How team building exercises can help relieve stress

Work related stress is a common complaint. The latest figures from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) show that the total number of cases of stress in 2011/12 was 428, 000 (40%) out of a total of 1, 073, 000 for all work-related illnesses. Team building exercises can help combat some of the reasons and symptoms of stress in the workplace.

Whilst a little stress can push people to achieve – too much stress can have damaging and far reaching effects not only on the individual suffering but for the company and other team members.

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Why trusting your team drives results

For the ultimate exercise in developing trust, take your team out on the blindfolded 4×4 challenge for an experience that will never be forgotten.

Trust is something that is usually earned rather than gifted and without trust within the workings of a business, communication can become flawed, direction can be lost and ultimately the company can suffer as a result. Our blindfolded 4×4 challenge develops trust amongst colleagues. And it’s a real laugh too!…

The Team Machine in action!

The Team Machine is an fun team building event that requires participants to co-operate with other teams to achieve a common goal.

Each team is given a set of building materials to create a moving sculpture. The plans are muddled requiring sharing of data before building can commence. Components must be assembled in just the right way for the individual mechanisms to work. Later the teams must work together to find the correct sequence of mechanisms, so that, once launched each element will trigger the next in a chain reaction building to an explosive finale!

Have a look at The Team Machine in action at a recent Fresh Tracks team building event.

Harness the World Cup Buzz

Whether you love football or not our Giant Human Table Football pitch is a tremendous way to use football fever to motivate and reward your employees.

We still have a limited number of slots available for exclusive hire during July (starting from just £1500).

The pitch can be inflated on a car park or even inside your building, space permitting. 15 minute five-a-side matches mean that up to 100 players can take part in less than 3 hours during which spectators get to cheer, chant and chuckle as team mates shuffle left and right in unison as they attempt to block, pass and shoot the ball into their opponents goal.

Don’t just watch the World Cup – play! Contact us today.

Ewe and I make a great team…

A run through the countryside demonstrated how a group can quickly become a team when faced with an unexpected challenge.

Two ewes and four lambs were out of their field and roaming the woods on a local running route, so we responsibly set about coaxing them back through the gate to the rest of their flock. Only a video could do justice to the comedy value of a group waving, bahhing, heading off sheep and trying to behave like sheepdogs. However, on reflection, we went through the following team development process…

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Team Building can Appeal to Everyone

Finding a team building event for a large department can be a challenge.  The Activists want to run about while the Reflectors would rather observe.  Pragmatists will ask ‘What’s the point of this?’ While Theorists might prefer to study and solve a complex puzzle.

We reckon we’ve developed a format that can please all of the people all of the time.  We combine a variety of competitive team challenges to meet each participant’s preferred style, demonstrating that our differences can be the source of our success in a team….

Top 5 Team Building Activities

As team away days start to appear in 2014 diaries here’s a list of what’s likely to be adding some fun and bonding to this year’s off-site.

5.  The Toy Factory makes a difference to less fortunate children as teams create handmade wooden toys.
Outcomes – values, pride, see the softer side of colleagues, explore manufacturing processes and find time to talk to one another.…

Why Junior Teams outshine Senior Teams

Over the last 20 years we’ve had the privilege of working with thousands of teams from groups of children through to boards of FTSE companies.

On reflection, it seems that the more senior the team the less effective it may be, here’s why:…

How Balfour Beatty Play it Safe

Trust your team… it’s blindingly obvious

Trust is a two way street, and developing trust within your team can be a key strategy to driving the business forward. 

We recently re-discovered this piece from the Times (March 3, 2005) about our blindfolded 4×4 driving course.  A perfect event for demonstrating and developing trust… and a lot of fun to boot….