Team Building

[chips-and-brown-gravy]

I have been asked to facilitate a Team Building day - sounds like fun!

Have you ever been on one?

What exercises did you find the most useful?

Thanks

[ginap.123]

hate the things, & it's not that I'm not a team player, I am, just within the work environment. Not playing silly games or tasks. got one coming up on the 26th Feb, costing a fortune & this from a cash strapped coucil that is shedding jobs like snake skins & not giving the public the service it needs due to cuts.  

[fishpieface]

Chips, I think the fact that most people aren't being more positive or helpful speaks for itself

really.  It's nothing against you personally, absolutely not.  However it does show what most

people think of "team building" events - they aren't liked except by most, are considered generally

to be a waste of time and money often, as Ginap said, by workplaces that are already strapped

for cash and making cutbacks left, right and centre.  They're usually run by large firms/local

authorities etc as small private firms can't afford to waste their money.

You've got answers to your post, but not exactly the ones you expected. 

[alisonsvintagechicboutique]

This has been a really interesting read.

I had a little p/t evening job at the local college for 4 years, for 3 of those I managed to avoid the yearly staff development days which were dreaded by many.  

The last year I worked there we were all emailed a timetable for a staff development day with a difference.  It was all about health and well being.  There were hourly slots to try Tai chi, ballroom dancing, line dancing, yoga, basketball, Indian head massage, henna painting etc and there were also talks about eating well, overcoming stress and anxiety etc.  There were so many good things to choose from but unfortunately some of the slots overlapped or got oversubscribed.  Nevertheless there was a real buzz around the place as everyone talked about things they were going to try.  

I did the Tai chi, yoga and the stress talk - all were fabulous and I still do yoga now 5 years on and practice the breathing exercises that the lady in the stress class had us all doing!!  

I think staff can be motivated and inspired far better with events like this that improve well being of both mind and body.  They can definitely make you work better!!

The instructors that came all ran local clubs/classes and as everyone at the college pretty much knew each other it gave people a chance to try out new things but with friends and colleagues rather than have the nervousness of going to a public class on your own.  Well done to whoever came up with that idea which not only benefitted the staff but small local businesses too as many people went on to join their classes.  

There was also a free healthy lunch provided for everyone.  Everyone raved about it afterwards.  

I learnt things on that day that were actually life changing for me and my well being.