Living in the world’s cultural “Melting Pot”, it’s no surprise that much attention in teambuilding education is given to dealing with diverse teams. And it’s true that more often, modern workplace teams are a mix of age, gender, culture and education differences. But not all of them— plenty of professions attract a certain “type” of person.

On the surface it may seem like these homogenous teams have it easy. And to some extent they do. There are clear advantages to having a homogeneous team. Members will more easily understand each other’s verbal and nonverbal communications and have more shared experiences in common. The similarities can help, to some extent, avoid misunderstandings, prejudices, potentially resulting in lower turnover and perhaps speed up decision making and completion of tasks.

While homogeneous work groups may be ideal for tasks requiring quick choices or that would suffer from turnover, the downside is that the absence of opposing viewpoints can result in poor decision making and a lack of innovation.

When higher quality decisions and creative ideas are a team’s goals, a diverse group is more suited for the task. Because reaching consensus may be a longer process for diverse teams, they require good leadership to avoid getting bogged down by the volume of ideas and options.

Both types of teams can benefit from good management and good training. Homogeneous teams need to be encouraged not to become too cliquey, ignoring outsiders in their group or failing to relate to diverse clients or colleagues. Heterogeneous team leaders must nurture healthy, productive communication and celebration of the differences that may, alternatively, be sources of conflict.

TV viewers can’t seem to get enough of singing competitions. These shows have it all— underdogs striving to make it big, passion, hard work and camaraderie, not to mention the entertaining musical performances. From these shows we can also find several lessons on building better teams.

Don’t Settle

Every contestent has a good voice, often having been singing and performing for a life time. They may even be successfully using their talents in a performing group or education. They have probably praised for the success they have had. But what sets them apart is they dream of something bigger. They have confidence that they are capable of more and they grab opportunities to pursue those dreams.

Your team may be producing the expected results or profits but have the ability to do more. Taking your team from good to great means avoiding the stagnation that comes with “good enough.” Team building can push your team out of their comfort zone in into a new level of performance.

Expose weaknesses

Backk home, the performers are probably better singers than most people they encounter, so they may not hear much critique. On the show, they have to perform for experienced judges, who are quick to point out their flaws. It takes confidence and poise to acknowledge those weaknesses and let that feedback help push them out of their comfort zone.

In team building, you may be faced with personal weaknesses from fear of heights to fear of expressing your honest opinion in a team discussion. When you face your fear in the presence of your team, everyone benefits. First, they get excited to see someone succeed. They develop a deeper respect for that person who has pushed them self. Then, they are encouraged to step out and face their own fear, and a bond is formed once the team has completed the task.

Enlist a Coach

The winners of these shows are people who can perform with confidence but also have the humility to take critique and apply it to what they do. Even the most talented contestants realize they can still use a coach.

As professional team building facilitators, we can serve as your team’s coach. We’ll design a custom program addressing various elements of team success. Whether bringing together a new team or giving fresh life to a seasoned group, we’ll listen to your needs and create a combination of workshops, trainings and fun events for your team. Call us today for a consultation.

The news is out – rappelling is fun! Watch Josh rappelling with Fox 10 New Anchor Troy Hayden as part of Troy’s Excellent Adventure series.

You can share the same excellent adventure with your friends and family with our adventure package.  Your group will have so much fun they won’t even notice you’re getting a little exercise. And a lot of fresh air.

This package combines rappelling, rockclimbing and ziplining into one unique, adrenaline-filled excursion.  Start out with a challenging climb up the rock wall which summits at the log bridge.  Demonstrate your balance and bravery as you make your way across the log to the rappel station. Then sit back in your harness for the rappel down. Let yourself relax and enjoy the view – your competent staff belayer is there to keep you secure the entire time.  Of course the outing wouldn’t be complete without a zipline ride. With a lack of old growth forests here in the Sonoran Desert, we can’t promise you’ll get the same experience as a Costa Rican canopy tour. But our zipline is still fast, fun and family friendly.

The outing is a perfect adventure for out of town guests. Our private site is nestled into the base of a mountain park with views of downtown Phoenix, showcasing the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. It’s also the perfect backdrop for the huge grins typically seen as riders whiz down the zipline. Your guests will thank you for giving them such a perfect photo opportunity!

This month’s edition of the Scottsdale Airpark News is focused on team building and One Day Adventures is prominently featured.

The article poses the question, “as the summer doldrums threaten to settle in this summer, ask yourself: could teambuilding boost your company’s bottom line?”

Absolutely, responds ODA manager Josh Parafinik.

ODA program participants are faced with a variety of challenges utilizing the skill sets of the whole team, from mind teasers to physical feats, which get progressively harder. At the end of each activity, facilitators encourage groups to contemplate how the experience relates to the office.

“We typically ask them to write down attainable, fresh-start solutions when they leave. Nothing big, but how can this team treat each other better, have better workplace relationships, and deal with the stresses of everyday life better,” Parafinik says.

Thanks, Josh. Well done!