Archive for the ‘Team Building’ Category

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If you're looking for a fun way to demonstrate communication skills here's a neat little communications exercise that will throw up lots for discussion on the accuracy of communication.

You will need a group size of at least 2 teams; a small lego model and an extra set of lego materials per team.

 Split the group into teams of 4-6 people and give each team a set of lego materials. Place the lego model away from the team’s view but make sure it is of equal distance from each team. Ask one member from each team to come forward to view the model for 20 seconds.

Send this person back to their team, when they should then instruct the rest of the team on how to build the model. They are not allowed to touch the model themselves. After one minute ring a bell or ask the teams to send another person to view for 5 seconds. This continues until the first team declare that they have the perfectly replicated model. The model is checked and if they are correct, they win, if not the exercise continues. The exercise can continue until all teams have finished.

This simple communications game should throw up plenty for discussion:

• How accurate were the instructions?
•  How hard is it to re-create something without being able to see?
• How difficult is it to view but not build?
• How pressured were individuals?

If you enjoyed this communication ice breaker you will find many more fantastic games and icebreakers to enhance your training programs and events on the ice breaker ideas web-site. Sharon Naylor is passionate about ice breaker games and team building activities to get people joining in and having fun. "When people are switched on and engaged they are more disposed to learning and taking in the main messages of the day." Games and icebreakers are suitable for any type of group and activity whether it be for young people or adults; work training or functions or social events, meetings and clubs.

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Team Skiing

Here's a neat little team building activity that's great fun that will test your team's co-ordination and resolve.

• You will need 2 short planks per team, and 2 rope or cloth slings for each person. 
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        • You can have a start and finish line if you want to make a race of it!
        • Mark out a route with cones or bamboo canes across a lawned area.
        •  Instruct the teams that when you say go they have to cross the start line and follow the route around all the posts, without touching the ground and using only the equipment provided. Alow a few minutes planning time.
        • Divide your group into teams of 5 to 6 persons and give them the 2 planks. Give each person 2 slings and then time them around the route.

It's hilarious fun, easy to set-up and the teams are sure to have a good time!

Reviewing the Team Building Activity

• How did teams make use of the planning time?
• How did the team problem-solve and come up with the solution?
• In what way did the team work well together?

For tons more team building activities and ice breaker ideas to engage teams and get them firing on all cylinders, check-out our ice breaker ideas web-site

 

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Great teams can be defined in many ways. Check these characteristics against your own team:

• Vision and Purpose

Great teams know where they are going and know what they want to achieve. No matter what else happens to distract teams and individuals, great teams know this is the reason for coming together as a team and they never lose sight of this.

• Enthusiasm

Great teams are an enthusiastic bunch - they approach projects and activities with high energy. They are achievers and love having fun whilst doing. They become a dynamic powerhouse in whatever they do. They are positive and influence other people by their natural effervescence.  Everybody wants to be part of this team.  By contrast negative and unenthusiastic individuals zap energy and destroy creativity and have no place in this team.

• Flexibility

Great teams know each other well. they know and accept their differences and understand that not everybody has to have the same ideas, values and opinions. This helps teams to become creative and diverse and any differences of opinion are quickly put aside for the greater vision and goals of the organisation.

How to get your teams to be great? Well you could start by having a bit of fun together. Have regular meetings and build Ice Breaker Games into the start of every meeting. In just a few minutes you will get people laughing, having fun and ready to start the day with high energy. Check out how ice-breaker-ideas.com can help with making your meetings a fun place to be.

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It seems funny to be writing about breaking-the-ice in Bahrain where the temperature is currently around 45 degrees. But that is just what my colleague, Phil England, has been doing in the Gulf state. Phil is running a team building programme for the Bahrain Petroleum Company and he has just used simple ice breaker games to break the ice and get people engaged and listening. As well as learning names, and making people feel more comfortable, Phil said, "ice breakers have no boundaries, they work across all cultures, introducing people to each other and helping people feel relaxed and ready for the next element of the day."

Avid fell runner and mountaineer, Phil said he still managed to find time to go for a run in the sweltering heat "though I thought I might melt!"

For a cooler selection of ice breaker games visit our web-site ice-breaker-ideas.com 

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Here's some news from our sister company Eventus Training & Events who are just returning from an exciting trip to Paris where they have just completed  a conference icebreaker...

 

Collaboration on the Great International Marble Run Challenge

Well I just heard back from our team in Paris and their event went very well for all 750 people taking part. It is the largest event we have done for a long time. The Great International Marble Run Challenge is perfect for large groups and international teams whether they be large conference energizers or much smaller affairs. Ably assisted by our French office we supplied a Franco-British team of English and French speakers to assist the delegates. 120 teams took part in an event that went around the world to 120 international cities in 30 different countries. It was great fun and a brilliant day.

The only down side to running events for large groups is the clearing away afterwards! You can't expect the delegates to do it or can you? It took the Eventus team 3 hours just to clear and take down the equipment. Anyway they're on their merry way back to the Channel now, just hope they don't get caught in the snow predicted for the South East More live conference energiser or ice breaker team games can be found at Eventus.co.uk/conference-energiser.asp