Vodafone Fail to Make the Connection

If you’ve travelled on the London Underground recently you might have seen a series if posters featuring team building exercises.

Vodafone team building advertising

Smart phones might be clever but even they have their limitations.

Vodafone have launched an advertising campaign suggesting that with their service teams can connect without the need to spend time together.

We would challenge this assumption on the basis that whilst it is possible to convey information by phone it’s almost impossible to build trust.

Trust is the single greatest differential between good and bad teams and to build trust takes a combination of time, commitment, shared experience and common values.

Smart phones might be clever but even they have their limitations.

What are your thoughts?

style="vertical-align:middle" Make an enquiry    style="vertical-align:middle" Become a contact on Linkedin    style="vertical-align:middle" Follow us on Twitter

Will the Olympics Spoil Conferences?

If your organisation holds a large annual conference, prepare yourself for a very different experience in 2012.

A pop up conference centre

A shortage of venues this summer might be just the thing to breathe new life into your next conference

A combination of the Olympics, the Farnborough Air Show and other major events between June and September means that many of the larger hotels and conference centres already have bookings confirmed for this period and are unable to accept large bookings during the summer conference season of 2012.

Whilst this might send a shiver down your conference organiser’s spine, they needn’t panic. Read more »

style="vertical-align:middle" Make an enquiry    style="vertical-align:middle" Become a contact on Linkedin    style="vertical-align:middle" Follow us on Twitter

The end of email? 5 tips for reducing email overload

James Murdoch must be wishing News International had stuck with printed memos as the Leveson enquiry threatens to pin the blame on him for the phone hacking scandal.

Tips for reducing email overload

Having a problem with too many emails? Some solutions to this will be part of our next event "How to be more Productive with Less Stress" on Friday 16th March 2012

The rest of us face the daily battle to select the important from the apparently urgent, as we try to spend time on the priorities that will drive our organisations forward and not fall into the trap of our Inbox becoming our To Do List. Some solutions to this will be part of our next workshop “How to be more Productive with Less Stress“ on Friday 16th March 2012.

The Financial Times recently reported that Read more »

style="vertical-align:middle" Make an enquiry    style="vertical-align:middle" Become a contact on Linkedin    style="vertical-align:middle" Follow us on Twitter

Resolve not to Regret – 5 Reasons to seize the day

As we consider what resolutions we will make in 2012 it is sobering to reflect on the regrets of those that have gone before us.

What will your new year's resolution be?

What will your new year's resolution be?

Bronnie Ware was a palliative nurse who cared for many people in the final weeks of their life. Over time, she compiled a list of their most commonly held regrets. Interestingly in each case people don’t regret things they have done but in fact regret things they have not done.

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

So as opportunities arise in 2012 let’s not be put off by the consequence of our actions but instead seize each day.

style="vertical-align:middle" Make an enquiry    style="vertical-align:middle" Become a contact on Linkedin    style="vertical-align:middle" Follow us on Twitter

Our new team building event – it’ll really get up your nose

This month it’s been hard to miss the highly polished and celebrity endorsed TV commercials for exotic perfumes.

Perfume making team building event image

Could your team make the next big celebrity endorsed perfume?

Scent forms a significant part of all our lives whether we wear perfume or not – our food, washing powders, cleaning products and even hotel lobbys are infused with odours designed to make us feel either calm or energised, happy or nostalgic.

Our latest team building event The Perfume Challenge is Read more »

style="vertical-align:middle" Make an enquiry    style="vertical-align:middle" Become a contact on Linkedin    style="vertical-align:middle" Follow us on Twitter

Large scale team building event – when co-operation is the name of the game

The very nature of team building activities encourages participants to co-operate with their team members to achieve success, but a lot of these activities rely on competition rather than co-operation.

The Team Machine - The Large Scale Team Building Event

The Team Machine, an energetic, large scale team building exercise requiring participants to co-operate with other teams to achieve a common goal

Messages about the importance of co-operation and communication across the whole organisation rather than just within a small team can therefore be missed. With this in mind Fresh Tracks developed a new large scale team building exercise a couple of years ago – The Team Machine – based on a construction exercise that many will recognise from their childhood. Read more »

style="vertical-align:middle" Make an enquiry    style="vertical-align:middle" Become a contact on Linkedin    style="vertical-align:middle" Follow us on Twitter

Team Briefings – Boring or Brilliant

On 21st October Fresh Tracks hosted a seminar entitled “How to Deliver Tremendous Team Events”. In preparing the programme we’ve talked to several team leaders and one of the greatest areas of concern currently is that regular Team Briefings are lacking and ineffective. This is particularly the case in organisations undergoing change.

Any Given Sunday clip

A good team briefing can make all the difference

In pondering how to add value to Team Briefings in the workplace I couldn’t help but wonder how Martin Johnson approaches the half time team talk he gives the England Team playing in the Rugby World Cup. These short pep-talks can make all the difference as brilliantly illustrated by Al Pacino’s character in the American Football movie: Any Given Sunday (YouTube clip).

Sometimes a pep-talk isn’t appropriate – perhaps an open discussion is a better way for the team to air their feelings; or an energising activity can be used to illustrate an important team behaviour.

Whatever the approach, it’s important that these opportunities for teams to come together aren’t wasted. In a world where most of our conversations happen via a screen we really need to make the most of face to face meetings.

This workshop has now happened so if you are interested in finding out how to deliver tremendous team events do call us on: 01920 822 220.

style="vertical-align:middle" Make an enquiry    style="vertical-align:middle" Become a contact on Linkedin    style="vertical-align:middle" Follow us on Twitter

It’s national Play Day on 3rd August and yes this affects your workplace!

Wednesday 3rd August is National Play Day, inspired in part by the fact that over 80% of adults feel that children should be encouraged to play more outdoors because it builds community spirit. Yet we live in a society where just 20% of children play outside their homes, whereas 30 years ago that figure was 70%.

“If you want your people to be more creative, give them more time to play” John Cleese

Play isn’t just diminishing in the lives of children. As workplaces become busier and leaner there is less time for informal conversations and light hearted activity. This drive for efficiency might not be quite as good for business as you’d think. Comedian, psychologist and successful businessman in his own right John Cleese said “If you want your people to be more creative, give them more time to play.” Read more »

style="vertical-align:middle" Make an enquiry    style="vertical-align:middle" Become a contact on Linkedin    style="vertical-align:middle" Follow us on Twitter

Team Building For A Good Cause

With the number of disgraced companies rising every month – starting with Enron, then BP last year and now News International - the Corporate Social Responsibility agenda shows little sign of diminishing.  Added to this is the fact that increasing numbers of employees are saying that they are keen to ‘give something back’ and ‘make a difference’ through their work.

In response to increased requests for team building activities that generate some community benefit, Fresh Tracks have created The Toy Factory

In response to increased requests for team building activities that generate some community benefit, Fresh Tracks have created  The Toy Factory. This is a half day event that can be run in any  meeting room  and  yet results in beautifully crafted, hand made, wooden toys.  Our connections with children’s hospitals and charities mean that the resulting toys from the exercise can be donated to children or sold, with money raised going to the host company’s  chosen good cause. Read more »

style="vertical-align:middle" Make an enquiry    style="vertical-align:middle" Become a contact on Linkedin    style="vertical-align:middle" Follow us on Twitter

Happiness at Work – why does it matter?

Happiness at work – why does it matter is a half day event being hosted by Roffey Park with our own Dan Collins on Wednesday 6th July in central London.

Roffey Park Event

Come and find out why happiness at work does matter

According to research recently published by Roffey Park in The Management Agenda there is:

  • a clear, well-defined link between the well-being of staff and the bottom line
  • evidence that organisations that are steadfastly driven by their purpose – not their shareholders – are the most financially successful

Put simply, businesses that do well by their people, help them find fulfilment through their work and who demonstrate ethical leadership are rewarded by loyalty and higher performance and productivity.

Please join us, click here to book (external website run by Roffey Park Institute).

style="vertical-align:middle" Make an enquiry    style="vertical-align:middle" Become a contact on Linkedin    style="vertical-align:middle" Follow us on Twitter
Next Page »
WP-Backgrounds by InoPlugs Web Design and Juwelier Schönmann