Conference Facilitation & Team Building Blogs

Creating Captivating Conferences

I expect we have all at one time or another sat in a conference feeling bored. As our attention drifts from the indistinct slides and the speaker’s monotone soliloquy to the comfort or otherwise of our seat.

Don't let your conference be a waste of money

We begin to ponder whether the vast sums spent on such events will generate a worthwhile return. All too often expense and time come before imagination and courage. By this we mean that a little time spent thinking creatively about how your event will be sure to engage, inspire and motivate your audience will not only save money but, more importantly, extinguish boredom….

Teams that play together work together

What would you put at the top of a list of characteristics that make a good team? Perhaps; trust, flexibility, empathy, communication, shared responsibility or effectiveness?

Trust and communication are very important in team work

What becomes clear if you look at these characteristics is that most of them are not the hard skills of industry or management expertise: most are attitudes rather than skills. Successful team players are defined by the way they relate to their colleagues, and the way in which they interact across a broad range of skills bases. In fact 80% of what makes a good team member is determined by these positive attitudes, and only 20% by the specific job skills they possess.

So why does industry spend around 80% of its training budget on developing often short-lived skills which need updating on a regular basis? …

Developing the talent within our organisations

Despite rising unemployment recruiters of senior managers are claiming it is still far from easy to attract talent.  People in secure employment are far less willing to switch jobs than they were two years ago.

It's imperative to develop the talent within our organisations. This young man obviously has high aspirations but may be too young for the managment development training.

It is therefore imperative to develop the talent within our organisations, a fact supported by a Deloitte survey that found 60% of business leaders intend to increase investment in management development in the months ahead.  Another survey carried out by PwC reports that 85% of CEOs expect to overhaul the way their organisations manage people during change….

How to work like a team of superheroes

What separates the greatest teams from the rest is their mix of talents and, crucially their understanding of one anothers’ strengths.

Fortunately Brains knew that flying wasn't his greatest strength

When team building there are a number of questionnaires (or psychometrics) that can be used to help teams identify their strengths and preferences.  When this information is used to assign roles and tasks true teams are formed.

All teams need a blend of the following:…

Do some team building by asking the right questions

Wouldn’t it be good to know that every decision you take over the next 12 months will be the right one. This may sound impossible but there is a way to significantly increase the likelihood of your decisions being correct.

Trust, decisive leadership and openness will all significantly save time. Which one of these two asks the best questions?

The secret is understanding. Without understanding we are very likely to make bad or the wrong decisions, with greater understanding we should have, not just the facts but also the instinct to make the right choices.

The key to gaining understanding is to ask the right people the right questions, whether they be staff, colleagues, customers or even our bosses. Here are some pointers towards asking the right questions:…

A very brief look at the Myers Briggs personality test

Fresh Tracks uses the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to develop teams but what is it? For this months video blog Vancover Film School have produced a very simple explanation.

Wikipedia explains that Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is a psychometric questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions.  These preferences were extrapolated from the typological theories originated by Carl Gustav Jung, as published in his 1921 book Psychological Types (English edition, 1923). …

What leadership style are you?

Whether you are managing a team at work, captaining your sports team or leading a multi national organisation your leadership style is crucial to your success. 

Was Spartacus a visionary or diplomatic leader?

Consciously, or subconsciously, you will no doubt use some of the 10 leadership styles featured below, at least some of the time.  By understanding these leadership styles and their impact, you can become a more flexible, better leader. …

How To: Motivate your team ready for the New Year

It can take several days for your team to really get back into the full swing of things after the Christmas break so it’s imperative that you are already thinking of novel employee motivation ideas to kick start 2010.

January is a great time to motivate the workforce

Although the right attitude, application and work ethic are important throughout the year, we’ve assembled some employee motivational events that will inspire and invigorate your personnel during a gloomy January….

Fresh or Foolish? – A motivated workforce the Ricardo Semler way

The idea that staff set their own pay, come and go from the office as they please, all within a business that has no written strategy sounds like a recipe for disaster. Not the story of a company that’s gone from $4m to $160m.

Is this man a management genius?

Semco is no ordinary workplace, despite the fact that it operates in an industry as ordinary as engineering….

Don’t cancel Christmas – do some team building

The recession may not be officially over yet but most managers appreciate that Christmas needn’t be cancelled again this year.

Be creative this Christmas

Boozy parties are probably not the best way to mark the end of a tough year but that doesn’t mean there’s not value in gathering everyone together.

As we enter an era when return on investment is at the forefront of our minds the annual celebration needs to deliver more than just a few laughs and sore heads the next day.

So, while everyone is together in celabratory mood here are a few suggestions that will turn a turkey dinner into a turning point:…