Try our newest team building event and create a giant piece of sand art that represents your team’s strengths and character.

Work with your team and see the bigger picture

The day starts with a facilitated discussion about the nature of teams and what kind of team the group is. After a session encouraging creativity and different approaches to art, the team is asked to begin designing a piece of art that can be scaled up to a finished product of around 100m long. Read the rest of this entry »

Organising an event, conference or team building day can be a fun and creative process that gives you the opportunity to develop new ideas and rise to new challenges. Or it can be a time-consuming task that drains the life-force from you, adding furrows to your brow. Occasionally it can be a bit of both.

If involved in training and events a “Keep Calm and Carry On” attitude will stand you in good stead

To make it more of the former and less of the latter, the key is to have an approach that will cover three key elements: Content – what is it that people will be doing/listening to?; Delivery – who is responsible for running the activity or programme on the day?; and finally, Venue – where will it take place? Read the rest of this entry »

We have just come up with an idea for a new team building energiser that can be run inside or outside and would work especially well with larger teams. It’s called ‘Team Jump’.

This activity is not as easy as it sounds, especially with larger groups

Overview:
A great way to re-energise the team and have a great photo memory of your day’s training.

Running the Activity: Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all sat through countless meetings. Here’s how you can make them more effective.

Even Super Heroes need advice about holding constructive meetings

Thou shalt: Read the rest of this entry »

Regardless of the team’s level – youth, high school, college, or the pros – players need to be consistently motivated to be successful, even winning teams.

How will Spain motivate themselves for the next tournament?

Teams that are not motivated are flat and, unless they can totally overpower their opponent, unlikely to succeed. Motivation is giving players a reason to perform to the best of their ability to achieve team goals. This responsibility falls on the coach and the players. It takes a team effort to be mentally and physically prepared to play and to maintain a level of interest that puts your team in a position to win.

Try these four ways to motivate your players: Read the rest of this entry »

Despite the scary sounding name, users of psychometrics often report that they enjoy the process and feel encouraged by the output.

Psychometrics are not the daunting prospect many think they are. Facilitated properly they can be quite the opposite

In simple terms a psychometric is a questionnaire that helps the user better understand themselves. In a team this is an excellent way to identify colleagues’ strengths and preferences. For instance a questionnaire might say that Sue is creative and sociable who works best when given regular feedback by her manager whilst Dave is disciplined and analytical, preferring to be set a task and left alone to get on until he’s completed the work. Read the rest of this entry »

Summer holidays are a time when the pace of life slows enough for us take stock, reflect on the future and maybe catch-up with some reading.

Relax, Reflect & Resolve this summer

As you sit on a plane, a beach or in an armchair this summer, you might like to ponder one or two of the following: Read the rest of this entry »

Are you a “good” boss?  One of the most important aspects of an executive’s/manager’s/boss’s job is to manage employees; it is also the most challenging.

Bonus Rule 6: Don't dance in front of staff, especially if you can't dance.

A boss can either create a team unit or keep herself apart. All of us are given choices every moment of every day. How we respond to difficult situations is a choice. How we choose to react in a moment affects not only us but our employees. Employees perform best in an environment that is supportive, consistent, has good two way communication, and where everyone helps each other.

Follow these five tips to become a “good” boss: Read the rest of this entry »

It’s always going to be the case that you find some people easier to work with than others.

Rule 4: Avoid micromanagement

Sometimes you can pinpoint the problem immediately (if, for example, your employee is lazy or unresponsive, comes in late and leaves early, shirks responsibility, or constantly questions your authority without cause).

But there are times when your personality just isn’t compatible with those on your team. Unfortunately, you still have work with these people and find a way to motivate them so that the whole team can realize success.

To that end, here are a few simple ways to keep the peace and get everyone working towards the same goal: Read the rest of this entry »

Being asked to work late and working to ever tighter deadlines is tough, but not as tough as the tasks the Tour de France support teams are being put through this week.

Boss's come in all shapes and sizes.

It’s 40 degrees C in the mountains, with a dry headwind evaporating the riders’ sweat before it can cool their surging blood.  Consequently the riders are dehydrating faster than expected.  The support teams must get more water to them more quickly and in the midst of the race. Read the rest of this entry »