Tailored Team Building Exercises on Tap

August 2011 will mark Fresh Tracks’ 20th anniversary. During the past two decades we’ve designed, developed and delivered hundreds of experiential team building exercises.

Along the way we’ve created some classics that we use again and again but we still get excited when a client gives us a brief to create something totally new.

For many years we’ve worked with a water company, monitoring their staff engagement and delivering an annual company conference. Part of the brief this year was to create a 30 minute team exercise for the conference that would entertain, involve and educate over 100 people. …

5 More Tips for Instant Team Motivation

Our earlier blog “5 Tips for Instant Team Motivation” was so popular that we have put together another with details of 5 more ways to boost productivity and create a great working environment.

So here are the 5 extra routes to raising team morale in an instant:…

The Top 5 Leadership Qualities

The success or failure of a business or team is very dependent on the leader.

What, therefore, are the most important leadership qualities leaders should be aware of if they want their team or organisation to succeed? Here are our suggestions for the top five:…

Five Tips for Instant Team Motivation

With massive cuts announced across government spending this week it’s unlikely that the office Christmas party is top of the management team’s agenda.

So here are five no cost routes to raising team morale in an instant:…

The Big Picture – Communicating Corporate Values

Finding genuinely effective ways to communicate change in a business can be a challenge. Emails get deleted, newsletters get recycled and live presentations are easily forgotten.

With this conundrum in mind Foster’s Group approached Fresh Tracks to come up with a team activity that would bring to life the launch of their new company identity – Treasury Wine Estates. The strategic decision to separate the Foster’s beer and wine business marked a major change not just in name but also in culture, as the company transforms from a general drinks business to a wine specialist.

As with any change there was a degree of cynicism ahead of the conference, especially toward some of the new values and language being used.

Fresh Tracks responded by creating a challenge…

The 7 Deadliest Sins of Leadership Communication

The 7 deadliest sins of leadership communication are the root of much of an organisation’s problems. Such as, low employee morale, low productivity, negative attitudes and a toxic work environment.

Twenty years in professional baseball management taught me one thing about creating champions on the playing field – it’s that executing the simple “fundamentals” of the game make the biggest difference.

The teams and athletes that effectively execute the little things when the championship is on the line usually end up the winners. To create a champion organisation in business or the not-for-profit world it’s about leadership “communication.”…

New Resources: learn from over 19 years of experience

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand” Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC).

In a world of iPods, iPads and 3D TV, it is perhaps surprising that technology has yet to find a more memorable and effective way to put across a message than the simple act of doing.

For over 19 years Fresh Tracks have been coming up with practical activities that improve understanding. We appreciate that it’s not always possible to take a team out for a day and so we’ve developed a selection of resources that can be used in team meetings and training sessions….

What a laugh – Our new laughter workout

Much like exercise, laugh hard enough and your muscles will begin to ache. Similar to physical exertion, when we laugh the elation we feel combats the effects of stress, our body relaxes and endorphins (natural painkillers) are released into the blood stream.

Last week Fresh Tracks ran our first Laughter Workout at a conference for a team from the BBC. This 45 minute energiser led by our expert Amanda Bate had some participants crying with laughter. Although different people respond in different ways everyone felt able to participate and even the most reserved delegate came away having felt a natural high….

Ten Commandments for Successful Meetings

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

Thou shalt:…

Team Psychometrics What Are They?

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

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….