Conference Facilitation & Team Building Blogs

Does “team building” work?

This is a common question people ask, and some are sceptical of the positive impacts of team building days and events. The impacts of a team day will depend very much on what the activity is, and it is important to remember that team building isn’t just about getting the team together.

Examples of bad team building scenarios

Paintballing

For example, sales executive Paul Garvey claimed that the most insightful team-building exercise he ever participated in involved paintball, which in no way helped to resolve the relationship issues back at the office. Speaking of his former company, he said that colleagues would poach each other’s deals while their manager played favourites. Someone decided a paintball exercise would help. It didn’t, and merely reinforced the divisions and favouritism already present.

Role playing

Another instance of completely inappropriate team building involved the team from a contractor on an Apollo space project. They were asked by their HR department to participate in a role-playing exercise where they had to return safely from the North Pole. Their day-to-day job involved helping astronauts return safely from space. What additional insights into teamwork did HR think this role play could teach them?…

How to Plan a Successful Corporate Event

If you need to plan a corporate event, you may be feeling pressure to ensure it is a successful event. However, it doesn’t need to be. We have put together a list of handy tips to help make sure you get the best out on a corporate event:

1. Be clear about your objectives

Before you even start thinking about content, the venue or even a date, you need to establish what it is you’re holding the event for. Is it to communicate a particular message,  to announce a new initiative,  to motivate staff, or purely as a social and fun occasion? In particular, ask yourself what would a successful event look like? The rest of the planning – style, content and delivery – should then refer back to these objectives….

Can teamwork save lives?

When individuals know how to work together as a team, it makes all the difference in the world. Here, we take a closer look at an example where teamwork saved lives.

Example: US Airways Flight 1549

US Airways Flight 1549 was a scheduled commercial passenger flight from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina, that, on January 15, 2009, ditched in the Hudson River adjacent to Manhattan six minutes after departing from LaGuardia Airport.

While on its initial climb out, the Airbus A320 struck a flock of Canada Geese which resulted in an immediate almost complete loss of thrust from both engines. When the aircrew realised that the plane would be unable to safely reach any airport from its location just northeast of the George Washington Bridge, they turned it southbound and glided over the river, then ditched the airplane virtually intact near the USS Intrepid Museum in midtown Manhattan. After the 155 occupants safely evacuated the partially submerged and sinking plane they were all rescued by nearby watercraft.

The Outcome of the flight crew working together

Recently after a thorough review of the incident the National Transportation Safety Board official adamantly explained how the crew and passengers survived a near catastrophe in the incredible forced water landing on the Hudson River. “The crew worked as a team, not as individuals—and that saved the lives of all 155 people aboard”.

The message was clear: when individuals know how to work together as a team, it makes all the difference in the world.

Successful Tips on How To Lead Better Meetings

As a conference facilitator, I often find myself discussing an upcoming event with a client.  We are literally having a meeting about a meeting!

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The Power of Place

Yesterday, I co-facilitated a leaders’ conference in a woodland.  

Not a hotel with a few trees around it, this was an actual woodland, with trees, leaves, knobbly roots and floral scents.

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Meet our Lead Conference Facilitator

Dan’s Facilitation Journey

My conference facilitation journey started in a Land Rover.

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Professional Conference Facilitator – What to Expect

Who should facilitate your next corporate or business conference? A familiar face that knows your organisation inside out or a professional that will also charge you for attending?

There are pros and cons with both, and despite the costs, there are times when investing in an external professional conference facilitator or moderator can be worthwhile.

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What is a Facilitator?

If you often find that your meetings or conferences don’t end up achieving their purpose, intended goals or expectations you may be interested in how a facilitator could help.

In most meetings, at least one person thinks out loud. And invariably, there are much quieter, more reflective people who have great insights but don’t speak up. This imbalance is the reason so many meetings fail to achieve their potential.  

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How a good night’s sleep can benefit your work productivity

There is no denying that having a good night’s sleep helps to benefit all aspects of your life, from your physical and mental health, relationships with your family and your productivity levels. The same can be said about your work productivity because you will be alert and able to complete tasks better. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, just 13 minutes of extra sleep per night can increase productivity by 2.3%. 

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Activity days your team will love

If you own a company, it’s important that you decide to incorporate team days throughout the year. As well as the fun this will bring to the team, it will lead to increased communication, planning skills, employee motivation and collaboration. This helps employees to see each other in a different light, other than the standard office routine where they are used to. 

This all ties into effective team building, which works in with both work and colleague relationships.

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