not delay handling any conflict that is brought to your attention. Doing so will only make the situation more difficult to handle. Not only could the problem become more serious, but if you delay handling the conflict, it may indicate that the issue isn’t of importance to you.
• Share Your Solution. Once you have come to a solution for the problem, announce it to the parties involved. Make sure that you clearly state why you have come to the solution and ensure that all parties clearly understand what is expected. Document the resolution so that you have a statement that you can refer to in the event that the same issue arises in the future.

Reconciling a conflict may seem like a daunting task, but if you are in a position of leadership, it is an important part of your job. Your ability to effectively resolve conflicts will not only help to ensure the happiness of your staff and the productivity of their work, but it will reflect well on your ability to be a good leader. Put these strategies into practice the next time a conflict arises and you will be able to quickly and effectively handle the situation.

Lisa Rezac is Vice President of Instruction for the Western region. She is based in Seattle, Washington and also teaches in Portland, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego and other Western cities.

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‘The average American worker has fifty interruptions a day, of which seventy percent have nothing to do with work.’ – ZW. Edwards Deming

That probably sounds pretty familiar to most of you and some may be thinking “Fifty?  That’s all?  It seems like more than that!”  Interruptions at work can be a key barrier to managing your time effectively, maximizing your productivity and, ultimately, can be a barrier to success in the workplace.  Consider for a minute your last workday and think about the many interruptions that occurred.  There may have been phone calls, emails, conversations, and co-workers that walk into our office for a quick chat (or send us amusing instant messages) and anything else that demanded your attention and, in doing so, distracted you from the task at-hand.

Because your day only has so many hours in it, a handful of small interruptions can add up quickly and rob you of the much needed time you need to achieve your goals and be successful in your work and life. More so, they can break your focus, meaning that you have to spend time reengaging with the thought processes needed to successfully complete complex work.

There are many ways to deal with interruptions and the key to controlling them is to know what they are and whether they are necessary, and to plan for them in your daily schedule.  Now that you know what they are, here are a couple ways to manage them.

-Ever notice how much you get done early in the morning before the rest of your colleagues arrive or on an airplane when you travel?  That’s because there is no one around to interrupt you.  See if you can create that during the day.  Set aside 2 hours where you lock your door, do not answer the phone or respond to emails that do not need immediate attention.  If you don’t have a door, put up a little sign that says something about if their hair is not on fire than to leave you alone for this amount of time.  Wear noise canceling headphones or go to the coffee shop downstairs.  People will, hopefully, get used to that this is your interrupted time if you make it a regular part of your day or week.

-Jot everything down on a piece of paper that you need to get done.  Unless you are a procrastinator and you put things off, don’t bother prioritizing the tasks, you know what needs to get done.  Then just get down to business.  When it is all on one piece of paper you can see how you might be able to do some of the items in groups.  That can speed up your productivity.  Whatever you do, ask yourself if it really is the best use of your time. This will help you refocus on your priorities.

Interruptions are a random and unexpected factor in your work day and we all face dealing with them on a daily basis. Distractions not only lower our productivity, they also increase our stress.  Strategies like scheduling email checks, turning off your phone, and leaving the office for a quieter environment may eliminate distractions so that you get more done. Try several strategies to find the ones that work, and then stick to them.  They will control you unless you control them. It is your choice.

‘Oh, and don’t forget to go out and buy a good ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign.

Successful people seem to possess the sort of luck that other people do not have the good fortune to have.  That is how it can look if you watch tv or read any magazines but that is not how it is in real life.  What most people do not see is that successful people worked long and hard to get to where they are today. It doesn’t just happen overnight despite how it may appear. There are traits that successful people have in common which could be implemented for everyone so that they too can enjoy some of these same successes.  Here are three traits that everyone can use to become more successful in their day to day endeavors.  No matter where you are now, you can begin to implement these traits into your every day life and begin on your more empowered and, hopefully, successful journey.

1. Time Management

Everyone has the same amount of time. The only difference between successful and unsuccessful people with this is the management of their time.  There are tons of books and resources on how to effectively improve your time management.  Just choose one and go.  It is amazing how much progress you can make in a short amount of time but you have to start somewhere.  If you are always running late and your desk is such a mess that you are constantly losing things, this takes time and a toll on your productivity.  Once you reach the level of Donald Trump you can hire someone to do this for you if it is not one of your strengths.  Until then, figure out a system and use your time more wisely.

2.  Always Be Learning

Learning and being interested in a variety of topics, and the possibilities on how to do this, are limitless.  Get on the internet and take a course or a tutorial.  Take a class at your local learning annex.  Sign up for that rowing class you’ve always been interested in.  Keep stretching yourself and get out of your comfort zone.  If you keep on doing the same actions you will most likely continue to get the same results.  When you reach out into new areas you open yourself up to seeing things you didn’t have access to before.  You meet new people who will contribute to you in ways that you did not imagine.  Sharing your knowledge is important as well.  How can you mentor others who are coming up the same path you did?  Sharing your knowledge and things you have learned along the way is beneficial to you and the recipient as well.

4.  Be a Team Player

Not only does this help you get where you want to be but it makes the journey a lot more pleasant along the way.  Cooperating with one another will make the process much easier compared to always being the “Yeah, but” person.  What difference would it make if you approached tasks as “How do I make this as easy as possible for myself and the people around me today?”  Where can you take responsibility for how you are being with your colleagues?  Do you make it easy or hard for them to get their job done?  It is a lot easier and productive to go with the flow of the river than constantly be damming it up with your roadblocks.  When you help others they will go out of their way to help you as well.  It is a win/win for everyone.

Everyone has the opportunity to take advantage of these traits.  They were not magically bestowed on some people and not others.  You get to decide if you want to take advantage of them or not and begin to create a better life for yourself.

So what exactly is team building, anyway?

The term “team building” is thrown around quite often describing any type of activity that is likely to build some type of camaraderie or team environment, but the specific activities and games that make up a good event can be lumped into a few types of categories.

Team Games and Exercises

These games and exercises are the short activities thar often fun and competitive and are typically used as an ice breaker or warm up to a bigger meeting or event. These games are also sometimes used as entertainment or a distraction to break up a bigger event. For the most part, these exercises are easy to deliver and facilitate, and you can find a nice selection of these ideas on our website or by searching Google and YouTube. Anyone can facilitate these types of activities for free or a very low cost.

For example, an old standby as an ice breaker is Networking Bingo where everyone gets a sheet of paper that has a grid similar to Bingo. Each box in the grid has an attribute of one or more participants that the holder of the card must find in the room. The attributes can be just about anything such as a person with the same middle initial as the holder of the card or maybe find someone in the room who has both a pet dog and pet cat. When they find someone who matches the attribute, they fill n that box. The first person to complete an entire row or column wins.

Team Outings

Sometimes, you may want to reward your group or just get away from the office for some fun. Outings are a great way to build camaraderie and creat a shared experience for your group. Although outing increase the expense of you team building, they can create a nice team culture within your group. These can be as simple as reserving a pavilion at a park and catering BBQ for the group or possibly renting a bowling alley or taking the group to a ball game.

I have a friend who works for a company who rents out Six Flags every year four about four hours just for their employees. Other companies buy box seats or season passes at local sports teams and let small groups of employees alternate attendance as the season progresses.

Team Building Events

Events are entirely different from games and outings, because they often require a professional speaker or facilitator to get the best results. Events or workshops typically last two hours or longer and have a purpose to either fix a group challenge or keep a group active for the entire time. It is pretty easy to get a big group of people to do a single game or exercise for a few minutes, but the longer the event and the bigger the group, the more complex the facilitation of the event will become. As a result, an entire industry has come onto the scene comprised of facilitators who lead these types of events. Many of these facilitators started out conducting the simple games that we mentioned above, but the games and exercises don’t work as well with larger groups, so they had to get creative.

The first major breakthrough that came on the scene was charity team events where participants engage in a series of activities that ultimately conclude with a donation to charity. Our Build-A-Bike program is a great example. In Build-A-Bike, our facilitators have the entire group solve challenges to earn bicycle parts, and since every single part is important to the success, each solution to each challenge is critical. So once each small group accomplishes all of the tasks, they feel a sense of pride. They each get to present their newly completed bicycle to a young kid, so the entire event is uplifting and emotional. Now, it is very rare that an event planner or meeting organizer doesn’t add some type of charity team activity when he or she creates an agenda.

Confusion that Can Cause Problems

A big challenge that many event planners or organizers confuse the games or outings with formal events. For instance, one game is fun and interactive, but if a facilitator just strings together a series of games over and over to fill a time slot, each additional game will have a diminishing return on enthusiasm. It would be like playing a board game with your family. The first one is fun and rewarding, but if you immediately play a second game, and then a third, it won’t take long for participants to lose interest.

If you confuse an outing with an event, you can have similar challenges. We often get requests from potential clients where they will say something like, “we don’t really want a Team Building Event, we just want to build bikes for kids.” There are no real shortage of per-built bikes, so the actual building of the bikes isn’t what charities are looking for. In fact, if you buy a completed bike or a bike in pieces, the cost is pretty much the same. It is the shared challenges that are overcome that build teamwork, not the physical labor. That doesn’t mean that a shared work experience can’t be rewarding, though. I know of groups who volunteer to do Meals on Wheels or Habitat for Humanity and feel great satisfaction as a result, but those particular events aren’t extremely fun, though.

So if you want to reward your employees and you want them to have a lot of fun, an investment in a great team facilitator can be very rewarding.

Is “Teambuilding” a real word? Actually, no. When you cram the two words Team Building together, it actually creates a typographical error, and if you are using a word processor or blog program, you will likely get a red line underneath the version that has the two words jammed together.

So why do so many facilitation websites have an obvious typo strategically placed all over their websites? Easy. Because so many people make this mistake, that the owners of the websites will put both terms in the text of their websites just in case a potential customer mistypes the terms in a search engine.

Does it work, though? Somewhat. Search engines are so advanced now that they will likely pull up the websites with either version of the term, but many web masters want to play it safe just in case. So if you happen to be on a website using both terms, don’t blame them. They are just trying to make it easier for you to find them.

Regardless of which way you see the terms, do some research on any team building company that you choose to hire to facilitate an event for you. The very best companies will always be able to provide many references for you to call. Make sure and call each of them, though, because they will often only supply a limited number of their very best clients.

Are you looking for ways to improve your team culture for the new year? Team building activities help build a purposeful team culture within your organization, so why not include a workshop in your annual kick-off meeting?  One of the reasons companies have offsite team meetings is to not only share and gather information but also to improve their team culture by giving people “face time”.  If you’re planning an offsite meeting, here are some things to keep in mind.

In today’s economy everybody has to learn to do more with less.  What happens when we have limited resources?  How do limited resources impact our relationships and integrity?  Teams can learn to think creatively through team building activities. Oftentimes in team building workshops, participants are given a series of creative challenges and problem solving activities. What they realize is just because they’ve always done something a certain way, doesn’t mean it’s the way they should continue to do it. To not only survive, but thrive we need to do things differently to get better results.  Rather than looking for what’s not working – ask what’s possible.  This releases creativity and attracts those who care and are committed to making it happen.

When you have an annual meeting it’s a great opportunity for your team to get to know each other through interactive team building activities.  You can build camaraderie with interactive sessions because when we are connected to each other, we participate.  When we have trust, we take risks.  When we care, we are willing to go the extra mile.  Collaboration and creativity start when we begin to know each other as human beings, not just roles or titles.  For example, we provided our Build-A-Bike® team building workshop for a client in the Seattle area last month. Because of the interactive team building activities, the participants said they knew each other better after a half day session than after a year sitting next to each other in cubicles.  And when times are uncertain, it’s the relationship that matters.

Team building activities that include a philanthropic twist have become increasingly popular in recent years.  And with good reason!  Service to others is a strong part of the culture within many companies who want to feel good by giving back – and not just during the holidays.   Our charitable bike building workshop is by far our most popular because teams build bikes that are then donated to children in the community.  Do you remember what it felt like when you got your first car – how it expanded your world?  A new bike can change the life of a child, and it’s a goose bump moment when you watch them ride it for the first time.  Decide if a service mentality is an important part of your culture, and send that message at your next offsite meeting.

So if you want to improve your team culture, start at your next offsite meeting by learning to think creatively and be resourceful, building camaraderie with interactive sessions, and feeling good by giving back in some way. Your team will discover together what it cares about and set your company up for a successful new year.

Many people learn by doing, not by hearing. You can build teamwork and improve communication while having fun with team building activities. Interactive team building sessions boost learning and can stretch your training dollars even further. Each of us has characteristics that make us different from others, and each of us has strengths that help us succeed. People often ask us to “build trust” within their team. That’s like asking your personal trainer to build muscle for you. A team building company can provide you with tools and resources necessary to create the right environment. Fortunately or unfortunately, you have to do the sit-ups yourself. Interactive team activities can help team members identify their dominate personality traits and strengths in a memorable way so that communication with and the ability to gain cooperation from others is easier.

Psychologists tell us there are four main personality temperaments. Whether you favor Myers-Briggs, DiSC or Personality Traits, they all group personalities in common ways. If you want to gain buy-in with your co-workers, you may need to pull from the attributes that are a stretch for you. Stretch your comfort zone to build trust. For example, have you ever observed these two distinct personality styles on a Monday morning: one comes in very energetic, bubbling over with details about their weekend and questions about yours. The other is ready for the day’s agenda, very task focused and wants to get down to business. A simple explanation and understanding of these two different types will reduce conflict and build trust.

Team activities are designed to build more of a team atmosphere, help individuals learn how and why people act “that way” and how to deal more effectively with each other. The end result includes improved trust and respect among co-workers and managers, which ultimately results in increased effectiveness. And when you combine that with philanthropic team activities, your team is sure to feel more connected. Build a team atmosphere by giving back. The Rescue Bear is a great example of how you can tie all these things together. Team members learn about personality styles through a series of fun team activities; and in the end, they’ve built teddy bears that are donated to local fire departments or emergency personnel.

So if you want to boost morale and reduce conflict, stretch your comfort zone to build trust and use interactive sessions to build a team atmosphere by giving back. By developing an understanding of personality styles, your team will feel valued. When people feel valued in an organization, they are more likely to contribute ideas and energy and be an even more productive member of the team.

Colette Johnston is a Corporate Development Manager who works with clients in over 30 major cities including Seattle, Los Angeles, Detroit and New York. Interested in a Team Building Event?

Our minds think in pictures. I’ll prove it. Think about the BEST moment of your life thus far. Maybe it’s the day you were hired into your current job. Maybe it’s the day you graduated from college. Maybe it’s the first time you held a newborn child. Maybe it was the day you got married. Maybe it was the day you got divorced (I’m not judging).

Whatever the BEST moment of your life thus far is, chances are good that what popped into your mind was a picture or image. Maybe it was even a video clip. The point is that it was likely some type of a picture – not written words on a page. That’s because we store information in pictures. Our brains like receiving information that way, and memories are created that way.

A fantastic icebreaker to use is a memory stack. It meets all of the criteria for choosing a really great icebreaker – it’s brief, only lasting about 10-15 minutes; it’s very interactive; people will remember it for long after the program has ended; it is creative, as there are endless possibilities for making up new memory stacks; and they are a ton of fun!

To create an outstanding memory stack, you should first think of a group of things that you want the group to remember. For example, memory stacks have been made representing a list of principles all related to one topic, like communication. A memory stack can have as many items in it as you like, but keep in mind that your participants will need to be able to remember all of the items in a short period of time (like about 2 minutes). So it’s a good idea to aim for between 7-14 items.

Once you’ve clarified your list of items, start at the top of the list and create an image or picture for the first item. For example, let’s say the first item on your list is this: “Be proactive instead of reactive”. You might have the picture be of a PRO athlete doing jumping jacks (being active). The picture doesn’t need to describe the entire item, word for word, in order to be memorable. As long as some part of the picture represents the concept, your audience will get it.

To add another concept to your stack, think of the next concept on your list. Create a picture for that concept, and then link the two pictures together. For example, starting with our first concept: “Be proactive instead of reactive”, and building to the next concept: “Be slow to anger, especially over petty issues”, the picture representing the second concept could be a volcano, which builds slowly before erupting. To make the two pictures interact, simply have the pro athlete doing jumping jacks standing on the rim of a volcano that is getting ready to erupt.

For each additional concept, repeat the process. Imagine a memorable picture to represent the concept, and then find a way to make the images interact or link together. It may seem challenging at first, but the more you do it, the easier it will become. If you are struggling to come up with images to represent your concepts, one great way to overcome that is to go to your favorite search engine and click on the “images” tab. Then enter your key words and see what comes up.

Memory stacks are one of my favorite ways to get a group opened up, relaxed, laughing, and more receptive to what I’m going to do next with them. They are a lot of fun and easy to do. If you’re looking for more fun ideas, give us a call!

Ellen Patnaude is Vice President of Instruction for the Northeast region. She is based in Detroit, Michigan, but she also teaches in Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toronto, Baltimore and other Northeast cities.

Interested in a Team Building Event of Your Own?

Just imagine without stress in our lives, we’d be unable to react to situations quickly, and wouldn’t have the stimulation needed to think and act. Stress provides us a little zing, and keeps us from being bored

As work schedules become more hectic, it often feels like the 9-5 has turned into the 7-6, and comes with a never-ending workload. This causes one to feel as though they need to be working more quickly and efficiently than every before. However many people do not pay attention to how much stress this lifestyle is putting on their bodies, and how in the long run this truly affects their health.

Every new or unusual situation causes stress to some degree.  Of course we can’t control it, but we can control how we react to stress and how we think about it. Make stress work for you rather than against you by recognizing stress, creating a positive attitude and use good stress management techniques.

Don’t allow work stress to take its toll on you. Increased irritability, decrease in energy level in the work place, Exposure to stress can lead to lapses in judgment, reduced creativity and productivity, In fact, it can lead to health problems that result in increased stress.

Being optimistic and using good personal management holds the key to keep your mind and body in a healthy state. Examine what causes work stress. Identify stressors within your control and beyond your control. Most of the time, it is possible to manage work stress through effective and efficient use of time, learn to prioritize responsibilities and find interesting ways to relax.

• Start the day with nutritious low-fat breakfast. Eat regular balanced meals throughout the day.

• You have only 24 hours a day and you need to the make the most of it. Analyze and schedule activities. Its okay to say ‘no’, ask for help when you need it.

• Take small breaks from work. Go for a walk around the block or listen to your favorite song or read a humorous book.

• Sensory overload triggers stress and creates distractions. Limit responding to emails that don’t need immediate attention. Inform clients and colleagues of your patterns. Create your own plan of monitoring news, information, and scheduling the timing of your intake.

• When you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of tasks in front of you or if you face a confrontational situation, take deep breaths. You body and mind will benefit from the extra oxygen and you will feel relaxed and cool.

• Exercise regularly for physical as well as mental benefits. Exercise helps relieve stress and finding some time for exercise just means how much you care for yourself.

Unforeseen domestic changes will add up to stressful situations. Develop strategies to face unexpected developments like backup ride for kids, plan for dinner etc.

Poor communication can lead to frustration, and it can result in inefficient interactions and lead to stress. The trick is to be more mindful of how and when you communicate with colleagues or clients, and being aware of the goal for the communication.

Lisa Rezac is Vice President of Instruction for the Western region. She is based in Seattle, Washington, but she also teaches in Portland, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego and other Western cities.

Interested in a Team Building Event of Your Own?

The big question is… Are the members of your group in the middle of a war, or are they winning titles?

If it is the former, there is a simple fix. Give the group a goal to accomplish together, and reward them for reaching the goal. The goal could be a customer service index, a revenue goal, a cost savings benchmark, or something as simple as trying to get a certain number of customers to smile in a day. Whatever the goal, track the results and make a big production of the results. When team members are working together toward a common goal, the relationships among them will grow.

• Keep It Short: The longer that a meeting is (or the longer that a session in a meeting is) the less energy your audience will have about the meeting. If you are scheduling a weekly staff meeting, set a time limit (30 minutes is usually plenty of time). If you are organizing a convention or banquet, insert breaks at least every 90 minutes. When audience members sit for more than an hour, they will begin to lose interest no matter how good the speaker or presentation. They will also want to refill their coffee and go to the bathroom. So schedule lots of breaks.
• Change It Up: In baseball, coaches teach pitchers to change the speed and change the location of the ball. This makes it more difficult for the hitter to see a pattern, but it also makes the hitter have to pay attention constantly. Your audience is the same way. They need variety. So don’t just organize speaker after speaker after speaker with slideshow after slideshow. Invite a guest speaker from outside the organization or insert a fun activity into the agenda. Do breakout sessions in the afternoon or even insert a few hours of free time into the agenda so that your team can enjoy the hotel or resort.
• Be the Example: Your audience will never have any more energy that the leader, so if you want your group to be excited about the meeting, you as the leader must have a little more energy than you want them to have. Enthusiasm is very transferable, though, so if you are the spark, your team will ignite.

Years ago, I set a goal for our company to have our first $2,000,000 year, and, at the time, it was a pretty big stretch goal. The reward for hitting the goal was an all-expense paid cruise for my entire team, and a month before the end of the year, we were behind. Our staff worked very hard and was able to close some really big contracts in December, and we hit the goal just in the nick of time. So, we had a few days on the cruise ship with the entire group, and we wanted to make sure that we had fun as well as sharpen our ax for the next goal. So instead of scheduling meeting after meeting, we decided to have a few very short meetings starting at about 9 AM and ending by 11:30 AM. The group had the rest of the time to have fun and interact with each other. Surprisingly, though, the group spent most of the time with each other on excursions and dining together. We built fantastic camaraderie, and while the group members were interacting, they were sharing information with one another. Without formally scheduling a lot of meetings, we got even better results.

So Keep It Short, Change It Up, and Be the Example, and you’ll build great camaraderie and have fun at meetings.

Doug Staneart is the CEO of The Leader’s Institute® and creator of the Build-A-Bike Team building Event. He is based in Dallas, Texas, but his programs are taught in cities all over the world.

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What brought this subject to my attention recently was that I was complaining to my mate about my frustration with not losing a few pounds. I rattled through all the typical (for me) complaints:

“I simply can not drink all that water every single day!”

“I’m exercising three or four days a week – and it isn’t working!”

“I am physically incapable of sitting on the couch to watch a movie or TV show without eating my way through half the pantry!”

And on and on… I won’t bore you with more details. Chances are, you’ve either made similar rants yourself, or have listened to them from someone else.

The trouble with these ‘harmless’ statements is that they aren’t so harmless after all.

According to Dr. Sham Helmstetter, author of many books, including “What to say when you talk to yourself”, every time we say anything negative to ourselves out loud, or even think it, we are reinforcing what our subconscious mind will in fact do.

So by saying that I am struggling to drink all of my water every day, I am guaranteeing that I will continue to struggle with it. No wonder I’ve been having a hard time with it all these years – I keep training myself to have a hard time with it!

Having reviewed some examples of self-talk in Dr. Helmstetter’s book, and the steps for creating my own, I have been trying it out for the past several days.

I’ve been saying out loud at random moments during the day, “I love drinking water! It makes me feel healthy and alive. I always drink 64 oz of water each day.” A little corny, perhaps, but worth trying. Seriously, what do I have to lose?

This, of course, extends into every nook and cranny of our lives. And it begs the question – what else am I speaking into reality when I declare my faults and shortcomings out loud? We usually do this to help us feel excused from some behavior that we feel is inadequate or less than desirable. Do any of these ever come out of your mouth, or even wander across your mind?

“I’m never going to understand this/him/her.”

“I am just not a doer/thinker/go-getter/etc.”

“I am lousy at giving presentations. I mess them up every time, and I feel so nervous that I get nauseous.”

“I never remember dates/names/birthdays/etc.”

STOP!!!

The first thing to do is to recognize how destructive this behavior is to your success. You’ve probably heard the saying, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” –Henry Ford. People have understood the power of our thoughts over our ability to be successful for a very long time.

Here are a few simple steps for you to follow in order to try this out yourself:

1. Identify one or two things that you consistently say out loud or to yourself that are negative. Feel free to borrow any of the examples I’ve laid out here.
2. Think of something positive with which you could replace that negative statement. It should be a statement of what you want your outcome to be. Dr. Helmstetter recommends stating it in the present tense – a ‘speak it into being’ approach.
3. Repeat these positive statements to yourself a few times each day.

I have noticed that I’m drinking a lot more water without much thought to it or struggle. I’ve extended this practice into a couple of other areas, and am finding that I just feel better about them. I’m in a better mood overall, and that’s something we could all benefit from, especially in the areas of the world where winter has us in her tight grip right now.

So give it a try! Thanks to all this positive stuff floating around, I am having a great week! And I hope you are, too. If you’re not, it is completely within your control to change it.

Ellen Patnaude is Vice President of Instruction for the Northeast region. She is based in Detroit, Michigan, but she also teaches in Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toronto, Baltimore and other Northeast cities.

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• What do YOU say when you talk to yourself? We’ve all probably heard of (and listened to) those little (or obnoxious) voices in our heads that tell us stuff about ourselves. In my experiences with leadership development, training and coaching (not to mention five years with Weight Watchers), much o...
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Oftentimes clients want to drill down to finite details about the specific activities that make up our team building workshops including a minute-by-minute agenda. Not only is that not applicable for this type of training since it’s often a fluid and dynamic process, but it is really focusing on the texture of the bark on the trees rather than stepping back for a view of the forest.

What is important is having a clear goal for this portion of your meeting. One mistake companies make is having a “We do a team building activity at this meeting every year” attitude with no real thought about what they want to get out of it. How do you choose the right team building activity? It’s best to take the Stephen Covey approach and begin with the end in mind.

Before you start filling out internet forms and making phone calls to team building companies, think about the goals for this session. If you are the information gatherer, press the decision makers for additional information beyond the tired and overused “team building” and “communication” for something more concrete like breaking down silos or building creative problem solving skills. On the surface you might be looking for something fun and interactive, but there’s a good chance that if the company is spending thousands of dollars on this event, someone is looking for tangible outcomes.

Team building activities are exercises that can help teams build cohesion and work through a host of common group issues. They are used as educational tools to provide opportunities to at least begin discussions that can be continued back at the workplace.
How do you choose the right team building activity for your meeting? It’s like the ingredients of a delicious recipe. Instead of focusing on the bok choy, which isn’t particularly interesting in itself but put in context of other ingredients becomes a flavorful dish, begin with the end in mind. If you take a step back and focus on the goals and outcomes from your meeting you will make the right decision for a team building activity.

This article was written by Colette Johnston. Colette is a Corporate Team Building Consultant with The Leader’s Institute headquartered out of Dallas Texas. You can reach Colette at 800-872-7830.

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Turning a ballroom into a golf course takes only a desire to build a stronger team, collaboration creativity and about a half ton of food.  All in place, the holes played, the food will go to the food pantry of the historic Christ Church.  to get to know each other, strengthen their team and give to others.  Along the greens, waiting to tee off, they learned a little more about each other, besides who could hit a ball and those who laughingly could not.  In this 24/7 global economy it helped put faces and personality with an email, or phone call.  Bringing teams together like this, personalizes the exchanges, creates bonds and makes communicating easier.  In the end, as with all things Johnson & Johnson, they came together with an impassioned belief – give to those less fortunate.  One out of every six children goes to sleep wondering if they will have enough to eat the next day.  The folks from Johnson and Johnson just made a lot of lives much easier, and created team bonds at the same time.

The director of the food bank told the golfers that the need for food has been fueled by a faltering economy and recent flooding in New York and New Jersey.  She added that nothing is worse than having to say, I’m sorry, that is all there is.  She thanked Johnson & Johnson, for being part of the community, recognizing its need, and filling it.  By Connie Timpson/Sr. Instructor/Performance Coach/The Leader’s Institute

If you are looking for a fantastic team building idea or a secret to conducting a great team building event, the best piece of wisdom I have ever come across is the importance of creating and maintaining energy and enthusiasm during the team building activity. Often times, event planners or people who are organizing a convention or annual event will hire a professional team building expert to facilitate some type of team building activity, but if you have a smaller group of people, how can you get the same type of results without breaking your budget? The key is to create a team building activity that does three things. First, the activity has to insert energy into your meeting. Second, you have to facilitate in a way that everyone stays active and involved the entire time. And finally, the activity or event must create some type of emotional response from the participants.

Team Building Events Must Insert Energy into Your Meeting

The easiest way to insert energy into an event or meeting is to get the audience involved in some type of physical activity. The longer that participants are standing around (or worse, sitting down) doing nothing or listening to the facilitator speak, the more bored they will become and the less energy will be in the room. Many facilitators will try to use questions to the audience as a way to get them involved, but this can backfire pretty quickly (especially in a larger group). The reason why is that only one participant at a time will be able to respond, so most everyone else is still just listening. One of my favorite ways to push energy into the team building activity is to use the dividing into teams as a way to get people moving around and communicating. For instance, if you have a huge group of people, instead, planners will often put team numbers on nametags, etc. so that dividing into groups is much easier. Most often, the planner will then number all of the tables so that as participants enter the room, the organizer themselves by table numbers. You can do something similar, though, and insert a lot more energy by hiding the numbers and just letting people know when they enter the room that they can move to any table. Once everyone is in the room, just announce that their first challenge is to find their group, so, “Go find the team mates that have your same number.” The energy in the room erupts immediately, and the group is now more open to doing more activities.

Keep Everyone Involved and Active

Once you have the energy up in the room, you will want to keep everyone involved in the activities in order to keep the energy (and fun) high. This is absolutely the hardest thing to do throughout the entire program, but it is also the most critical. The key to making this happen is to create activities that require the participants to work together. For instance, philanthropic team building is very popular now, and one type of team building event is where participants build bicycles for needy kids. Quite often, organizers will think that the building of the bikes is the most important part of the event, but they mistakenly forget that building bikes (or really doing any type of physical activity) by itself is not much fun. If you just organize your teams into small groups and tell them to build bikes, one or two people in each group will jump in and start putting the pieces together, while the rest stand around and watch. So, at any given moment in the event, two-thirds to three-quarters of all of the people in the room will be standing around doing nothing. Instead, you’ll want to combine activities that involve more people such as adding in some type of task that groups need to complete to earn each part. The key to making this work is to scan the room during the event and look specifically for people watching versus participating. If you have a lot of the former, make sure and add additional tasks to the activity.

Create Some Type of Emotional Response from the Team Activity

Interestingly enough, the type of emotional response doesn’t really matter as much as the presence of the emotion. For instance, in the charity team building event mentioned above, the giving of the bicycle to the kids at the end of the event creates an incredibly emotional and memorable ending to the event. However, sometimes the emotion that facilitators are trying to create is pure competition. A race or a contest can add energy to an event. (Although, this is tricky because competition among teammates can often hamper team building versus building teamwork.) Sometimes, anger and frustration can increase the energy in a surprisingly positive way. For instance, in some team events, the rules are not always known to every participant so as teams keep trying and not succeeding, the frustration builds. But just like any challenging puzzle, once it is conquered, a feeling of pride and satisfaction replaces the frustration.

Think about the old Rubik’s Cube from the 1980’s. That one puzzle caused a lot of frustration, but once people started to solve it, they got fantastic pride out of sharing the “secret” with their friends who were unaware of the solution. Every time the secret was passed from one person to the next that pride of accomplishment passed with it. The same thing can actually happen in a good team building event as well.

Regardless of what type of team building activity you decide on, make sure to focus most of your time on keeping the energy high throughout the event. Use activity to insert energy into your meeting. Organize the activities to try to keep everyone involved all of the time. And finally, create some type of emotional memory during the event so that at the conclusion, participants say, “That was a lot of fun! I’m glad I participated.”

Doug Staneart is the founder of The Leader’s Institute Team Building and the inventor of many world-famous team building events like the Build-A-Bike Charity Team Building event and the Camaraderie Quest High-Tech Scavenger Hunt. His team of expert facilitators conduct events for groups as small as 20 people and as big as 10,000 people. Visit the Team Building Event website for details about his programs.

Building a team is somewhat like building a house. It takes organization, effort and skill to make one that meets the needs of the people that inhabit it. Likewise, to build a team in a work environment takes organization, effort and skill.

When a construction crew gets together to start working on building a house, they are working on one house. There are plans drawn up that show all the intricacies of the work to be done. There will be carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and other specialist that will do their part, but there is one plan. Everyone works from blueprints for the same house with the same goal in mind.

So also in team building there has to be a goal, or set of goals that everyone shares in common. That goal, those goals, need to have buy-in from each of the team members. A house builder would never give different house plans to the different workers and expect a good result. So, effective teams have to be built from the foundation up. It starts with a unified purpose and understanding of where the team is heading. Team members need to be able to see the desired end result and know how they, each individual member fits into the team. All the workers that contribute to the building of an edifice have one end in mind. They aren’t working for their own results, but for the end results that come from the combined contributions of all the workers.

A team must grow together to realize that the individual efforts are not as important as the end result. It is not each team member that is working for themselves, but rather each team member is contributing to a grand purpose, a unified completion of a task or tasks.

I visited a friend who was building quite an elaborate house. The sound system and security systems were especially complicated. Because of the size of the systems special contractors were brought in that specialized in those areas. There expertise was vital to making the sound and security systems work correctly. And as important as that was, their contributions were no more important than others who built the house. And, although the sound system was the showcase of the house, it wouldn’t have been much if there plumbing was inadequate, or they forgot the electrical wiring, of the walls weren’t finished…

Team work is construction work because every person’s contributions are vital to the success of the team. Whenever one team member is left out, not included in decisions, or feels minimalized in anyway, the work of the team is hurt and the best efforts will not result. The results may be great, but not as good as they could have been, and worse, the left out member becomes a liability to the rest of team.

Team building is construction work in that planning is essential. No one would go to a supply store and start buying things to build a house without making plans. And once the plans are made and the materials bought, you wouldn’t just grab a hammer and nails and start putting boards together. There has to be a plan and it ahs to be organized and communicated to all who will be involved. I would be in big trouble if I planned on building a house, had the blueprints all made and ready to go, and then hired only electricians to do the work. Or perhaps I said to forget about the electricians and hired only plumbers. It wouldn’t be a very good house. It takes the contributions of individual people who have expertise in the areas that are needed to be completed. As critical as that is, often times in work environments, individuals are put on teams for many reasons other than the considerations of their talents and abilities to contribute to the overall purpose of the team. Part of the planning and organization of the team is to realize the purpose and goals of the team and then match the right people for those tasks. It isn’t, what needs to be done and lets some people to do it, but rather, what is the purpose and the goals and who are the people most qualified and best suited to do the best work and bring the best result.

Team building is construction work- the team has to be unified in its purpose, each team members contributions need to be recognized as vital, and planning and organization is of the utmost importance.

Team Building Is People Building

IT amazes me how much material is available on team building. Apparently there must be many ways to do it. Of course some are more effective than others. We have all seen the results of great teams that perform excellent work with excellent results. Likewise, we have all seen ineffective teams that labor painfully to accomplish little.

One key to great teams is for the leader to understand that team building is people building. The leader is vitally important and a primary function of the leader is to inspire the best efforts of the team members. Here are three keys for team leaders to practice…

Team leaders need to know their team members intimately. It isn’t just knowing their names and the history that a human resources file might provide, it is getting to know them as individuals. To understand who they are and what makes them tick.

Popular among workplaces today is personality or temperament testing. These devices are used to understand one’s own preferences or motivators, but too often they are then used to judge other people and their behaviors. The problem is that we begin to understand personality theory and we label people, and we think we know them. But once we have placed them as a certain “type” then we no longer get to know them, but think we understand them. This is a real problem and short-coming with many of the application of the Meyers-Briggs, DISC, and other like them. These each have definite strengths and can be very helpful, but they have definite dangers and concerns as well.

The best team leader will get to know the person, not just about them. The great leader will build a relationship with the team members so that they understand their situations, their concerns, their dreams, their motivators, their de-motivators, their passions, their frustrations- and all this not as a result from a survey or test, but from spending time with them and developing a caring nurturing relationship that goes both ways.
Did I say, “Goes both ways”? Yes, and that is vitally important. The team leader must be willing to receive from team members as well as contribute. And that doesn’t just mean receive the contributions made to the team, but just as the team leader needs to know the team members, the team leader needs to be known by the team members. Team leaders need to be vulnerable and open to suggestions from the team members. Team leaders are not just put in charge. They are not the boss and cannot risk exercising strong authority over the team or it will become a matter of resentment.

We have all seen teams that lack effectiveness and often times it is the result of a strong leader that has to have things their way and are reluctant (at best) to take suggestions form anyone. They see their responsibility as giving orders to their team and the team members are present only to follow orders. Those team member become frustrated and resentful of the situation, and usually only put out a half-hearted effort with little concern for quality, just get the job done.

Team leaders must build their people. This means valuing them, listening to them and being open enough to take suggestions both for the team and personally. When a person feels safe to make contributions and valued as an intricate part of the team there will be mutual respect and admiration for each team member. But it start with the example of the leader.

Another key element in team building is for the team leader to serve the team. A lot is said and written these days on servant leadership, and it is growing in popularity- and rightly so. But often times we shy aware from the root word, serve.

Team leaders need to serve their team members. That means working to make sure they have all they need to do their job to the best of their ability .It may also mean investing in those team members so they can expend their abilities. Team leaders need to consider their team and how they can best get the best effort from each one. And that means looking at each individual and recognizing their contributions and talents. It also means going out of the way to make sure the individual team members are growing in ways that will benefit the individual and the team. Quite simply- team leaders need to make sure that they are building the people on their team.

Several years ago I worked at a shipping counter for an animal health company. Charlie and I worked the counter shipping small packages UPS. We worked fantastic together. When demands were high together we could ship as many as three hundred packages. Each package would have to be individually weighed, and labeled, but we succeeded amazingly well. After a time we both got promoted to different positions.

Two other people were brought in to replace Charlie and I as the UPS counter. These two had worked for the company over 20 years each, but didn’t really get along very well. Of course, productivity at the counter went way down. To help the situation an automatic scale was brought in, conveyor belts installed and a new labeling and postage machine. All these were designed to make it a smoother faster operation. When I left the company daily backlogs were normal and rarely was the new team able to process more than 100 pieces per day.

I was once against by the supervisor after both Charlie and I had been promoted how we were able to get so much done. Reflecting, I think there were several reasons. Charlie and I became best friends. He had worked there much longer than I but when I was chosen to work with him he never treated me like he was the leader. He never through his authority around, but treated me like an equal. He was always ready to listen to my suggestions, and felt free to confront me when I needed it, but not in power, but genuine concern for me and the job we were doing together. We became sensitive to one another, and grew in that sensitivity. We went from just working together at the start to caring deeply for one another. Charlie led me in that way. Charlie said he never wanted to be a boss. But he was a great leader and set a wonderful example.

To be a team builder you must be a people builder. Know them, receive from them, and serve them. Pulling people to come and join is much more effective than pushing them in a direction you have chosen for them.

Team Building Is Like Target Practice

I’m not much of a marksman, but I have know several. My brother-in-law is a crack shot. My dad and he were deer hunting and Larry, my bro-in-law, was riding in a small trailer being pulled by a tractor. They were heading out in the woods to their hunting sites. As they crossed a pipeline going north, two deer, a buck and a doe crossed going south. Larry saw the deer out of the corner of his eye, with the tractor moving and the deer walking the opposite direction, he turned, drew a bead on the buck and dropped it with one shot. HE was using a lever action 30/30 and, if you know what that means, then you realize how great of a shot that was. In fact, you have to be pretty confident in your ability to use a saddle gun to go deer hunting the thick Ozark hills of Southern Missouri.

Some of the same elements that make a great marksman are the same for team building. First you have to know your target, then you have to have the right equipment, and then you need the confidence to put the two together.

As a child my dad would take me rabbit hunting. He had a double barreled shotgun, and I carried a .22 caliber rifle. I was never too excited because the possibility of shooting a rabbit with a rifle was pretty small. But it was fun to be with my dad and to watch our dog, Prince, enjoy the run. He was a good rabbit dog. My dad was good shot, and way back then he had three guns; the .22 caliber for squirrel hunting, the shotgun for rabbits and turkey, and a 9 millimeter rifle for deer hunting. Each gun had a specific purpose.

Each team needs to have a specific purpose, and the more defined that is the better. A shotgun is good for rabbits and turkeys, where rifles are suited better for deer and squirrels. But even within that description more needs to be defined. Smaller caliber guns a fine for smaller animals, but larger caliber is necessary for larger animals. The 22 for squirrels would do little to drop a deer, while my dad’s 9 MM deer gun would destroy a squirrel or other small prey. The 20 gauge shotgun was fine for squirrels, but he eventually got a 12 gauge more suitable for his turkey hunting trips. Likewise with team building, to not only have a purpose but to have it defined well enough to be considered a target, or goal, will help determined the effectiveness of the team.

I remember the Christmas I got my first BB gun. I wanted a .22, but I got this BB gun. I was excited and disappointed at the same time. That afternoon I headed out in the woods. As I was leaving the house my favorite Aunt came by and asked what I was hunting. I simply replied anything that moves. Here was the problem, first my goal was too broad, and second my equipment wasn’t sufficient for most things that moved. I’m lucky I didn’t come across a bobcat or coyote.

First you must know your goal, then make sure you have the right equipment. In team building that can mean a number of things. One is that you must make sure you have the right people on the team. The team selection should be a result of the goal, or purpose. Once the goal(s) has been set then you can decide on the special skill sets that are needed to reach the goal in the most effective and efficient manner. Too often we have teams and then come up with the purpose or goals- this is backwards. A hunter wouldn’t go buy a gun and then decide what he was going to hunt. The prey (goal) comes first, then the selection of the right equipment. When a need presents itself, then the team to address that need can be selected to make sure the right people, the most qualified for that purpose are put in place to handle the project the best way possible.

Now here is the critical part. What has been said is nothing new. The real problem is putting it together. Often times within corporations the teams are set, the division are made, the departments have been decided; the people are already on teams. A project comes up and it is given to a team, usually the best one suited, although I have also seen things given to the team less busy, and away we go. The problem is- is that the best more effective and efficient way to handle the problem? That is an important, imperative question that needs to be asked and answered. And the answer may mean we need to redraw the lines, re-divide the groups. So that we understand the goals, choose the right talent set to address it, and then have the courage to make changes necessary to make it happen.

Too many teams miss the mark, the purpose and goals have not been clearly defined. A team has been assigned rather than all the people considered and those chosen that have the right talents, skills and passion to do the best job. Team leaders and decision makers rarely take the courage to challenge the process and make necessary changes to utilize he best people for the best results. Team building can take a lot of learning form the old adage, ready, aim, fire.

Craig Wagganer is a speaker and trainer specializing in Team Building training and leadership skill development. (http://www.leadersinstituteteambuilding.com/) Craig leads world-famous team building events like the Build-A-Bike(R) Team Building Workshop in major cities all over the US, Canada and Europe. Request information from his website, and we’ll send you a free team building packet with a number of potential events and ideas for your next convention or team meeting.

A good question, “How can I build a team that works effectively and efficiently?” A how question always starts with a beginning, where do I begin to make this happen? The answer doesn’t begin with the team, but with the team leader and the team members.

It begins with the team leader because they are the ones that begin the process and set the stage for what is to come. It begins with the team members because they are the ones that have to come together in a cohesive manner to do their best work possible. I really don’t think you can begin to build the team until the leaders realizes that they must build the team members. Team Leaders need to use The CARE method of team member building.

(C) Consider
(A) Appreciate
(R) Respect
(E) Encourage

First consider the team members. Take some time to set back and think about each member as you know them. In your present relationship how do you get along? What are the dynamics of the relationship? How do they really see you? How do you see them? Take serious time to go over each of the team members and think seriously about who they are, what they can contribute, and what each one may be seeking for themselves. A good team leader will consider the goals and visions of their team members and consider how they can help each team member realize their potential.

Next appreciate the team members. Get to know them. If you can’t answer the questions above then show them you care by finding out. Be genuinely interested in them, their families and what ever their primary concerns are. Each person has unique gifts and talents, they have dreams and goals and visions, they have families and friends and many cares and concerns outside the workplace that influence the work place. Likewise, the workplace influences other parts of their lives as well. Learn to appreciate each team member for who they are and where they are. Express that appreciation in tangible ways.

Each team member can be build into a vital part of the team when respect is openly demonstrated. Consideration and appreciation should lead to a respect for each member’s individuality and ability to contribute to the organization. This respect means allowing for differences and disagreements without it becoming personal or in any way demeaning. Two people, or more, can disagree without either or any of the sides being wrong. Even if a person is wrong, they and the opinion must be respected and guarded as important in leading to the overall effectiveness of the team. The self esteem of each individual in the group must be valued above individual opinions.

Lastly the team leader must be always ready to encourage. The team leader is the cheerleader for the team. When the heart of each team member is encouraged first by the team leader then the team will be poised to cheer on each other. It starts at the top. And when a person feels encouraged their outlook changes and becomes one of enthusiasm for the cause and excitement for the team making a positive difference and being successful in its endeavors. A team leader must always be present with a word that gives confidence, a compliment, something that builds the heart, promotes the person and demonstrates unwavering support. Confidence is an important ingredient in each team member and it is the team leader’s responsibility to build the confidence of each member of the team.

Are you a team leader and do you want to build the best team possible? Then try building your team members first. Let them know you CARE. Because your people won’t really care how much you know until they know how much you CARE.

Craig Wagganer is a speaker and trainer specializing in Team Building in Chicago, IL that insert fun and energy into any convention or annual meeting. (http://www.teambuildingchicagoil.com/) Craig teaches team building events in major cities like Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and St. Louis.

In today’s tough economic times it is even more important to create a positive team culture within your organization by conducting corporate team building. In this era of downsizing and lay-offs you have to have a positive team culture among your employees. An upbeat and positive team will help your folks feel like valued members of the company and more willing to do their part to help your whole organization survive and thrive.

As a basketball coach I used to take my teams to big summer camps where there was tough competition, player skill development, tons of basketball situations in which each player could maximize their improvement. When I first started coaching I thought that the chance to work hard and improve should be enough incentive to get my high school teams to put in the time and effort during the summer time. However, the big summer camps were never as successful as I thought they should be. There was something missing.

One year I decided to take the evening skill development sessions off after a particular hard day and instead take my team to a laser tag arena to forget about the grueling camp schedule. It was a hard thing for me to do as I felt like the kids were going to miss out on crucial skill development. The result, however, was totally different than I expected and truly amazing! What I got were a bunch of teenagers who came together and created a fun, positive team culture inside a laser tag arena without me doing a thing. I had high school Seniors who suddenly were communicating and having fun with Freshmen. That had never happened before even though I stressed how important it was. The end result is that we had so much fun that’s all the kids talked about the rest of the camp and even when we returned home that’s all they talked about to their parents and friends. The camp lasted 4 days and the laser tag lasted less than two hours but it was the high light of their summer. The next year I had kids signing up for summer camps two and three months in advance and actually recruiting younger players to come to camp because of the laser tag experience. Over the years my summer programs became a huge success as kids became more and more willing to put in long hard hours if they knew there was going to be some fun and camaraderie splashed in there as well.

The corporate world is no different. Even as grown-ups with grown-up salaries the same principles apply. We are still kids at heart. If you will take a little time to invest in your employees as people rather than just employees you will see dramatic results. There are a number of corporate team building programs that can add energy and enthusiasm to your company. Activities like Camaraderie Quest Scavenger Hunts, Murder Mysteries, Build-A-Bike®, and Rescue Bear® team events are great ways to let your staff off the hook for a couple of hours and have a little fun. You will be surprised at how invigorating it is for them… and you. They will be more willing to put in the time necessary to make the company successful because they feel like they are valued. It will take some money to invest in team building but the benefit is priceless. You will not only survive the tough economic times, your will thrive in them!

Joe Jessop is a speaker and trainer specializing in Team Building in San Francisco, CA that insert fun and energy into any convention or annual meeting. (http://www.teambuildingsanfranciscoca.com) Joe teaches team building events in major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Las Vegas.

A great corporate team building program always has three essential parts that are vital to the success of the team building event.  First, you want to add interactive activities that build camaraderie. You also want to teach valuable lessons about company interdependency. Finally, if you want a great corporate team building program, add a “Wow!” moment along the way.

Interactive Activities that Build Camaraderie

Interactive activities are the first essential component of a great team building event. For instance, a group can really find a lot out about their fellow team members when given challenging questions that require them to seek the answers from others in their group. This not only encourages valuable interaction but they enjoy learning about each other in the process. Also, when tasks are given that require a variety of skill sets, team members find out about the various talents and skills that make up their group.

Teach Valuable Lessons on Company Interdependency

You also want to teach valuable lessons about how all of the component departments (divisions, regions, etc.) of a company are interdependent with each other. For example a good way to learn this lesson in a team building activity is when “competing” groups are “stumped” in solving puzzles and answering questions unless they collaborate and cooperate with the respective competition [other teams]. It’s kind of fun to witness the green light go on when people realize that when we all work together for the overall good, everyone comes out a winner.

Add a “Wow!” Moment Along the Way.

The most important part of great team building is the “Wow!” factor. When a group takes part in a team building program and are pleasantly surprised, or emotionally touched, I would call that a “Wow Factor”. At a philanthropic corporate team building program in Toronto recently, most of the group were completely surprised to learn that the bikes that they had built as part of the activities at the event were being donated right then and there to boys and girls from a local charity. The adults who built the bikes were just as excited as the kids streaming into the room who received the bikes. There have been many moments where tears of joy were shed, but there is a special “Wow” moment that stands out in my mind. That occurred at an event in Virginia, when a chaperone with the children from the charity shared with the team building participants that most of the children were receiving their first new bikes in their young lives.

So if you want to create a great corporate team building program, add interactive activities, teach valuable lessons about interdependency, and add a “Wow!” moment along the way that leaves your team feeling really good about the activity as a whole.

Bill Resh is a speaker and trainer specializing in Team Building in Atlanta, GA that insert fun and energy into any convention or annual meeting. (http://www.teambuildingatlantaga.com/) Bill teaches team building events in major cities Atlanta, Washington, DC, Orlando, and Miami.

Build a team atmosphere by giving back. 
Team activities are designed to build more of a team atmosphere, help individuals learn how and why people act “that way” and how to deal more effectively with each other.  The end result includes improved trust and respect among co-workers and managers, which ultimately results in increased effectiveness.  And when you combine that with philanthropic team activities, your team is sure to feel more connected.   The Rescue Bear is a great example of how you can tie all these things together.  Team members learn about personality styles through a series of fun team activities; and in the end, they’ve built teddy bears that are donated to local fire departments or emergency personnel.
So if you want to reduce conflict and improve morale, stretch your comfort zone to build trust, use interactive sessions to boost learning, and build a team atmosphere by giving back.  Create value among your team members with an understanding of personality styles.  When people feel valued in an organization, they are more likely to contribute ideas and energy.  They will go the extra mile.

Colette Peterson is a Corporate Team Building Consultant with The Leader’s Institute headquartered out of Dallas Texas.  She specialized in team building in New York City, New York.  You can reach Colette at The Leader’s Institute®, 1-800-872-7830.

1. Think about adding a philanthropic team building event to your schedule. A philanthropic corporate team building event is designed to be high energy, tons of fun, and most importantly give back to your local community and or charities. Your group will learn how to brain storm together, problem solve, lead, follow, compete and collaborate in an extremely dynamic fast-paced team activity. It’s a great way to take time away from company spreadsheets, calendars, and performance charts yet at the same time learning and experiencing the principles that lead to long term success. The team event by itself is a ton of fun but the icing on the cake is presenting items you have built to underprivileged children. It’s even better than Christmas morning! Your team will love it and the event will become the anchor that helps them remember all of the other conference items you have worked so hard to put together.
2. If you want to scale it back a little but still have a lot of fun, think about doing a short team event that can spice up an afternoon session or get people excited right before they head to lunch. Murder Mystery events are a great way to add a little life to your conference. They are fun, energetic and can fit into a short 60-90 minute time frame for a group of 20-50 participants. If you have a small group of 20-50 participants it is a great way to bring everyone together. If you have several hundred participants it is perfect for break-out sessions. Murder Mystery events are like live games of the old board game Clue. Your group will be divided into smaller investigation units to uncover the facts of a murder that took place right before their eyes. Each group will have to learn how to work together, problem solve, and weigh the importance of information as they investigate. It’s an extremely fun way to mimic what corporate teams do in the real world every day.
3. Another great way to break up your conference is with an outdoor scavenger hunt or Camaraderie Quest. A Camaraderie Quest is like a treasure hunt. Think of being dropped in the middle of the set of the movie “National Treasure”. Your team will be given a set of clues and tasks they must perform as a group. It will take ingenuity, creativity, and developing a game plan in order to succeed. Your team will have an incredibly fun time as they work their way through a tailor-made quest in a downtown historic center, shopping center, or museum. It’s a great way to get them out of their conference chairs and on their feet, yet at the same time learning the valuable lessons of team building and leadership.

Any of these corporate team building events can add energy to your conference or convention, but remember that the larger your group becomes, the more that you’ll want to rely on professional team building organizers or facilitators. Otherwise, you will be likely to have a big portion of your group standing around and watching while a few of the participants are active. Your team will compliment you greatly.

Joe Jessop is a speaker and trainer specializing in Team Building in San Francisco, CA that insert fun and energy into any convention or annual meeting. (http://www.teambuildingsanfranciscoca.com) Joe teaches team building events in major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Las Vegas.

Great Team Building Programs Reduce Stress

Watch your team de-stress and interact in a more congenial way. Through strategically designed corporate team building programs, participants interact in a relaxed setting. Before long you see the stress dissipate, and people who sometimes bump heads, laughing together and help each other complete a task. All it takes is a few well-designed activities to overcome long-standing conflict. Participants leave the team-building event much more satisfied with their job, because the company invested in them, and they feel better about their teammates.

Show Recognition to Your Team

Back in the work setting, your team is more enthusiastic, more willing to invest themselves, and produce more. While job satisfaction is clearly linked to pay and job level, In Salary.com’s most current survey, employees also cited “Inadequate Development Opportunities and Insufficient Recognition” as reasons to search for a new job. Corporate team building events are a great way to show recognition to a large number of employees. It says, “We are investing in you, because you have value”.

Unify Your Team

A well-conceived and executed team building event can unify your team, help them see their teammates in a different atmosphere, appreciate each other more, increase job satisfaction because you are giving them something special. Something extra, you are investing in them. That in turn brings more productive employees back to your home base, and makes work a happier place.

Connie Timpson is a speaker and trainer specializing in Team Building in Boston, MA that insert fun and energy into any convention or annual meeting. (http://www.teambuildingbostonma.com/) Connie teaches team building events in major cities like New York, Boston, Detroit, and Toronto.

1. Build camaraderie with interactive sessions. When you have a quarterly or annual meeting it’s a great opportunity for your team to get to know each other through interactive team building activities.  When we are connected to each other, we participate.  When we have trust, we take risks.  When we care, we are willing to go the extra mile.  Collaboration and creativity start when we begin to know each other as human beings, not just roles or titles.  For example, we provided our Build-A-Bike® team building workshop for a client in the New York area last month. Because of the interactive team building activities, the participants said they knew each other better after a half day session than after a year sitting next to each other in cubicles.  And when times are uncertain, it’s the relationship that matters.
2. Learn to think creatively. In today’s economy everybody has to learn to do more with less.  What happens when we have limited resources?  How do limited resources impact our relationships and integrity?  To not only survive, but thrive we need to do things differently to get better results.   Going back to the New York team building activity we provided, participants were given a series of creative challenges and problem solving activities.  What they realized was just because we’ve always done it that way, doesn’t mean it’s the way we should continue to do it. Rather than looking for what’s not working – ask what’s possible.  This releases creativity and attracts those who care and are committed to making it happen.
3. Feel good by giving back.  Team building activities that include a philanthropic twist have become increasingly popular in recent years.  And with good reason!  Service to others has become a strong part of the culture within many companies.  Build-A-Bike® is by far our most popular workshop because teams build bikes that are then donated to children in the community.  Do you remember what it felt like when you got your first car – how it expanded your world?  A new bike can change the life of a child, and it’s a goose bump moment when you watch them ride it for the first time.  Decide if a service mentality is an important part of your culture, and send that message at your next offsite meeting.

So if you want to improve your team culture, start at your next offsite meeting by building camaraderie with interactive sessions, learning to think creatively and be resourceful, and feeling good by giving back in some way.  There is no power greater then a group discovering together what it cares about. 

Colette Peterson is a speaker and trainer specializing in Team Building in New York City, NY that insert fun and energy into any convention or annual meeting. (http://www.teambuildingnewyorkny.com/) Colette teaches team building events in major cities New York, Boston, Detroit, and Toronto.

Need some Team Motivation? It’s common knowledge that people learn faster and produce more when they are having fun. So why should work be any different? There are several ways to add fun to any project.

Set a Common Team Goal

One easy way to motivate your team is to set a common goal that requires the participation of everyone on your team. Just consider how much more fun it is to run a 5k marathon with a group of people than it is to run the same distance by yourself. What might be challenging by yourself tends to be a lot more fun when you are surrounded by a group of people working toward the same goal. You feed off the energy and enthusiasm of all the other participants.

Add Competition

Adding friendly competition to a project can also be a fun way to motivate your team. A few weeks ago, our company conducted a Build-A-Bike team building event for a client in Atlanta. For this program, the group is divided into multiple teams. We repeatedly told the participants that it wasn’t a competition; however the program is designed so that each team must complete certain tasks to get the parts to build their bikes. As the teams observed other teams’ bike parts accumulating more quickly than theirs, they started working faster and became more efficient in assigning the remaining tasks of their team. The end result was that the group built over 100 bikes in less than an hour and had a great time doing it. The response from the client was that they never realized building bikes could be so much fun!

Be Generous with Your Praise

Another great way to ensure your team stays motivated is to be generous with your praise. A compliment will validate that what a person is doing is important and then even the most mundane task becomes fun. That validation then stimulates the brain to think of ways to make the outcome even better. Let me give you an example. My daughter hates cleaning her room. The process is painful for both of us: for her because she dislikes it so much and for me because I have to keep nagging her to get it done. Recently though, I discovered that a simple word of praise worked wonders. She had just gone into her room and picked up several photographs lying on the floor. She decided to assemble them all into a collage. As I walked by and observed this, instead of berating her for not staying focused on the task of cleaning, I commented on what a great idea that was. She then proceeded to frame it out of materials she had scattered about her room and hang it on her wall. After she completed this project, half the job of picking up the stuff she had scattered around was already finished. She completed the rest of it in record time and when I commented on that her response was that she had such fun making the collage that she couldn’t wait to get the rest of it done so that she could see how great her room would look. What a complete turn-around in her attitude, all because of one simple compliment.

If your team is bogged down, has hit a wall, or lacks motivation, just try one or all of these team building ideas to put some fun into the project. It requires very little effort but the results could be huge. A team that’s having fun will be self motivated and consistently produce higher results.

Carol Vandable is a team building consultant with The Leader’s Institute®. She organizes team building events in Texas and other Western cities in the US. For more information, click this link and be connected directly to her web address: https://leadersinst.infusionsoft.com/go/TLI6/Carol/

Confidence

Each team member needs to recognize that they have something to contribute. Each member needs to feel they are a vital key to the team. If this is lacking then participation by that member will be diminished, which in turns affects the rest of the team. When one person’s contributions are lacking then a part of the solution is also missing and it is up to others to pick up the slack.

Have you ever been in a situation where someone asked a question, you knew the answer, but were reluctant to give it? What happened? Either the person who asked the question has to go fishing for an answer, or someone else gives a different answer than yours, or someone spoke up and gave the same answer as you would have done. What ever happens as a result of your inactivity is different than if you would have answered. By withholding your contribution you have changed the dynamic of the situation. The real problem is that by not responding you have increased the probability that you won’t answer the next time either. Now you are working in a diminished capacity that affects you and the outcome for the rest of the team.

When each person on a team realized and internalized that they are a vital part of the team and has the confidence that their contributions are important the team can begin to approach its best possible working conditions.

Humility

This may seem like a contradiction to the previous point, but it is an augment and complimentary. Humility is understanding that your contributions are important, but they are not the most important. It is the realization that you have something to contribute to the team, but so does each team member. The problem with confidence is that it can become overpowering to the point of arrogance and a lack of understanding for fellow team members. Humility keeps the confidence in check by maintaining that each person has a vital and equally important contribution to make to the team.

Humility is a critically important factor in that humility is a key ingredient to unity. The team cannot be unified in purpose and goals unless each member is willing to value all others’ contributions as important as their own. Humility is not self-deprecation, nor is it devaluing yourself or your involvement. It is a position of strength and self actualization where you understand yourself well enough to understand the importance of others, not only of their opinions and contributions, but as valued individuals with contributory strengths, and talents.

Commitment

The last necessary quality for the most effective team is for each member to be totally committed to the team. This is most difficult because of our society and the low priority it places on commitment. Commitment does not mean I give myself totally until something better comes along. Commitment means I am surrendered to the task at hand until it is completed. It has nothing to do with hurt feelings, other people opinions, disagreements, or anything else except doing whatever it takes to complete the tasks wherein my commitment lies.

Often times the commitment to the team is tempered by whether I get my way, whether I agree, whether I feel valued, whether I like the results, whether… In commitment there is no whether, it is commitment without qualification. The only time to withdraw that obligation is when ethically or morally you are challenged by the decision or outcomes of the teams’ work.

When each team member is recruited for a team because of their talent and need for the task of the team, they need to come with confidence, humility and commitment to assure the best outcome for the team and its work.

Craig Wagganer is a Team Building Consultant for The Leader’s Institute and he teaches team building programs in St. Louis and Team Building Programs in Chicago.

Corporate leaders look for strong team building event ideas that “will tear down the walls” that we build between divisions, departments, even cubicles.  Those corporate leaders have a great deal in common with one of the world’s best communicators.  Ronald Reagan told the world, “…tear down those walls.”  Hammer in hand the walls came tumbling down, reuniting a world torn apart by differences in philosophy.  Immediately, warring factions began communicating.

Mis-communication or “no communication” is very costly to corporations, both in loss of production hours and duplication of efforts.  In fact researchers at the  Robert H. Smith School of Business, at Maryland University, put a 12 billion dollar price tag on what poor communication costs American hospitals per year. That is a staggering waste of money that could be put into salaries, programs or training.  Smart corporate leaders look for ways to improve communication by seeking out new team building events.  Idea driven events that will help their staff tear down walls that thwart communication

Ridding corporations of communication silos can open lines of communication and save the bottom line.  When people learn how to tear down the walls, they begin to communicate better.  For example, a couple of weeks ago, I was leading a Build-A-Bike(R) team building event for a big company in Indiana, and like many companies, one of the challenges that they were having was getting people to fully communicate, to see the big picture.  They had to work together to solve clues, and at the same time recognize and capitalize on individual strengths that could win them a bike part.  In other words, break down communication silos.  They quickly learned the value of communicating in a world without walls.

Opening lines of communication spawns creative opportunities that no one dreamed of.  No one dreamed of the opportunities because the group was busy erecting walls.  Effective team-building events, bring “analytical” and “expressive” together, one balancing the other.  Anthony Robbins says, “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

When one person’s idea is shared with others, it becomes a bigger idea, splinters, and turns into ideas.  The ideas morph into Big Ideas and participants understand the real value of knocking down the silo walls.

A perfectly functioning company does not “just happen.”  It takes work, bringing teams together in the name of communication, compatibility and cohesiveness.  It is simple really.  All you have to do is be open and learn how to “break down the walls.”

Connie Timpson is a speaker and trainer specializing in Team Building Event Ideas that insert fun and energy and reduce the ‘Silo Effect’ in business. https://leadersinst.infusionsoft.com/go/TLI6/cpeterson/ Connie teaches team building events in major cities throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.

1. Each group is in competition with the other groups in the room. The group who can complete the most “circuits” in a given time will be the winner.
2. A completed circuit occurs when every person in the group has touched the tennis ball.
3. Only one person in the group can touch the tennis ball at one time (therefore the ball must be tossed rather than passed.)
4. If the ball ever touches the floor, then production must stop for one-minute.

Have the teams complete a few circuits to get comfortable and begin creating patterns that make them more efficient. The facilitator may want to stop the groups and get feedback as to how they are becoming more efficient and help them understand that this is a natural progression in business as well. Have the groups continue to complete circuits, but as time progresses, the facilitator will add additional rules to make the process more difficult.

• A Co-Worker calls in Sick–Remove one of the group participants and tell the group that the participant called in sick. After they complete a few circuits, remind them that just because someone calls in sick, doesn’t mean that that person’s work doesn’t need to be completed. (They will probably have just continued to complete the circuit just as they had before the person left.) Remind them that each of their last few circuits have had one fewer touches than before, so they do not count. Someone will have to pick up the slack for the absent person. After a new pattern is established, have the person come back.
• Double Production–Throw a second ball into the mix and tell the group that our client wants us to double production. Only one ball can be held by any one person at a time. You can add a third or even fourth ball later.
• Diversity–New federal legislation states that we need to include more minorities and women in our production line, so every other person who touches the ball must be either a woman or a minority.

Use your imagination to come up with other rules and be sure to have a prize for the winning team. At the end of the game, ask the group how did the game relate to things they face in the business world

• High level of interdependence among members
• Leader has good people skills and is committed to team approach
• Each member is willing to contribute
• A relaxed climate for communication
• Members develop a mutual trust
• The group and individuals are prepared to take risks
• Group is clear about goals and establishes targets
• Member roles are defined
• Members know how to examine errors without personal attacks
• The group has capacity to create new ideas
• Each member knows he can influence the agenda

Any teambuilding program or activity should be focused on strengthening one or more of these characteristics. This is a good checklist to determine whether or not a program will have value and lasting effects for your group.

Are There Situations in which Teamwork can be Detrimental?
YES! If the group is not primarily interdependent, then teamwork can be detrimental to the effectiveness of the group. For instance, teambuilding programs for salespeople will usually be counterproductive. Salespeople are typically independent and self-motivating. Therefore, teambuilding activities will be seen by the group as a waste of time. More effective training for group who is not interdependent would be communication training, leadership training, or other forms of personal development.

If the group is interdependent, but doesn’t realize that the actions of the individual affect the group, then teambuilding activities will also meet with resistance. This may occur in an organization where departments are autonomous. Department heads may begin to see themselves in competition with other department heads for resources including budgets, capital, and personnel. Before implementing teambuilding activities with this type of group, spend some time helping the group realize how interdependent they really are.

Thousands of companies wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue last year on “Team Building” programs that didn’t develop more of a team atmosphere within their organizations. The term “Team Building” has come to have so many definitions that it can mean just about anything to anybody.

The definition I like is the following:
____________________________________________

Team Building – Any exercise or program
that helps a group of INTERDEPENDENT people
create LONG-TERM behavior change resulting
in a more efficient or productive culture.
_____________________________________________

If a company or organization is considering investing in a team building program, the first question that needs to be asked is, “Is my group interdependent?” – meaning does the success of each member of the group depend primarily on the success of the other members of the group? For instance, the success of the operations department might depend heavily on the success of the sales department which might depend heavily on the success of the marketing department. Conducting a team building program among the managers or employees of these departments at the same time might be beneficial. However, the success of each individual sales person will probably not depend primarily on the success of the other sales people. So, a sales manager spending money on a team building program for his/her sales people would probably be wasting time and money.

If your group is interdependent, then the next question to ask is “What kind of things are happening within this group that lets me know they are not acting efficiently as a team?” or “What areas can we improve in?” You might ask more specific questions to determine individual areas for improvement such as the following: Are there areas of miscommunication that slow down processes or cause rework? Are there conflicts which bring down morale? Do departments focus on their own success at the expense of other departments? Is it tough for new employees to fit in with the experienced team members? Are changes in policy resisted by team members? Do team members feel as though they have no say in policy?

The answers to any of these questions can help a team leader determine what types of team building programs might be most effective for a group. If you find it difficult to determine the individual areas that would have the most dramatic impact on the performance of your group, realize that most professional trainers have low-cost or free assessments that can be conducted to determine these areas for a group.

The next step in determining the right program for your group is to determine which programs on the market will give your team improvement in the most areas that you have identified, and which will give your team long-term improvement so that you will not have to continually repeat the training process over time.

Once you have done the previous steps, this last step is pretty simple. You can do a standard internet search for training in the areas you’ve identified, and then check a number of references for each proposal you receive.

One quick thing you can do to save time is to look only at organizations and trainers who specialize in training or team building. People and companies who can make a living specializing in this type of work will probably do pretty well, but a company specializing in the fitness industry (outdoor adventures, ropes courses,) selling beach chairs (Beach Olympics,) or driving race cars or flying airplanes probably won’t create a long-term behavior change in your team.

Camaraderie may be built and lost in an afternoon, but a team atmosphere can last for generations.

Doug Staneart is CEO of The Leader’s Institute specializing in leadership, public speaking, and team building training for individuals and groups. He can be reached toll-free at 1-800-872-7830.

I’m sure that we’ve had one before, but I can’t for the life of me actually remember one here at home.

We decided to have the whole family come here for Christmas this year, so we thought that we’d entertain everyone by doing traditional Christmas activities like sun-tanning and swimming in the pool. However, early Christmas Eve, we started to get a few flakes of snow and by early afternoon, we had about a half inch of real snow.

The snow, an unexpected surprise, created a unique shared experience for my whole family, and the pictures and memories of the last week will be something that we recall for many Christmases to come.

One of the things that makes our Team Building programs at The Leader’s Institute^® so effective is that each of them create that same type of shared experience. For instance, when participants finish a Build-A-Bike^® program and local kids come rushing into the room to collect their very first brand-new bike, that memory and the pictures of the smiling kids create a fantastic shared experience.

On your next family get-together or next company meeting, create some type of unexpected shared experience, and the memories created will be a conversation topic for many events to come.

Company Team Building | This Leader’s Institute video gives tips on when you should hire a team building consultant to do company team building and when you’ll get a better result by conducting the team building exercises in house.   Doug Staneart, a keynote speaker and author of the book 28 Ways to Influence People, explains how when your group is smaller and you are looking for a “shared experience” type of event, then it is more cost effective and beneficial to conduct your team training in house, but you’ll want to bring in a hired gun when your group size grows or if you are looking for behavior change in your group.

Team Building Ice Breaker | This Leader’s Institute video offers a free team building ice breaker that can add fun and teamwork to any company team building activity.   Doug Staneart, a keynote speaker and author of the book 28 Ways to Influence People, explains how to turn the old “questionaire” team building warm-up activity into an event that adds more energy by getting small groups to compete with each other to accomplish a camaraderie building series of fun challenges.