Fresh Tracks Team Talk

Raising Productivity at Work
A seminar exploring the link between wellbeing and performance in the workplace
Tuesday 20 May 2008 - 9am - 12.30pm - Central London
If you are interested in exploring the impact of well-being on productivity in the workplace, then you won't want to miss our next workshop. This half day event is a taster session on a range of ideas about assessing and developing healthy, resilient and high-performing teams and individuals. It showcases emerging thinking about well-being in the workplace and gives practical solutions to address these issues.

Secure your place today by clicking here there is a £50.00 administration fee for this booking.

Your next staff conference - all taken care of!
If you're planning a conference - anything from an informal staff get-together, to a major presentation or staff reward event - why not give Fresh Tracks a call to see how we can help?

Over the years we have built up considerable experience of organising conferences for clients. Our work often includes putting together the entire event including programme content, arranging the venue and catering, sorting out the AV, providing prizes, transportation and an MC for the day.

However we're also happy to work on a smaller scale to provide conference filler activities for perhaps one or two slots during the day. We've worked with groups of 20 and groups of over 700 people, so we're happy to scale up or down. The important thing is that everything is tailored to your needs and budget, so we'll work with you to make sure that your day is a success whatever the nature of the event.

Please contact us on 01920 822 220, or click here to visit our website for more information.

Turn off e-mail and do something less boring instead
With inboxes bulging with messages and many workers dreading the daily deluge of e-mail, some companies are taking drastic action.

Intel has become the latest in an increasingly long line of companies to launch a so-called 'no e-mail day'. On Fridays, 150 of its engineers revert to more old fashioned means of communication. In actual fact e-mail isn't strictly forbidden, but engineers are encouraged to talk to each other face to face or pick up the phone rather than rely on e-mail.

The idea of a no e-mail day is not a new one in the US; last year, fulfilment firm PBD launched a no e-mail Friday, when Chief executive Scott Dockter suspected that over-dependence on e-mail was damaging productivity. Four months later the company felt the trial had been a resounding success, with better teamwork, happier customers and quicker problem solving.

Another study conducted by the researchers at the Universities of Glasgow and Paisley found that one third of users felt stressed by the heavy volume of e-mail they had to deal with. When e-mail behaviour was tracked it was found that many people were checking their inbox as often as 30 to 40 times per hour.

"There was a mismatch between how often people thought they looked at their inbox and how often they actually did it," said Mario Mare, a lecturer at the University of Paisley. He also found that people were setting their own rules when it came to dealing with e-mail. "Some people had a very relaxed attitude to it while others felt they had to respond immediately to every e-mail," he said. Mario believes that no e-mail days can be useful particularly among workers who need to concentrate for long periods of time.

It is true that technology is supposed to make us more efficient, but with our lives so often driven by interruptions maybe the time has come to re-discover the off button. (Article from BBC News 24)

Book Review - Successful Teambuilding in a Week, by Graham Willcocks & Steve Morris
A successful team is essential to every manager in the smooth running of any department or company. Managers who set up, develop and run effective teams are the managers who get the best results. This book, in a light hearted and easy to read format, looks at the skills and insight that you need to create and develop excellent teams. The steps include:

- The benefits of teams
- Setting common goals
- Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses
- Developing an atmosphere of openness
- Procedures for decision-making

Click here to purchase this book from AbeBooks.co.uk.

Some recent Fresh Tracks events
ColorVote & Team Tasks - Focused learning for The Leasehold Advisory Service
Belbin & Lights, Camera, Action - Team analysis and filming fun for The Leasehold Advisory Service
Multi Activity Day - All action team fun for Aeroflex
Polaroid Treasure Hunt - for Housing 21

If you are planning a staff conference or team building event in 2008, or simply need some ideas on how to motivate your group, please feel free to contact us on 01920 822 220 or visit www.freshtracks.co.uk.

Fresh Tracks
"Creating better workplaces"
Team Building, Motivational Activities, Event Management Solutions
Web: www.freshtracks.co.uk
Tel: 01920 822 220
Email: mail@freshtracks.co.uk

‘teams that play together, work together’