Adventure Challenge on The National Mall

Last week we had the good fortune to run an Adventure Challenge – a self-led, rotational-style of team building event – for a DC not-for-profit.  The Charles G Koch Foundation (a charitable foundation whose mission is international development through societal prosperity initiatives) asked us to provide a recreational team building event that would create unity, enhance communication, and improve interactions between the new and older... [Read More...]

Recreational Team Building Vs Team Development

From time to time, I meet clients who have taken part in some activity that was billed as ‘Team Building.’  The experiences they share can vary widely.  Some found their team building experience “extremely beneficial” while others though it was “a complete waste of time”  Many have commented that team building is nothing more than a pleasant distraction.  The efficacy of a team building endeavor is dependent... [Read More...]

Let’s Not Call It Team Building

As a provider of team building, retreat facilitation, and experiential training for organizational improvement, I make a point of researching the trends in my industry.  With no shortage of information available on the internet, I am painfully aware of the confusion and the negative feedback that surrounds the ideas and the execution of activities under the umbrella of “team building”. There are many companies that promote themselves... [Read More...]

Teams Benefit from Slowing Economy

A Slow Economy is Time for Business Process Improvement You’re probably thinking “How could anyone benefit from a slowing economy?” Well, this statement certainly needs clarification.  Not every team will benefit from economic hardship.  In fact, many teams will shrink (labor statistics are a blatant example of this sad reality) and many benefits will be cut.  Managers and business owners are ‘tightening their belts.’ For... [Read More...]

Making the Case for Team Building

Mouse Trap Trust Exercise Over the years I have had the good fortune of working with groups from a wide variety of fields and populations – from youth camps, schools and Scouts to NGO’s, small businesses and government agencies.  The individuals who contact me to secure a team building program usually have a general idea of team building and often have a general goal of getting to know each other, enhancing interpersonal communication... [Read More...]