Come Together
Author: Macie Schreibman
September 2009
Features
Team building is so much more than fun and games
Sponsored by Dave and Buster's
Under the watchful eye of the media, the job of the meeting planner has gotten harder and budgets have gotten smaller. And it’s not just the media that is scrutinizing every penny spent; it’s head honchos and CEOs, all immensely interested in where their company’s money is going. With all of this added inspection, there are, in turn, a lot of questions that need to be answered—further complicating the meeting planner’s role. How can I spend money without making my company look bad? Where can I trim my budget?
Unfortunately for the meetings industry, this means that vital parts of face-to-face meetings are being questioned. As a victim of this scrutiny, team-building programs now have to stand up to the same type of cross-examination meetings do. In the world of social media especially, there is blog after blog describing attendees’ bad experiences in a chosen team-building activity or ice-breaker in which they felt “forced” to participate. In fact, this team-building distaste goes beyond the blogosphere, and has begun to show up in business books. Rob Cross, an associate professor at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, recently published a book titled Driving Results Through Social Networks, in which he presents a new way for companies to get results for their bottom line, and it doesn’t involve a team. His book states, “[organizations should] shift attention away from time consuming team building efforts and onto initiatives that enable networks to integrate expertise, resources and decision-making authority rapidly at the point of execution.”
So does team building still hold value? Or has it become obsolete with the whirlwind of social media, just as face-to-face meetings have been threatened to become? Well, if you ask Cynthia Shon, founder and president of Corporate Games, Inc., a team-building organization headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif. that’s been around since 1991, she’ll tell you team building is not only still necessary, but more important now than ever before, as companies need to strengthen their foundation to overcome today’s economic struggles. “Over the past decade [some companies] were doing really ‘fluffy’ things,” she says, referring to those groups that viewed team building as more entertainment than anything else. “Today, you may not want to have the lavish party, but you do want to provide value to that meeting,” she says. “You have to provide exercises that help [your attendees] in their professional life and with their team.”
Regrettably, due to poorly planned (or executed) activities that may not have taken into account a group’s interests, physical capabilities or skill level, the suggestion of team building can sometimes cause instant cringe upon attendees’ faces. But, Shon says, the people who say they don’t like team-building activities, or simply don’t see the value, really haven’t experienced it properly. At its best, team building can enhance any work environment and cause employees to not only work harder but be happier. Of course, there are numerous factors that must be considered in order to choose the proper team-building program (for tips, refer to the “Consider This” sidebar to the right).
So, if seeing “team-building activity” printed on the agenda has made your attendees want to sneak out the back door in the past, it’s time to re-evaluate. And with everything from cooking schools and boat races to drum circles and bicycle building, there is a perfect team-building opportunity available for your group.
Define Your Goal
As a meeting planner, you know that organizing a meeting isn’t easy—making sure your group bonds with each other is yet another challenge. Before you start considering go-kart races or group cattle drives, there is one major step you must take: define your objective. Once you’ve figured out what is important for your group to accomplish, you must then match that with your chosen team building. (Be sure to remember that just because a certain type of team building worked for one meeting, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for another. Every group needs to meet a different goal and money needs to be spent wisely.)“In this economy we’re seeing that people need to get more value for their dollar on meetings,” Shon says. “One of my first questions [to my clients] is ‘What do you want to get out of it?’” she says. Some groups may just want a day to let loose and have a good time, while others are trying to implement a strong message. “Sometimes they just want to have fun,” Shon says. “We want to provide what their vision is, and everyone’s vision is different. We are there to make sure that the face-to-face experience is maximized.”
Another tricky feat for a planner is to define what value means to them. Although ROI is generally measured as a return on tangible dollars, it is also often seen as a result of an improved work ethic among a company’s employees, or as a boost in morale. “The real value is the ability to work together with people in a more effective and efficient manner,” Shon says. “People will work together more effectively if they know each other, and team building builds history quickly.”
Lain Hensley, owner and COO of Chico, Calif.-based Odyssey Teams, a pioneer in team building and leadership skills development, says, “The first three things that people think are: Who are you? Where are you going? Can I trust you? And they are doing the same thing with their company.” As a survival tactic, we generally see the negative above the positive, he explains. “If you see a beautiful meadow with a lion amid the flowers, you better see the lion so you can survive. We have to build the trust, and we have to do it fast.” He says, “There needs to be an emotional connection to the knowledge.” And Odyssey Teams strives to get people to an emotional state. “We catch people being themselves, and then through that we improve the quality of people’s survival.” This way, when the team-building activity is over, each person involved has made a more personal connection with both the meeting’s content and their peers, which leads to a stronger work ethic and positive attitude about the employee’s company (furthering the ROI with less turnover and harder work).
Again, remember that the way to build trust and communication within a team also vastly differs from group to group—so whether you want your team to survive a good ropes course together, get people to experience the great outdoors or help a local organization, there really is no “right” or “wrong” way to encourage people to make new friends and further a relationship. Just be sure the team-building activity fits your group’s overall objective.
Still Room for Fun
With several strategic, business-focused team-building activities under her planner belt, Dahlton Bennington, CMP, CMM, director of business meeting services for Spherion Corporation, a recruiting and staffing firm, also plans such team buildings as beach Olympics, paintball tournaments and make-your-own-commercials—all effective in their own way. “A lot of times the business need will drive what we are looking to do,” Bennington says. “If it’s meant to be simple and fun with people working together, then that is what we do.” The “fun” approach to team building is often a winner for groups as attendees allow themselves to give in to their lighter, less-serious side, and that often shows up in their work.And let’s face it, sometimes a day at the bowling alley or in an arcade is just what your team needs. One option is in the not-so-typical bowling alleys of Strike Cupertino and Strike Orange County, where groups can compete and experience glow-in-the-dark lanes, food service, a DJ and drinks. As we are all kids at heart, another way to bring people together is to play video and arcade games at Dave & Buster’s locations in California, Arizona, Colorado and Texas. Groups of up to 2,000 can participate in team-building options such as the Ultimate Quest, which is a fast-paced indoor scavenger hunt.
Good for Your Team, Good for the Soul
One idea that has gained speed in the last few years is combining your team-building activity with your company’s corporate social responsibility program (for more, see our “Corporate Social Responsibility” article in the August issue). The plus side is it can almost guarantee the trust of employees within the organization or company. “Some people are cynical about team buildings, but when people realize the impact, it gets everyone [engaged],” says Hensley of Odyssey Teams. “You can’t walk out of the room and not feel like this is a good company to work for.”Founded in 1991, Odyssey Teams makes philanthropy a major part of their company, and along with more standard team-building options, they offer three ways for groups to give back. In their repertoire is Life Cycles, where participants assemble bicycles for deserving children (more than 10,000 bikes have been donated worldwide since 2000); Helping Hands, which brings together teams to assemble prosthetic hands to donate to amputees in developing countries; and Project Playhouse, which emphasizes community ties by building playhouses for children’s organizations and facilities.
Bennington of Spherion Corporation recently took her group of 300 to Loews Coronado Bay Resort in San Diego for their annual incentive program, and they participated in Odyssey’s Helping Hands program. In the past, her groups have built bicycles and done other philanthropic team buildings, but she says this experience was the crème de la crème of events. With 300 people, the team worked in groups of three and built 100 prosthetic arms in one day. “Helping Hands was the most impactful because it was such a unique way of being able to give back on such a large scale,” she says. “In the end, it was [the thought that] I gave someone an arm today, and I work for a company that just gave 100 people a limb.” Not only was the experience a significant driver of employee commitment to the company, she says, “It fosters great camaraderie to work with your peers and do things for others.”
Another opportunity for groups to give back is provided through Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program offered in conjunction with The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua on the island of Maui. With a focus on ecology and the local environment, the organization shows groups of up to 150 attendees how they can be a positive part of the world through team-building options such as in-depth snorkeling excursions and hikes that teach Hawaii’s natural and cultural history. “We explore lessons from nature that may help us create more sustainable human communities,” says Dr. Richard Murphy, director of science and education for Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society. “We have learned that team-building activities and personal challenges help build esteem and personal empowerment to tackle the challenges they’ll face when they return home.”
Adventure Awaits
A big part of building a successful team is getting the members out of their element. Because of this, outdoor team-building options are popular with meeting groups and can be anything from typical activities like golf (even for nongolfers), GPS scavenger-like hunts and hiking, to a wide array of more adventurous options. Getting your attendees out of their routine forces them to bond in a way that they don’t, and wouldn’t, in an everyday environment. It’s just like when children choose their teams for a baseball game, Shon of Corporate Games, Inc. says. “You always pick your friends because you’ve built memories together.” Plus, she says, “If people are left to their own devices, they will sit with their friends and are not going to get to know others.”As most people don’t spend their free time driving cattle, the historic 20,000-acre Rancho de los Caballeros resort in Arizona is a wonderful group option. The property offers 79 casitas (great for buyouts) and a 4,500-square-foot conference center, but outdoors is where the real bonding begins, as the ranch specializes in team penning. This true western experience divides your group into teams of three or four and pairs them with a cowboy who will help as little or as much as you wish. Once on horseback, your group is tasked with “cutting” three steers from the bunch, and, as a team, you must herd them into the other end of the arena and get them into a 12-foot-by-12-foot pen. Talk about a giddy-up for morale!
Also showcasing the dude ranch atmosphere, the 25,000-acre Hideout Lodge & Resort in Wyoming offers team-building adventures including full-day cattle drives and horseback rides along one of the many mountainous trails. Their wranglers (or riding guides) know the terrain well and offer a unique perspective on the trails where the rides take place. A maximum of 32 guests can participate.
If you prefer being on water to the desert, the Lodge at Whitefish Lake in Montana can provide your group with a rugged getaway combined with outdoor recreation and team-building options such as fishing, boating or kayaking. The property, with 65 guest rooms, also features more than 8,000 sq. ft. of conference and meeting space, including a 4,000-square-foot lakeside function area.
For a faster-paced water excursion, climb aboard the famous America’s Cup yachts, which are docked in downtown San Diego. With options for groups of up to 120, the two 80-foot yachts fit 20 attendees each (the legendary America can accommodate up to 80). Racing can be done both competitively and in a more friendly manner, and the options are endless, with team T-shirts, multiple heats that lead up to the final race and awards ceremonies.
Also for the more adventuresome groups, Wide Open Adventures warns groups to “forget everything they know about the ‘typical’ corporate outing.” Based in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, this team-building opportunity happens in the driver’s seat of an off-road vehicle while speeding across deserts, dunes and wide-open spaces. Adding to the company’s high-speed—and highly effective—technique is that the driving is done in pairs (driver and co-driver), where they share a collective sense of discovery together as well as with the group, via car-to-car radio instructions.
Back to Basics
No matter what team-building activity you choose (after careful consideration, of course), the bottom line is that team building can work for any group. And it’s a back-to-basics team-building philosophy that drives its success. Dr. Murphy of Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society strongly believes in groups and teams giving back to the community; however, he also stresses that, “Happy people are more productive than unhappy people.” And it doesn’t really get any more basic than that.CONSIDER THIS
In order to narrow down the possibilities and make a final decision on your next team-building event, here are the things you should consider:
- Group make-up (male/female ratio, age, occupation(s), fitness levels, handicaps)
- Size of the group (some types of activities are limited to smaller groups)
- Time frame for the event (a 30-minute activity is a lot different than one that lasts three hours or longer)
- Budget (events range from $500 to $15,000+)
- Do you want to tie in the theme of your meeting, and if so, to what extent?
- Does every person in the group need to participate equally?
- Is this a competition where a team will “win” and others will not? (Many activities can be structured where everyone wins, or has the potential to reach a specific goal.)
- Time of day. Does the activity happen first thing in the morning, during or after lunch, during dinner, after dinner? (This does make a difference.)
- Has your group done any team building in the past, and if so, what did they do and what was the result? (You don’t want to duplicate and you always want to do better.)
- Do you want a debriefing session, and can the team-building company you are considering do this?
Note: the team building companies that you are considering should ask you these questions, not simply try to rent you equipment or sell you games.
-Corporate Games, Inc.
WHY TEAM BUILDING?
“Team building is not going away, but it’s going to go through a cycle. Right now it’s more about ROI, and when the economy gets better people will be in a more celebratory mood. They’ll want to have fun and let loose, but there will always be the need for people to get more out of what they are spending.”-Cynthia Shon, Corporate Games, Inc.
“Team building breaks down barriers of hierarchy and self confidence, proving to all that each person has valuable qualities and input, and the best solutions to whatever challenge will come from a team effort, a team effort of equals, where all input is respected.”
-Dr. Richard Murphy, Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society
“Team building is a creative and exciting way for individuals to share ideas and network with each other.”
-Dahlton Bennington, CMP, CMM, Spherion Corporation
“I love the [philanthropic team building] programs. I love seeing people have the awakening where they discover the internal changes they need to make…that moment when they finally get it for themselves.”
-Lain Hensley, Odyssey Teams
