During our 25 years of hosting team building events we’re often told how much our activities are ‘so much better’ than previous experiences. Here are some we’ve thankfully not been involved in:
1. Fire walking – this became popular in the early 90s until a large insurance company didn’t allow the coals to turn to embers, resulting in several scorched underwriters. This dramatic activity works because of the low thermal conductivity of burning wood and the limited contact time between the sole of the foot and the smouldering embers, in this case the organisers failed to understand the science.
2. Group led facilitation – a facilitator sits alone in a room surrounded by chairs, as participants arrive the facilitator says nothing. Participants sit down, still the facilitator doesn’t speak. After a long awkward silence someone asks the facilitator what’s happening. He responds “What do you think should happen?” This goes on and people become annoyed, especially activist leaders. After several hours the fact that people have become emotional is deemed to have been progress.
3. Eating creepy crawlies – no doubt inspired by a popular celebrity reality TV show. It isn’t fair on the animals or participants, no lives should be lost for team building.
4. Pub crawl – there will be people in most teams who like to drink to excess, they tend not to be quiet about it either. Sometimes unwittingly applying pressure on others, not good if this leads to resentment or deep offense amongst those who choose not to drink for cultural or medical reasons.
5. Sauna – in Japan taking a bath with your boss whilst naked is thought to be a leveling experience and encourages openness.
None of the above appear in our new 2018 catalogue but you can:
· Build BMX Bikes for underprivileged teens
· Use your combined wits to exit Escape Rooms
· Discover one another’s Motivational Value System
· Complete 100 tasks in 100 minutes
During 2017 we’ve worked with small teams of just 8 along with several groups as large as 150, as you make plans for your 2018 conferences and away days please keep in touch to hear our fresh ideas and insights.
