The representatives at the company were gathered from Europe, the Pacific Rim, Australia, and the US. The international group overcame language and cultural barriers to work together to accomplish tasks, solve problems ands eventually gather the materials assemble the bikes. With the varied cultures represented everyone had fun and also made some discoveries about themselves as well as others.

Often times because we have been engaged in a conversation we think tat communication has taken place. But real communication is predicated on listening and understanding; much more than just conversing. We often say things we understand but the receiver of the words and body language interprets it completely differently than we meant. Both parties are clear to themselves what they are saying, but don’t take the time and energy to make sure they understand what the person really means. There can be a vast difference between what someone says and what they mean; between what they think they said and how it was understood. Carefully listen means restating and clarify what is heard so to ascertain the correct meaning of the communication.

Many times it has been said that we are born with two ears and one mouth meaning that we should listen twice as much as we speak. Good advice, as long as the listening involves making sure we understand, so that we can be sure to be understood. Next time you are involved in an important conversation make sure you listen well, understand completely, and turn your conversation into constructive communication.

Thanks Rimage for a great team building event and for making the difference at work, and in Minneapolis community by enhancing the lives of children.

A team from the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group came together in Plano, Texas, on the 13^th of December to take part in a Build-A-Bike Team Building Event. The 24 participants had a lot of fun getting to know each other a little better, seeing one another in a different than normal situation, and working together to build 4 bikes that were given to worthy recipients from the Richardson Branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Great Dallas. The group from legal departments from the US, Mexico and Canada came together and enjoyed each others company and made a difference in some young people’s lives. It was a great experience and seeing how the bikes came together was a treat. The major treat was when the four children receiving the bikes were introduced to the team that had assembled the gifts. It was a great end to a great event. The DPSG were great hosts not only building the bikes for the children, but providing them with some refreshments during their visit.

Often teams from different locations can easily become segmented and see themselves as being in competition with each other. Rather than completing a task, or working together to solve problems, gain information, and make good decisions competition results in each section, division, department, location, etc., hoarding information, not cooperating with others, or even sabotaging others work. When this happens the entire company suffers. The competition not only hinders one part of the organization, but as one part suffers, so dies the whole. Through the Build-A-Bike Team Building Event the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group got to witness the “competition” problem firsthand. They also realized the need to overcome bad competition to make sure the organization prospers and each segment contributes to the whole of the team.

Thanks DPSG for a great experience and a great program. Thanks also to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Great Dallas for bringing the kids and helping to make the event a great experience.

The Goldman Sachs folks pulled off their ties, and jackets, learned a little more about themselves and their colleagues, and had a whole lot of fun. They used the strengths of individuals on their team to solve puzzles, and come up with a team name or motto. They laughed, clowned around, and competed to see who could build a bike the quickest.

Yes, there was a winner – a group of kids whose families have been walloped by this stumbling economy.  All of the Goldman Sachs people won as well.One participant, wiping her eyes, quipped, “I’m such a girl.” I noticed there was a shine in the eyes of some of the men as well. Chad Agnew, Vice President at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, in the Chicago office, thanked me for a wonderful event, and sent me a message saying, “Everyone is talking about it. Thank you.” The Children’s Aid Society of New York City told me that seeing her child smile and laugh with her new bike made her cry. Isn’t that what giving back really means?  by Connie Timpson/Sr. Instructor/Performance Coach/The Leader’s Institute

Companies often use competition to try and get the best efforts form their employees. The Bobby Cox Companies have learned a secret to competition; it can often be destructive. If competition creates an atmosphere of doing your personal best to make a positive difference and impact within the company, it can be a positive thing. But too often the competition causes damage to individuals and the company.

When the competition breeds activities that cause people, or divisions, special groups to withhold information that would be good for others, then the competition has become destructive. If an activity is good for one part of an organization, but hurts another, the overall organization has suffered. Even if one group “wins” the larger picture is that the company has lost.

Bobby Cox Companies brought their leaders from Rosa’s Café’s together to reiterate that important point, have fun, and build bicycles for deserving children. The theme for their meetings was “Making THE Difference. In this team building event they experienced how making THE difference on your team, can make THE difference for the company, and, in this case, THE difference for 6 very special children.

Their good fortune humbles them.  They are generous.

And did I mention nice?They wanted to give to those who are less fortunate,  strengthen their team, learn new ways to communicate, and let loose.  And so they did.  They chose The Leader’s Institute’s Build-A-Bike Program, for a perfect end to an annual meeting, and share their fortunate circumstances with children who do not have so much.

It takes a while to get to this land that frequently beckons movie producers to walk its streets and explore its rugged shores.  One of my favorite films, the shipping news was filmed here, I now understand why.

The great contrast to this resource rich and rugged land is the hearts of those who live there, and give back during this time of holiday and need.  As an instructor, it was a rewarding experience to share their joy. Share the joy with your team, a Build-A-Bike program could be the gem at your next corporate event. Connie Timpson/Sr. Instructor/The Leader’s Institute.

The real competition, using each others strengths to solve puzzles, to get some bike parts. After a lot of “figuring it out” helping others, and getting some help, sixteen bikes stood waiting for the touch of a small hand and foot on the pedal.

Surprise!  They were rewarded by seeing sixteen shy, but eager kids claim a bike, specially made for them.  Yes….there were a few tears. Kids from the Toronto area now understand that many people care about them, that the world can be a pretty good place, that they now have control over at least one object, their bike.  Empowering a child to feel cared about and giving them the power of two wheels is a gift they will long prize.Pfizer employees felt the palpable reward of giving back.

It goes to Pfizer’s company motto,  “It takes more than medicine to be truly healthy.”  It takes a community.  Build-A-Bike may be a perfect fit for your next conference or corporate meeting. 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.

What all these dedicated scientists, and professionals do every day is hard to comprehend.  It is hard to imagine that in 1988 four dedicated individuals came together and called it MedImmune.  Now they are one of the world’s leading biotech companies, and carry their passion and company culture into their community.

If you are looking for an event that will strengthen your team and give back to your community, Build-A-Bike could be the centerpiece for your next conference, convention or meeting. 

By Connie Timpson Sr. Instructor/Performance Coach/The Leader’s Institute

Everybody wanted to ride the bikes!  But as this picture confirms, not everybody should…

“The Build-a-Bike team building event was a huge success.  You did an excellent job of getting our team involved and energized in the project.  I’ve enclosed some photos that I believe capture the spirit of what our Community Partnerships represent.  Thank you.  You did a fantastic job.” Kim Jordan, Glazer’s Distributors.

Rick Highsmith

How important is mixing fun and laughter in learning?  Laughter and humor are part of the human experience.  As human beings, we have the ability to laugh at others and ourselves, to make jokes, to add humor to situations, which are seemingly without humor, and to be absurd.  Humor is a part of everyone’s experience. Scientific research has shown some significant results concerning how humor can benefit the health of an individual.  Humor has been correlated to stronger relationships in groups, suggested to be a coping mechanism against adversity and even been shown to have significant effects on the physical health of a person.  A number of studies show humor also improves learning/retention of new information and creativity.

The Build-a-Bike provides a “fun learning experience,” according to Karen O’Keefe and is “an engaging fun event,” says Cherie Ordway.  Both of these Resort Managers found the value of having fun, while learning to be better teammates.

And let’s not forget eight children from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Las Vegas received new bicycles…

Rick Highsmith

1. Community Service – The goal is to engage and involve employees in the mission of corporate citizenship. In 2010 Siemens employees in the United States volunteered more than 41,000 hours.
2. Disaster Relief – Caring Hands Disaster Relief involves employee fund raising in response to local, national or global disasters that impact our employees, operations or business partners. Following the earthquake in Haiti Siemens donations include water purification systems, portable ultrasound medical systems, critical care blood gas and blood electrolyte analysis, DOT-IT flashlights (with batteries) and more.
3. Community Excellence Awards – These awards recognize teams of employee volunteers who undertake outstanding and innovative community service projects. In recognition of each team’s efforts, the Award includes a cash grant donation for the non-profit organization of involvement.

“Siemens Caring Hands is the company-wide effort that links employees across the country, believing that one inspired person can make a difference, but together we can change the world.” [Quoted from www.siemens.com]

The Drive Technologies Division of Siemens found a great way to celebrate the holiday season!  And the Build-a-Bike team building is an excellent example of Siemens Caring Hands.

Rick Highsmith

Jet Blue likes you.  “Yes, you can have 2 free bags of cashews.”  Your suitcase?  Check it, and put away your credit card, the first one is free!  That attitude has paid off in customers and a growing footprint in the industry.  Their caring does not stop with customers.  They have a growing, caring footprint in their local community, helping those who need it the most – troubled children, and families.  This year, scrappy, happy, determined, and good-hearted Jet Blue Crewmembers, came together to learn more about themselves, how to quickly diffuse tension in a high stress industry, and how to build some beautiful new bikes for foster kids at the Forestdale Foster Care Agency.

For over 150 years, against staggering odds, Forestdale, a foster agency has rescued kids from the edge.  Their mission is to protect, nurture, and strengthen families in trauma.  Emotionally or physically injured children, find the path to their doors.  Sometimes a school for street children, a haven, an orphanage, and a place to rest, children come to Forestdale, and Jet Blue is a big part of their support system.

Jet Blue could have spent a day at the spa, a night out on the town, or dinner at a fine restaurant, to celebrate their tenth anniversary.  Those thoughts never crossed their minds.  They wanted to give back to their community.  So they partnered with The Leader’s Institute’s Build-A-Bike® Team Building Event, to learn how to be stronger team members, appreciate each other’s strengths, and build some bikes for kids who only dreamed of owning their own bikes.  420 Jet Blue Crewmembers, solved some clues, sparred with judges, laughed at themselves and built 60 brand new bikes for 60 kids in the Forestdale Foster Community.  When the folks from Forestdale accepted the bikes and talked about what the bikes will mean to their kids, you could hear a lot of sniffles,  followed by a lot of smiles.

This holiday just got 60 bikes brighter for kids who have seen, and lived through too much.  This holiday, they will know that they are cared for and loved, by their extended Jet Blue Family.

One of the interesting things that I noticed about this group was that, even in their business meetings, they made a conscious effort to make the delivery fun and interesting for everyone. So when we got to the team building event, it was kind of like a comedian or singer having a warm-up act. The group was already in the mood to have fun, so it was really easy to keep the energy up and let them cut loose a little bit. Many times, when we are organizing or attending annual meetings, we forget that in addition to learning something and building camaraderie, we should also have a little fun when we get together with our coworkers. It doesn’t take much to get the group energized, but those little things early on in an event are critical establishing a fun atmosphere.

The morning activities focused on principles of leadership and team building. The group shared ideas and participated in activities to help demonstrate principles and build them into skills that can be practiced in the workplace. The 17 individuals were a cross-cultural group and their actions represented the excellent quality of the Reckitt Benckiser company. 
In the afternoon the group did a great work of doing what they needed to do to “earn” the parts to build bicycles that were donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi. Each group worked as individuals and then with the other groups to complete the assignments and build the bikes. One highlight of the day was near the end of the program when the children receiving the bikes were brought in to meet the group. This was a surprise the participants weren’t expecting and made a definite emotional impact on them, as well as the kids.

This group from Reckitt Benckiser was particularly open and engaging in the activities. One ingredient of team building is the ability to share ideas openly without fear of negative repercussions, or ridicule. To build strong team people must be able to accept other ideas and see things from other’s perspectives. That means there has to be an atmosphere where team participants feel free and are even encouraged to share, and their sharing is appreciated. The skill of seeing things from another person’s perspective and appreciating the strengths the others bring to the team are strong considerations and components of effective teams. 
This group was open to each other and demonstrated a great balance between having fun and taking each other seriously. Congratulations and thanks Reckitt Benckiser and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi for a great day of growing, laughter and learning.

Biogen Idec

The activities provide learning as a by-product of the games, situations, problems, and obstacles that are faced during the event. Biogen Idec was a great group of creative, fun-loving, growing people that enjoyed the activities and each other. During the event they got to know each other better, see each other in a little different situation that usual, and even display their creative and athletic (even gymnastic) abilities. 

In the final activity the group made six bikes that were donated to children from a local Boys and Girls Club. The children were present and the people who worked to make the bikes were able to interact with them. It was a great sight to see the kids and the adults working with them to make sure the bikes fit and were ready to ride. The staff from the Millennium hotel provided excellent support for the activities and contributed in their own way to the success of the event. 

Team work is often viewed as the simple inter connection and effectiveness of group members. But this event showed how four different organizations came together to make one event a big success and contribute to the needs of people in the community. Biogen Idec was the sponsoring company and invited The Leaders Institute to come facilitate the workshop. The Millennium Bostonian Hotel provided the venue for the event and the staff‘s selfless help contributed to the event significantly. The Salesian Boys and Girls Club made sure that the kids were present to receive the bikes. Four organizations working together to make a difference- what a great lesson.

 And the difference, each organization felt it. It was the experience. It was learning (even if by accident) a little about teamwork and leadership, it was giving back, it was seeing the looks on the kids faces as they saw their new bikes, it was the feeling of knowing you have done something worthwhile. Biogen Idec is a leader in research into Multiple Sclerosis and is leading the way in its treatment and cure, as well as other medical endeavors. Their work makes a difference everyday for people throughout the world. But the Build-A-Bike Event was a nice reminder that making a difference really does make a difference.

Near the end of the event one of the participants mentioned that they wish they could meet the children that would receive the bikes. They were nearly awestruck when their wish came true. As everyone, participants and children alike, lined up for a group picture the energy in the room was magnetic. The common cause of building the bikes was a lesson used to help apply the activities to team building, but when everyone saw the fruits of their labors making a difference, the feeling and expressions were awesome. 

Often times it is not the work we do but the results we see that make all the difference. Too often we do the work and forget about the results, or are not keenly aware of the positive difference we are making. When this happens our leadership suffers, our teams suffer, our activities become routine, and we even burn out- losing our passion and desire. Activities like this are important; they not only reinforce the importance of team work and responsible leadership, but also show us that making a difference in our communities and in the world makes all the difference to us as well.

What a great program- Takeda had fun and, even if it was an accident, learned something; 16 boys and girls received new bikes; the host hotel contributed extra effort in providing an excellent venue and great support through their sacrificing staff; everyone came together to have a great time and make a significant difference. Thanks Takeda, The Boys and Girls Clubs of San Antonio, and The Westin La Cantera.

Continually challenging them selves to do more, 2100 family and child advocates, converged on Orlando, Florida.  They came to plant the seeds for new ideas, to grow them, and create even better ideas.

Recognizing that new ideas come more quickly inside teams that work well together, 300 child advocates gave up an evening to learn better teamwork and build bikes for kids.

Laughter was loud and competition keen.  Handle bars, tires, frames, and yes, helmets, they raced each other to build 44 bikes for Florida’s foster children.

Through the Leader’s Institute’s most popular team building event, Build A Bike, these folks empowered children with the gift of a bike.  Owning, and powering their bikes with their own physical strength, gives these kids a little control over something in a world where they have little control.  It also made the participants feel like they made a difference in the lives of these kids.

There were several activities including a flag and cheer competition, as well as the bike building. All the activities are designed to be fun, but also provide for the opportunity to put into practice leadership and team building skills. The highlight of the event is at the close when the grade school age boys and girls are introduced to receive the bikes. It is a great moment and makes the activities of the day all worthwhile. 

At a time when the economy is struggling many companies are making the mistake of cutting back on their training budget. BI’s commitment to their people, their products and their customers shows in their desire to train their people and provide opportunities for them to learn, grow and have fun together; all the while contributing to the welfare of the communities in which they serve. Training is not a luxury that can be cut when the budget gets tight, but rather it is a necessary ingredient to the success and morale of any company. BI made that commitment and it shows in the team work of their people and, in this case, the people of San Antonio whose children benefited from the generous building and donation of 28 brand new bicycles.

Surprise brought smiles, when kids and parents in uniform walked into the room.  The feel good gift went both ways.  These kids met folks they have never met, who cared enough to build them a bike, and learn more about leadership while having a really good time and giving to those who need love and support.

This large law firm, over 600 employees in MN, does a lot of philanthropic activities. They have worked with many organizations and are supporters of the Special Olympics. One of the participants following the program mentioned that they have been involved in a lot of helpful events, but this was the best one. 

Often times we get caught up in our own lives. We’re working; we have families, other activities and so many draws on our time. We forget that we also have opportunities to make a positive impact on lives around us if we will just stop and look around. Even in corporate programs it is easy to have meetings and training events, and forget the impact we can have not just within the organization, but within the community. When these special people came together it was to benefit others, not just themselves. They had their two days of necessary meetings, but then they got an opportunity to relax, have fun and make a significant contribution to their community.

As this law firm experienced, it is possible, and even beneficial, to get together for some fun learning and make a contribution to those less fortunate.

Google a world map, put a finger on almost any country and you will find that Black and Veatch made an impact.  This company lives its motto, Building a World of Difference in a Changing World. Whether it be renewable energy sources, potable water, nuclear guidance, or telecommunications, this multifaceted company has a foot on the ground.  Russia, Taiwan, China, U.K., Turkey and Puerto Rico just to name a few areas come to Black and Veatch, for expert advice and pipe in the ground solutions.

Back in 1915 the company had a vision of the future and has worked to make that vision a reality.  It has grown from a small firm in Kansas to a world–class organization specializing in engineering, consulting, construction, and being an active community partner.

A few days ago, they took off their engineering hats, laid down their management mantles, and became one big team.  They understand the value of cohesive teamwork and wanted to reach out to the community at the same time, so they came to Dallas to build bikes and help some kids.  Many companies think that teamwork is something that comes naturally.  It does not, and Black and Veatch laid down their specialist titles and took up the role of “teamwork apprentice” and community partner for a couple of hours.

Yes, we had a little fun!

If you look at the pictures you will see that the role of apprentice to teamwork was one they gladly took on.  In fact, at one point during a bit of an impromptu talent contest, one of these “seen by others to be serious guys” played the role of Britain’s Queen Mum!

They worked together to solve puzzles, and as they completed the puzzles, they each earned parts for their bikes.  One correct answer gave them one more part for a bicycle that went to the Boys and Girls Club in Central Dallas, Texas.

Combining a little physical dexterity, and a lot of teamwork, produced 14 bikes for 14 children who have not had an easy life.  These children belong to The Boys and Girl’s Club, and the generosity of Black and Veatch, and this team building event will empower each child to change his or her life.  These “at risk kids” are rewarded for achievement, academic or personal.  The bikes helps them see the world differently, that someone from the outside, wants them to make it.

The payoff for building a stronger team came in the gratefulness of 14 kids, a lot of laughter and a feeling of “doing good.”

Farmers National Company

The group from Farmers National came from across the country to participate in company meetings. The Build-A-Bike team building event® was just one ingredient of several days of successful meetings. The group participated well and worked with each other showing that Farmers National is a great company with great people.

During the Build-A-Bike there were many opportunities to learn great team building and leadership skills and put them into practice. It is stressed from the start of the program that it is not a competition. The idea is to support and work with one another. It is a hard concept, especially when you’re divided into groups. By dividing into groups competition is almost automatic, even if it is discouraged. The problems that needed to be solved to get the bike parts were most easily solved when working with other teams. The most effective and efficient way to solve many problems is to ask others for help, but it is a hard thing to do, especially if you view it as a competition. But divisions, different locations, any thing that segments one company into many parts, can create unhealthy competition that keeps them from sharing vital information with other groups. Ultimately, the 270+ from Farmers National realized that they were one team, not 40 teams, but one team- made up of 40 groups, with one goal- to build bikes for kids. They did a fantastic job and not only did the 48 children that received the bikes benefit but so did the communities they live in. Thanks Farmers National.

After breaking into teams the rest of the day was spent deciding on team names, designing team flags and making team cheers. After that each team had several problems to solve, riddles to figure out and questions to answer which ended with each team building bikes that were donated to the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club of St. Louis. The children receiving the bikes were present at the end of the program to receive the bikes which made for a great “feel good” ending to a fun afternoon. 

To get the bike parts the teams found that even if they had a correct solution to any of their eight problems, they had to find the right judge to get parts for the bike. And once they got a part, it may not be exactly what they needed, so they had to work with other teams to finally get all the problems solved and the correct parts and tools to actually build the bikes. Although sometimes frustrating, it was also fun and the project of building the bikes for the kids was finally completed. Each team learned that they were not in competition with the other teams, but rather were working together to benefit the kids. The goal was to build the bikes and the only winners were the kids receiving the bikes. 

Often times within a company we find ourselves in competition with those within the organization. We compete for limited resources, budget constraints, and many other demands. But a company can be torn apart by internal competition. That attitude can cause the goals and visions of the company to suffer. If part of the company wins at the expense of another parts loss, the company as a whole has not made progress. Each part, division, location, etc., of a company must cheer on the success of others seek the success of the whole rather than just a part. Company synergy must prevail over competition for company success to happen.

Nobody knows this better than Shannon Hyland.  As a child Shannon lived in North Las Vegas and found the street was not a safe place to hang out.  He began going to the Boys and Girls Club of North Las Vegas.  There he found acceptance and guidance.  He learned about goal setting.  His grades improved and he gained confidence.  Shannon now lives in Bethesda, Maryland and is the Chief Financial Officer of RADIUS Travel.

His company was planning an international conference in Las Vegas.  It was decided the agenda should have a team building exercise with a philanthropic component.  They selected Build-a-Bike© from The Leader’s Institute.  From the very beginning there was no question who the charity would be.  Pictured to the right is Shannon receiving a thank you letter from Josh at the Boys and Girls Club of North Las Vegas.  RADIUS Travel was able to provide thirteen boys and girls a new bicycle and helmet.  Several of the children indicated this was the first bicycle they had ever owned.  The employees of RADIUS travel learned a bit about team building and a lot about the great work of the Boys and Girls Clubs.

You want to see what a success “cycle” looks like?  Take a looks at these smiling faces.

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.

At the beginning of the program the Centaur people were introduced to 9 people principles that are important to personal and team leadership, as well as building team cooperation. After the people principles were “pictured” and “caught” by the participants they broke into teams and displayed their various talents through the process of picking a team leader, coming up with a team name, creating a team flag and designing a team cheer that was presented to judges. After the cheer competition each team was given an envelope containing problems to solve, questions to answer, riddles to overcome. And as each was answered they received parts to build bicycles. This sounds much easier than it was for there were hidden problems and obstacles that surfaced along the way. But in the end the bicycles were build, the YMCA kids very happy, and everyone had a great time with the experience.

When a large group is split into teams it is only natural that competition comes into play. Throughout the event it was stressed that nothing was a competition, even the cheering was just an opportunity to display creativity and talent, not a competition. And when the bike building started, it was again stressed that it was not a competition, but rather a goal to build 14 bikes. But it still became a competition as teams raced to see who could get done first. But int he end it was the goal that was accomplished. The group had fun and donated 14 bikes to kids who needed them. When there was competition between the teams the whole process suffered, and momentum toward to goal was reduced. But when teams realized that to reach the goal all 14 teams had to help each other, each person had more enjoyment and the work was done faster. It was a great day, with great lessons and great fun.

Twelve teams built bikes but realized in the end that there was one team with one goal, not 12 groups competing with each other. The purpose was to build bikes for a well-deserving charity and well-deserving children. Along the way the groups got caught up in frustrations and competition, attitudes that had to be overcome to make the event successful. Often times in corporate setting different divisions, different locations, different subgroups within the organization will act if they are competition with each other, when in reality they are on the same team working for a common cause. When members within the same company compete with each other the whole company suffers. One aspect that BNY participants realized was that it can be very important to the overall goals and god of a company to be cheerleaders for each other. This means cheering on and encouraging the success of others on your team, on other teams, and especially for those to whom make no difference to yourself.

One of the particpants expressed that it is better to be a cheerleader for others than a joysucker. A great observation. Or as is often said, “It is nice to be important, but more important to be nice.”

Yellowbook 360 – a vision for the future.  Yes, the fat, valuable-printed Yellowbook will still be around, but this is a company that saw the future and deftly adapted.  Their new Internet-based view, goes strategy, employee, and community deep.

Their regional meetings included a fun team-building event near Philadelphia.  It challenged their skills, and tugged at their hearts.  A packet of clues, divided and conquered by competing teams, put bike parts in the hands of each person holding a correct answer.  Yes, there was one official winner, but no one lost.  Each team turned out a shiny new bike for some kids who need a hand up. They watched, surprised, as Sixteen deserving kids from the Germantown Boys and Girls’ Club shyly rushed into the room to discover that they each got a brand new bike!

The creators of the bikes watched with wonder as the kids tried out their new rides. The sight of the kids brought more than a few watery eyes. One leader in the group held up a red bag for donations.  Their goal was to send the kids to dinner.  The Boys and Girls Club opened the bag of donations to hundreds of dollars.  They were going to Golden Corral, and more.

All together the kids sang out, “thank you, thank you.”  In the end it was the teams from Yellowbook that said thanks, for the chance to give back in this time of need.  Yes, they learned, and observed some team building skills along the way. They Built Bikes, Strengthened Their Team And Opened Their Hearts – All Part of A Fun Team Building Event near Philadelphia.

By Connie Timpson/Sr. Instructor/The Leader’s Institute

Have you ever looked at someone really successful and thought wow, I wish I could do that?  The moto for the the Delaware College Preparatory Academy is success has a structure.  We had the opportunity to help anchor this theme with our day long team building event in Wilmington Delaware. I just got back from working with a dedicated group of teachers from the Delaware College Preparatory Academy.  Delaware College Preparatory Academy is a tuition-free, K-5, college preparatory elementary charter school specifically designed to help urban students get into college. Through a structured, disciplined, and academically rigorous environment, they focus on addressing core skills needed to succeed academically – reading, writing and math.   The staff at DCPA started their week long academic leadership and  school year kick-off with a tailored day, starting with a playful scavenger hunt through the down town core of Wilmington, DE and an afternoon of building bikes for their students.  The high energy team building events were perfect to help this group get reacquainted after the summer, build trust, team work and collaboration.  The afternoon was focused on exploring the idea that there is a structure to success and the brainy puzzles and bike building event encouraged the group to break out of their silos and become attentive to steps other groups were taking to create successful results. My take away from this event was to focus on the out come I want to create and mimic the success of others rather than focus on what’s not working and trying to fix.  The team building event helped punctuate the core principles at DCPA collaboration, continuity, and community.  What a great way to start the school year!

Everyone had a lot of fun. There was a lot of laughter and everyone was smiling at the end. But one of the great lessons is that, although they had 18 groups building 18 bicycles, they had to work as one team. Often times when, in the same company people are divided into division, or departments, or scattered in different buildings locations- it becomes a competition. We find ourselves in competition with our own company. Put that way it does sound ridiculous, but it happens. We often times see ourselves competing for limited resources, budgetary demands, talent, and even appreciation. One of the great things learned from the Build-A-Bike Team Building Event is to cheer on each other successes. To realize a company may be divided in many ways, but it is one team and ultimately what helps one part will help the whole. And likewise, what hurts one part hurts the whole.

Each division, departments, location, etc., needs to learn that an important part of their function is to be a cheerleader for the success of the team. And that means the whole team, and each part of it, not just their own successes. When each team member realizes that they are part of a part that is part of a whole and seizes the opportunity to encourage the total team effort, then the whole organization can benefit.

What a great day for Delnor hospital and a wonderful experience for this facilitator.

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.

“Doing the right thing” is part of  Liberty Mutual’s corporate commitment.  They practice what they preach in the communities where employees live and work.   The interns gathered in downtown Boston to get a little dirty, learn how to be a better person, work together, and build some bikes – all under the umbrella of a teambuilding event.

Sixteen “Littles” from Big Brothers, Big Sisters,  will each get a new bike.  Putting wheels into the hands of these kids will bring joy to them, and help 138 young interns understand the joy of teamwork and giving back to their community.

Connie Timpson/Sr. Instructor The Leader’s Institute

The highlight of the Build-A-Bike Team Building Event is the last exercise in which the participants have to solve riddles, answer questions and work together to get parts to build bikes  for a local charity. In this case 32 bikes were made that went to children from the local boys and girls clubs. It is a great experience when the children receiving the bikes are brought in to pick out their very own bikes. It is a moving experience that gives added meaning and value to the fun throughout the program.

Adding fun to learning is an important principle to incorporate. When learning is forced, or not connected to other activities the retention is short. That why repetitious studying before a test only last a short time. “A” student will say it last until after the test; “B” student will say it last until the test; “C” student have the ability (or handicap) of being able to think about something else while they appear to be studying. To combine some fun with the learning experience helps the retention schedule.

This is accomplished in this program by giving a series of pictures for the participants to focus on that are related to people principles. For this gathering in Washington, DC, there were several “keywords” their meetings will be focusing on so we worked them into a series of pictures. By visualizing the pictures we created an image that was very memorable, then we linked the visualization to people principles that highlighted the keywords Merck had requested. As a result, in a matter of minutes people learned the principles in a fun, thought provoking way that they will easily retain.

The Build-A-Bike Team Building Event is a great way to integrate fun and learning, with the added bonus of giving to the local community. Thanks Merck, DC is better for having you visit.

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.

Connie Timpson/Sr. Instructor/The Leaders institute/Keynote Speaker

The kids thought the bicycles were more exciting that the Space Center!

Rick Highsmith
Author and Keynote Speaker

The children who received the new bicycles are from the NFL Youth Education Town. Where they receive special after school assistance.

Rick Highsmith
Keynote Speaker

Team Members of Draftftb Build-A-Bike

We had a great Build-A-Bike Team building Event in conjunction with the Draftftb International Day of Giving. This organization had 36 different locations giving time and donations to charities all over the world. Lots of fun!

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.

Philanthropic Team Building Programs fill a need for local charities: Early this year, President Obama informed Congress that he wanted to eliminate the charitable donation deduction entirely from the tax code.  Since then, charitable donations from corporations are at an all-time low.  Many companies are choosing instead to combine philanthropic charitable donations with their annual team building activities and teamwork events.

The Leader’s Institute® invented the philanthropic team building events when they created the world-famous Build-A-Bike® Team Building Event almost a decade ago.  Since then, companies all over the world have donated over $250,000 to charity in conjunction with their team building activities and events.