Succeeding in a Slowing Economy
Organizational Success During Times of Economic Stress With the specter of a looming “economic downturn” upon us, many business leaders are being forced to tighten their belts and rethink their future expenditures. During times like this, off-site retreats and holiday parties are doubtless going to take a lower priority. The irony is now – when things are most challenging for both businesses and their clients – it is even more... [Read More...]
The Six Ropes Activity Station
We recently installed a brand new, and quite experimental element on the ROPES Course at Butler School. “Six Ropes” as it is called, was designed originally to be used as a station for indoor elements in a gymnasium. The benefits of the design are that the element can be easily ’secured,’ is extremely adaptable, and contains both low and high element potential in a 12′ x 12′ area. The element installation itself... [Read More...]
Team Building Gets a Bad Rap
I just read another blog posting about how useless team building exercises are with regards to effective work teams. You know, the kind of article that starts out with a cliche about some ‘touchy-feely’ ice-breaker and what a waste of time it was. And have you seen the Geico commercial that shows the CEO taking a trust fall with the Gecko? Yikes! Team building really gets a bad rap! It is unfortunate that there are so many poorly facilitated... [Read More...]
Trust is at the Root of Innovation
I work part-time as a school teacher at a local Montessori school here in Maryland. My students are ages 3 to 14 years-old and one of the best parts of teaching them is the creativity and ingenuity they possess, seemingly without even trying. They share their questions, ideas and dreams with me, and we all benefit from the experience. The reason they tell me their ideas, no matter how outrageous they might be, is the bond of trust we share. ... [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...]
Book List
In order to improve and enhance our offerings as a team building service provider, we make a point of keeping up with trends, research and literature related to team performance and innovation. I came up with a list that I felt was most useful for building a successful team. The following list is linked to a site that describes and sells these excellent books. Granted, this is a long list, and much of the information found within any one book... [Read More...]
