All for One And One for All
Author: Hunter Holcombe
September 2008
Features
Team building can be exhilarating, fun and productive
Cowboys and Indians, a rite of passage for millions of children, is often the first role-playing experience they will encounter in their lives. This iconic matchup, of course, is simply one variation of hundreds of scenarios used by children across the globe to bring to life their favorite heroes and villains, but the effect is the same—it teaches kids how to interact with one another, work together, compete with one another and use their imagination.
Ironically, 30 or 40 or 50 years later, these same, seemingly childish, games—full of subtle strategy, manipulation and teamwork—might be used to help a Fortune 500 company boost Q4 sales, build cooperation between IT and PR or simply improve morale. And today, team-building programs are more creative, exhilarating and hilarious than ever before.
At their best, these programs can be powerful tools for making a group of people tighter and a company stronger. It can fuse interoffice relationships, mend problematic ones, create new systems of operation and reveal unknown talent and abilities. At its core, however, team building offers adults an excuse to engage in a level of pure, unabashed fun that they may not have indulged in for a long time. Rarely in our adult lives would we find it plausible to be go-kart racing against 10 coworkers, tearing around a city looking for hidden clues, dramatically acting out a Western gunfight or teetering on a high-wire, 75 feet above the ground, with only the CFO’s outstretched arm to keep you from falling. Let’s face it—team building is just downright fun!
But when it comes to team building, almost anything is possible and, with the innovative programs available today, a group of people can discover things about themselves and each other that would be nearly impossible in a “professional” office environment—and the rewards can be immeasurable.
With so much to gain from such a enjoyable experience, you might want to sign up your team for the most interesting and exciting team-building event you know of. But consider a few factors before making the call. Not only is team building a tangible expense (both in dollars and time out-of-office), it is an activity that must be carefully tailored to the type of group you have. Some of the most valuable programs may be those that nudge people out of their comfort zones, but if this goes too far for some people, you could end up with frustrated or unengaged participants—the last thing you want to happen.
Finding and facilitating the right experience for your group demands multiple skills on your part, such as group psychologist, team motivator and crisis averter—just part of another day’s work as a meeting professional, right? But the rewards will far outweigh the hurdles as, if done well, almost nothing can do more to make a group tighter, more efficient and instantly motivated—and create more laughs than last year’s Christmas party.
FROM GOLF TO GPS ORIENTEERING
Thanks to technology, innovation and a surge in popularity, the range of team-building options gives planners myriad opportunities to find an ideal activity for the collective personality and goals of their group.
“Back in the ’70s and ’80s, it was mainly ropes courses,” recalls J.T. Taylor, president of Team Building USA (teambuildingusa.com), one of the largest corporate team-building and management-training companies in the world. Taylor, who has been involved with team building for more than 20 years, says it is only in the last decade or so that these activities have blossomed and become an integral part of a meeting planner’s responsibilities.
“Team building really came on the map in the ’90s, and it hit the meeting-planner scene in the mid-’90s,” he says.
Of course, companies have had methods for interoffice bonding for generations—it’s a natural and essential part of business. Whether a round of golf, a company cocktail party or the annual retreat, simply getting together outside of the office for something fun builds morale and brings employees closer together.
The first ropes courses took things to a new level, however, as employees now had to critically depend on each other to overcome a fear of heights, tackle obstacles and learn to trust. Cracking jokes over a glass of wine with your accountant might make you better friends, but preventing each other from falling off a high wire brings about a whole other level of camaraderie.
Today, professional team-building companies offer everything from corporate responsibility programs (building bikes for kids, planting trees) to intensive problem-solving (GPS treasure hunts, group engineering) to social activities (acting, performing) to pure exhilarating recreation (white-water rafting, cattle-driving). There are certainly limitations—you won’t find many cattle-driving options in Los Angeles—but the sheer abundance and range of options means you should really take the time to seek out the perfect activity for your group.
One option that has proved popular with groups is NBC Universal Studios’ Make Your Own Movie program, which allows teams to write, act, direct and edit their own miniature movie, commercial or music video. Because the teams have access to the L.A. studio’s professional back lot sets and filming equipment, these aren’t your amateur home videos—the limitations are only your group’s acting and directing abilities. Even if they are, er, lacking in these skills, you’ll still have a video that will draw as much laughter in the office as it does cringing.
Programs like this are ideal for several reasons—they create an environment where individual members can demonstrate their creative talents, the group is forced to work collaboratively and the activity is almost universally fun for the entire group. Who wouldn’t want the chance to create their own film with real Hollywood equipment?
“Employees literally talk about it for days on end because they had such a great time,” says Morgan Hoffman, studio special events representative for NBC Universal. “Often, top-level executives are getting mixed in with mid-level management, for example, and they create great relationships working together.”
Larger groups are typically split into teams, which can compete against one another for the best video. This scenario works even better for the Create Your Own Commercial program, especially if it corresponds with the launch of a new company product. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even end up sending something along to your advertising firm as a suggestion?
“Over the years the team-building industry has become more and more creative,” says Connie Mojallal, studio special events manager for NBC Universal Studios. “Groups are always looking for something that no one else has experienced before. It has become less about physical challenges and more about the actual team building.”
STAY ON TARGET
With all the fun and horsing around typically involved with team building, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that there is more to take away from these outings than a good time had by all. “As team building grew up as an industry, two main categories developed—fun and games, and true team building,” Taylor says. “I think planners tend to be overly focused on the fun, and they sometimes miss the value for the client.”
Whether you are a CEO putting together a program for a small company, or a third-party planner working on contract for a large organization, clearly identifying the goals for the group ahead of time should guide the type of activity you choose, and how the activity is structured.
Strategic Team Building. Under the guise of an innocent day of fun, a targeted team-building experience can significantly improve the operations and productivity of a company. But knowing which specific areas you want to target is much smarter than simply hoping the experience will improve the company’s interoffice communication, for example.
If one of the goals is to preemptively iron out any loss of productivity that might arise due to a new company merger, it’s critical that the two companies get to know each other—operationally and personally. A golf game or wine tasting might allow the employees to get to know each other better personally, but will do little to improve actual business functionality. Instead, if you incorporate themes from the two companies’ business models, and make sure the teams are mixed up, both sides will learn a lot about what the other does, how they operate and how they might best integrate.
Problem Solving. Much like couples’ therapy is used to find solutions to problems in a relationship, focused team building can often work out the kinks within a company. Usually the focus here is getting certain people or departments to work better together—and few things can do this better than hitching them together on the same team. Sack race, anyone? Problem solving can also help solve interdepartmental disputes, like poor communication. Simply dividing departments into different teams—which must then compete against each other—is a fun and easy way to mix things up, improve interdepartmental personal relationships, and remind everyone that they are all on the same team.
Personality Test. Some employees might be stellar performers during an interview, but how do they perform under stress? How do you identify untapped creative talent? What’s a smart way to narrow down your choices for the next mid-level manager? Tailored team-building programs can do all of this.
“We offer a package of team challenges,” Taylor says. “Skills naturally bubble to the surface, and we have a facilitator who looks for those skills, and looks for cooperation.”
The role of the facilitator—in this case a trained employee of Team Building USA—is critical if a major objective is to identify talent. Your new secretary, fresh out of college, might display a natural proficiency for team leadership during the scavenger hunt, but if no one is there to take note, they might just go back to answering phones on Monday. A facilitator can be instructed in advance to help identify certain skills or personalities the company needs, or even weak employees that might require additional training.
Many times you, as the planner, will need to play the role of facilitator. If you know that one of the program’s or department’s goals is to identify talent, be sure to sit down with the head of the company to find out specifically what they are looking for. If you can then provide a report of what you observed, proving ROI on your event will be that much easier.
One Size Fits All
Once you’ve determined the company objectives, your budget and time allotment, and list of great team-building ideas, it’s time to start whittling away at the options and tailoring the ideal event for your specific group. This requires knowing the personality of the group as a whole as well as the demographics of the individual members—age, sex and physical limitations. Some groups will embrace physical challenges (races and ropes courses), while others will appreciate a more cerebral activity, like murder mysteries.
When considering an activity, consider a few major factors:
Physical limitations. If any group members are at a physical disadvantage, challenges that require even a moderate level of fitness may backfire. While the majority may love the activity, two or three members unable to participate will erode the solidarity of the team, and may even build resentment, so be sure to create alternatives so that everyone can join in.
Maturity level. Some team-building exercises are downright silly—but are absolutely fun and hilarious for the right group. Other activities are serious and challenging—ideal for competitive personalities. Picking an activity that appeals to the collective nature of the company is critical—and it requires asking some questions beforehand about what they like to do. For some small, tight-knit companies, the last thing they want is a serious challenge—give them something that allows them to laugh and goof off a bit. On the other hand, if you’ve got a group of brainy engineers, they might be bored with a social activity—give them a competitive challenge that lets them strut their stuff. Mix the wrong activity with the wrong group and you could end up with frustration or boredom.
The ROI
While it may be evident from all the laughter and photo-swapping in the office the following week, ROI on a team-building event goes much farther than everyone saying they had a great time. In fact, if they aren’t all saying this, you can’t really consider the event a success. “You never want them to just say, ‘Yeah, that was OK,’” Taylor says.
It’s a good idea to survey the participants after the event—but don’t just look for that stamp of approval—also to ask how the event could have been better, or if alternative team-building programs would be preferable. If the following year they see that some of their input has changed the event, they will care more and you will have an even stronger level of participation.
There may also be ways to track the event’s effect on the company, particularly in terms of sales. If you have access to in-house metrics, you might be able to prove that sales received a bump after a particularly motivating team-building experience. If the purpose was to improve morale or communication, survey the employees a few weeks later to see if you can measure any perceived increases.
Finally, be sure to document the event itself, with photography or video. You can keep the spirit going for months if they keep those memories around, and playing that video at the Christmas party is a sure way to rev up some excitement for next year’s event.
TEAM BUILDING, SMART MEETINGS-STYLE
Team building, while certainly fun to write about, is far more interesting experienced first hand. Personally, I was under the impression that the team here at Smart Meetings couldn’t get any closer (professionally, that is), but, during a gorgeous day spent in San Francisco this July, I was proved wrong.
At 8:30 a.m. on a crisp Thursday morning, the 13 members of our company slowly materialized near the entrance of the iconic Ferry Building, the imposing Bay Bridge towering nearby.
There we were met by Frank Price, a gregarious man from Murder on the Menu, a popular team-building company based in the Bay Area. Frank divvied our staff into teams of three, each from a different department. As managing editor, I was paired up with Garrick, our production artist, and Kerry, a regional sales manager. Though we all worked side-by-side in the office, we each represented diverse skill sets and had different interdepartmental relationships (and, had the editors been teamed together, we would clearly have had an unfair advantage).
Our task? To create a marketing strategy for a new drink that would be the perfect beverage for meeting professionals. Not only would we need to determine the ideal balance of ingredients to aid them in their work (caffeine, alcohol, Valium?), the drink also needed to embody the spirit of both San Francisco and Smart Meetings magazine.
Armed with Polaroid cameras, detailed instructions and help from another successful beverage marketer (Starbucks), we were set free to scour the city’s most interesting and popular neighborhoods, ideally discovering both materials and inspiration during our frantic searching.
Garrick and I had been up working until the wee hours, but we relied on Kerry’s relentless energy to keep us going. With the rising sun warming our bones, we sped off to Ghirardelli Square, where the city’s best chocolate proved a critical component of our perfect drink. Minutes later we made a quick stop at Buena Vista, birthplace of the Irish Coffee. Fueled by this liquid courage, we soon developed an unshakable confidence that the combination of Kerry’s vivacious personality, Garrick’s imagination and my creative genius would result in a product that would blow our competition out of the water.
It turns out we may have had just a tad too much confidence (we came in second place), but I am positive that we had the most fun. Our next stop was North Beach’s Washington Square park, where we posed for the camera as meditative masters in the throes of Zen (a required activity—we didn’t have that much liquid courage at Buena Vista). By the time the camera’s timer had released the shutter for the third time, it was getting late, so we dashed back downtown for lunch in our private dining room at Sens restaurant. I must say that, in retrospect, I feel sorry for the other diners that afternoon—we made a lot of noise. It’s hard to contain yourself, however, when your coworkers are doing their best to give a presentation on the benefits of Smopus (a blend of Opus One wine, Smart Meetings creativity, Genentech technology and good ’ol chocolate). Or when they are singing a product jingle that, well, could have used a tad more harmony.
When our team got up to perform our inspiring and well-choreographed rap about the benefits of the Smart Shot, on the other hand, I though we were only weeks away from venture capitalist investment. What did we all learn from this experience? Product marketing? Maybe not so much. But we certainly woke up the next morning feeling like we had the best team in publishing. —Hunter Holcombe
