| This document is all about understanding
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| | absorbed by the team for the good of the
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| teams and team building training; the
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| | game, often take centre stage in the
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| purpose of team building activities; why
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| | workplace.
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| corporate team building events can be
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| | The oddest thing of all, of course, is
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| effective; planning a team building
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| | that it's not always clear who the
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| strategy; building creative teams.
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| | 'opposition' is. You'd think it would be
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| Why have a team building activity or
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| | the competition - whoever your closest
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| event?
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| | corporate rival is. Unfortunately, far
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| This is a phrase we hear a lot these
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| | too often, the opposition turns out to be
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| days: 'we need some kind of teambuilding
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| | right at home base: another team or
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| activity'. Corporate team building events
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| | department, the 'management' or someone
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| are on the increase: everyone seems to be
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| | sitting right beside you.
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| having them these days. But are they
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| | The common enemy
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| living up to expectations?
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| | Now the thing about 'opposition' is that
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| See, from our point of view, often the
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| | it gives a common focus, a common 'enemy'
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| people talking about team building don't
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| | if you will. Now that's great if it's
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| really know what they mean.
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| | productive. Creative ideas can pour out
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| The reality is, that many, if not most,
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| | of a group when they have to figure out
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| team building activities don't work. They
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| | how to handle the competition.
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| should. All that thought, effort, money,
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| | However, when the common enemy is someone
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| planning should make your team building
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| | or some group or some department, or the
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| event exciting, worthwhile and
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| | 'them' and 'they' are within the same
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| productive.
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| | company, the results are divisiveness,
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| It's as if we all know that teams are
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| | gossip, complaining. The end result of
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| good. We understand the sum of the parts
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| | this is, of course, a loss of
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| thing, but we don't quite know how to
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| | productivity and people working against,
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| make a team work in the way we'd like it
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| | not for each other.
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| to, so we think, 'My team isn't working
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| | Then it's all about 'them' and 'us', with
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| as well as it could; a team building will
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| | people running around using their
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| sort it all out.'
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| | energies to get more of 'us' to agree
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| Why a team building event?
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| | just what's wrong with 'them'. We see
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| When people say they want a team building
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| | this in company after company after
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| event their picture is of this perfectly
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| | company - people are spending vast
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| working group of people. But they don't
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| | amounts of time and energy having a 'go'
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| take the time to pin that picture down
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| | at each other rather than using that same
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| and really get clear what the issues are.
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| | amount of time and energy to make things
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| If they did that then their team building
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| | work better.
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| activity would certainly help them get
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| | This is one of the key reasons why team
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| their team working more effectively.
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| | building is such a hot topic. People can
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| So, before you can even tackle the 'how'
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| | easily recognise that something needs to
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| you need to tackle the 'why'.
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| | be done, but they aren't quite sure what.
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| Here are some questions that will help
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| | Defining your team
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| you clarify 'why a team building event'.
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| | Kinds of teams
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| Do you want people working better
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| | These days we see a lot of 'virtual'
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| together?
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| | teams - people who hardly ever see each
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| Do you want to set new team goals and
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| | other, or even work in the same office or
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| agreements?
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| | even the same country.
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| Do you need to iron out communication
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| | Then there are teams that all sit in an
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| difficulties that have crept in?
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| | open plan space and chat with each other
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| Do you want a jolly - to reward the team
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| | all day as things arise.
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| for being terrific?
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| | There are teams where people sit in
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| Do you simply want to get everyone's
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| | separate spaces and get together once a
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| creative juices going and brainstorm new
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| | day/week/fortnight.
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| ideas?
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| | There are teams that seem to do all their
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| Do you need to set clear parameters and
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| | communicating via e-mail or conference
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| boundaries so everyone knows what's
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| | calls.
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| expected of them?
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| | There are teams that work on projects
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| Do you want to inject some fresh
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| | together and others where people go off
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| enthusiasm and energy into a group that's
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| | and do their own thing and come together
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| been working too hard and may have lost
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| | every once in a while to report and bring
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| sight of the goal posts?
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| | everyone else up to date.
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| Have the goals posts moved and you need
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| | Whatever your team looks like, however,
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| to let everyone know that?
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| | it still has to be able to function well
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| Benefits of team building activity
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| | and achieve its goals.
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| A good corporate team building event can
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| | What teams aren't
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| tackle many of the challenges facing your
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| | They don't have to be a family
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| team. There are real payoffs and
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| | People don't have to be bosom buddies
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| advantages to being part of a
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| | People don't even have to like each
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| well-functioning team. To begin with,
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| | enough to want to have dinner together
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| it's just pleasanter being around people
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| | Teams aren't group therapy
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| who get on.
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| | Teams can, however, on occasion, be any
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| More importantly, real benefits include:
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| | or all of those things.
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| A feeling of identity
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| | Team building training
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| On-going support
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| | Effective team building
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| Creative pooling of ideas
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| | Teams are complex machines and it's not
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| Increased confidence
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| | surprising that they malfunction
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| Things tend to work better as a result of
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| | occasionally or need re-alignment. Every
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| team effort
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| | once in a while all teams need an MOT, so
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| You aren't alone
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| | of course, you want to ensure that your
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| Goals that make sense
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| | team building event is as effective as it
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| You don't have to keep reinventing the
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| | can be.
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| wheel
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| | The one thing that everyone recognises is
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| If you do have to reinvent the wheel for
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| | that your team building activity needs to
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| some reason, so is everyone else in the
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| | be done away from the office environment.
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| team
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| | The idea is to slow things right down; to
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| A team building training can address a
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| | get away from e-mails, phone calls,
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| huge range of issues you may be facing
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| | questions and demands, being asked to pop
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| and certainly make work a better place to
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| | into unscheduled meetings, people
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| be.
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| | dropping by.
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| How teams work
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| | It means getting away from all the
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| What is a team?
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| | day-to-day stuff that sometimes makes it
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| It may help you decide what your team
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| | hard to see what's going on and what's
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| building activity is going to look like
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| | needed.
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| if you understand a bit more about how
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| | Here are a few hints and tips to make
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| teams work. And, get this - no matter
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| | planning your team building event more
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| what the books say (and there are plenty
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| | effective:
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| of them) - every single team is
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| | Everyone needs to have some input into
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| different: there is no model you can
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| | what the team building event should
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| follow that will create the perfect team.
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| | accomplish
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| You'll read that you need ideas people,
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| | Listen carefully to people's concerns and
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| drivers, completer-finishers, etc., etc.,
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| | incorporate them in the team building
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| etc. And yes, possibly you do need a
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| | training
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| variety of 'types'. But for our money,
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| | No one should ever be put on the spot or
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| the 'types' are far less important than
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| | humiliated
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| ensuring that your team knows why it
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| | People shouldn't be forced to do things
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| exists and what its aims are.
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| | they don't want to
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| So let's look first at just exactly what
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| | People learn better when they're having
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| being a team means. You might think that
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| | fun
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| the very word 'team' is clear in and of
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| | Focus on the positives of the team rather
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| itself: a group of people working towards
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| | than just what isn't working
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| shared goals. We wish it were that
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| | Team building activities
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| straightforward. As it isn't, we thought
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| | Once you know what you want your event to
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| we would unpick it a bit.
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| | achieve, then you can decide what it's
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| Sports teams
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| | going to look like. You can do the
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| The most obvious kind of team that
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| | go-carting thing, the throwing people off
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| everyone knows about is a sports team.
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| | Welsh mountains thing. You can have the
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| Every team member is on the same side
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| | cosy get-away in a country hotel thing.
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| trying to beat the opposition. They train
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| | You can have it non-stop fun, be business
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| together, get to understand how to make
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| | focused or have a bit of both.
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| the most of each other's skills, and when
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| | There are hundreds of different team
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| working well, they are able to fulfil the
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| | building exercises, games, workshops,
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| manager or coach's strategy.
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| | courses, all designed to get your team
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| They know who their opposition is and
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| | working better and handling the
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| they have very clear goals. Yes, there
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| | day-to-day challenges in the workplace.
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| may be personality quirks and
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| | There is no 'right' kind of team building
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| differences, but the whole truly is
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| | activity, only the one that's right for
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| greater than the sum of its parts.
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| | you.
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| Work teams
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| | The key always is to ensure that your
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| However, it's not quite so
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| | event has a positive effect on the
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| straightforward when it comes to work
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| | morale, motivation, confidence and
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| teams, though, is it? Personalities,
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| | effectiveness of the team and its
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| which in a sporting context might get
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| | individual members.
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