Are the Right People on Your Bus?
With just one exception, in our 18 years of helping teams develop ‘communication’ has always been listed as one of the areas team members would most like to improve. In the case of the crew on US Airways Flight 1549 that successfully ditched into the Hudson River it was the difference between life and death.

Despite all our high tech gadgetry it seems we could all be more productive if only we could communicate more effectively. Here are a few techniques we’ve discovered;

Bring back tea breaks – In the old days a bell would sound and the whole workforce would take a break, during which time colleagues could catch up with one another, seek advice and monitor progress informally and ‘off the record’ The senior team at a TV station we worked with realised, during an away day that they’d lost the art of conversation. Every email, agenda item and presentation had a definitive subject heading, meaning their days were full but lacked time for spontaneous sharing of ideas. From that day forward they agreed to get together for a 15 minute coffee every day at 10.30, without any agenda, just to catch up. Communication improved instantly!

Mix it up – At smoothie company innocent departments don’t sit together. Instead a sales person might sit next to an accountant on one side and an administrator on the other. Simply by overhearing what someone from a different department is doing can dramatically improve cross functional awareness.

Email protocol – Have you ever had one of those days when the constant flow of email has meant you’ve not crossed a single item off your ‘to do list’? Several organisations now have ‘no email days’ once a week. Alternatively simply make it known that you will spend time reading email before 10 am and after 4 pm, anything more urgent should be communicated face to face or on the phone.

Meetings in moments - There are numerous ways in which meetings can be improved but one of the best ways is to simply take away the chairs. People tend to make their point succinctly when standing up and this less comfy dynamic creates a clear sense of urgency therefore saving time.

Speak the truth - An enormous amount of time is wasted by office politics. All too often team members don’t know how to give and receive honest feedback, it’s a delicate process and should not be entered into without professional help. However as little as a day spent giving and getting input from team mates can heighten trust and transform a good team into a great team.

'Trust Unpacked' and 'Think Yourself Fit' workshops on 20th May
Join us in central London on Wednesday 20th May to preview our new workshop, Trust Unpacked. A separate workshop will also look at he latest medical updates on handling stress in the workplace.

The trust workshop follows the publication, last year, of the book Trust Unwrapped and is designed to help organisations regain the trust lost as a result of the credit crunch whilst also embedding the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility in key staff.

In the afternoon of the same day our good friend Dr Brian Marien will be bringing us up to date on the latest discoveries from the medical world on how our thoughts and memories can impact our day to day performance and in particular the way we handle stress. Brian is a highly sought-after speaker and regarded as one of the foremost thinkers in a field which is predicted to turn the healthcare, pharmaceutical and insurance industries on their heads in coming years.

Complimentary places for both of these events are limited and available by application only, if you'd like to attend please click here to register.

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If you are planning a staff conference or team building event, or simply need some ideas on how to motivate your group, please feel free to contact Tom Vaughton on 01920 822 220 or visit www.freshtracks.co.uk.

Fresh Tracks
Team Building, Conferences, Motivational Activities
Web: www.freshtracks.co.uk
Tel: 01920 822 220
Email: mail@freshtracks.co.uk

‘teams that play together, work together’