“My favorite part… was the ropes course. You helped me to face my fears and to face other challenges. Something that I will always remember is zip-lining because it was really fun. Thank you again for being a helpful guide.” –Beatriz 

“My favorite part… was finding out more about me, and to see things I can do. You made this happen because every time I was at the top you would always cheer me on and support me. I will remember the time I got over my fears. I would like to thank you for all your help and support—you really changed my life.” –Amy

“I’ll always remember the rush of wind on my face while zip-lining… thanks for making it possible.” –Emily

As powerful as the confidence pole experience can be, the tension and physical nature of the experience admittedly makes it seem a little cliché. As much as I love seeing participants conquer the confidence pole, I’m equally as proud of them for tackling the less thrilling aspects of a ropes course. One opportunity comes after the action has died and the group settles down to talk about their day—identifying metaphors, celebrating their accomplishments, generating new goals. 

These groups are usually accustomed to communicating with each other on a formal, professional level. Then during the ropes course de-brief they are suddenly asked to share openly and be vulnerable. Often, nobody wants to be the one to address a problem that’s unearthed, to be the first to say what others won’t. They may feel compelled to criticize a business process or to suggest a change. It feels like in the best case they’ll look a little foolish, but in the worst case they put their job at risk.

Stepping up and speaking out can be scarier than climbing the confidence pole! The process of fighting through this fear takes just as much courage and can feel just as rewarding when it’s over. The good news is that, in my experience, those brave enough to speak out are usually rewarded with positive and supportive feedback.

The confidence pole challenges ones’ fear of heights and fear of falling. It requires trust in the equipment and the people that are there to keep you safe. During a ropes course teambuilding program, this is the very last activity that’s done after a full day of fun. It’s completely optional and typically less than fifty percent of the group members choose to complete it. Performing the task requires physical strength, balance and flexibility. It challenges ones fear of being vulnerable in front of others. So, what’s the point?

In a teambuilding setting, risk and challenge are not about the sole act of doing something scary or dangerous. It is about being bold when it matters. It’s designed to remind participants how liberating it is to walk through fear. There is an endless list of things in life to be afraid of and each of face our own personal challenges. We all develop different ways of coping with our fears but the reality is that fear doesn’t just go away. It has to be challenged. Fear is something that you have to walk through. Fear is always going to be present in our lives in some form but we don’t want it to control us to keep us from doing amazing things.

The cool thing about a ropes course setting is that participants have two sources of motivation to face their fear – doing it for their own sense of accomplishment and doing it to strengthen the team. When you face your fear in the presence of your team everyone benefits. First, the gets psyched and 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. It’s contagious! After you’ve all been through it, a bond forms from having that mutual experience.  Everyone feels awesome!

One of the most memorable confident pole experiences I’ve had was with a small group in which the person who was the most visibly afraid of the activity was the most senior member of this business team. He was in really a tough spot–being completely vulnerable in front of his subordinates. Fortunately he came through with class, volunteering to go first. This strong, confident leader struggled through each step of the activity but completed it with the encouragement and support from his team. They group was so inspired by his success that every one of them followed his lead and stepped up to face the confidence pole. What a great day day it was for that team.  

The summer season offers Valley employers the opportunity to do something positive for employees by treating them to a refreshing escape from the office.  But instead of just escaping, why not plan a productive team building event to take you away? Let us give you some ideas. 

Imagine a serene pond in the center of a grassy field and shaded by the majestic cottonwood trees of Sedona.  A cool breeze rustles the leaves and you instantly start to feel invigorated.  Good thing, because you’re not going to stand still for long.  The next few hours fly by as you and your team are challenged on several levels. 

Don’t get wet! That will be the goal of the boat building challenge as teams work together to assemble a functional raft from an interesting assortment of objects.  Then test your balance, strength and communication skills by tackling a tricky suspension bridge over the water.  Finally, the adrenaline really starts to flow as you challenge yourself by flying over the water on a zipline or taking a leap of faith from the confidence pole.

Now, transport yourself to Flagstaff where the cool pines create the perfect backdrop for adventure.  Teams bond while sharing laughs and helping each other succeed at the physically and mentally challenging obstacles of the high ropes course.  They’ll savor the crisp air and mountain views.

If you’re wondering how to justify taking such an enjoyable escape, check out these past posts about how team building contributes to business success. 

Ahhhhh…do you feel refreshed, yet?

The most effective teambuilding activities are going to combine two factors:  an engaged and experienced facilitator leading a group that is enthusiastic and open to change.  Here’s an example.

You’re familiar with the old gag rubber chickens right?  Well, when you mix four of them to a group of Arizona insurance salesmen, things get a little crazy.  The catch is that the salesmen don’t just get to have the chickens to horse around with, they have to capture them from the facilitator through an extreme, fast-paced version of mother-may-I. 

That’s right, the kids game.  But these guys are really getting competitive with it. That’s because the facilitator has put the rules into language that they can latch on to and they quickly make coorelations – like when the chicken squeaks when it’s held too tight, just like clients react to overly aggressive sales tactics.  By the end of the game, they’ve worked together to develop a strategy where every chicken, or client, has been won from the competition and is properly cared for. 

Afterwards, in the debrief they talk forever about the strategy that they developed and how that relates to the real world, what they have learned about their effectiveness and competitive advantage.  All you have to do is attach the right language to an engaging activity and motivated participants will have fun and run with it, making the connections and correlations.  Even in an old childhood game.

While each episode highlights the positive and negative aspects of front-line operations, there is usually an emphasis on seeking-out and rewarding a company’s unsung heroes. The show often profiles an outstanding employee who takes pride in their work and gives 110%, even it their job is as underappreciated as cleaning pit toilets or loading a delivery truck.  It drives home the fact that every employee has something to offer and every job has a level of excellence to be pursued. 

In the hustle of the workday it’s easy for coworkers to forget these truths. Instead, coworkers and their contributions are taken for granted. Instead of displaying empathy, listening, and trying put themselves in another’s shoes, fingers are pointed and gripes are spread.  This can be particular frustrating when cross-departmental collaboration is involved. 

For example, we recently worked with a local Arizona cabinet-making company.  The business includes very diverse functions from making the product, installing it, selling the product and managing orders.  Each department relied on the other for success but were hindered by an inability to overcome differences in communication and work styles.

Professionally-run corporate team building events can utilize business simulations to address these issues. We set up activities that utilize props and metaphors to recreate a business situation then assigning team members to roles that may be out of their comfort zone.

Of course it’s impossible to fully mimic the actual workplace, but games can effectively be used to create a chaotic work-like environment.  Then you mix up functional roles or leadership positions to get participants out of their comfort zone.  Now they are thinking about the challenges faced by this new role and what they need from others in order to succeed.  Take that back to the office and the foundation for change has successfully laid.

In a sense, “Undercover Boss” illustrates what teambuilding facilitators have been doing for decades – facilitating open communication between various levels of management within a company.  In team building this is accomplished through structured activities that utilize tools like simulations and metaphors to relate games to the workplace.  Once everyone is involved in problem-solving activities together, barriers break down.  When it comes time to debrief, employees feel empowered to share what is on their mind.

Of course, even in teambuilding it’s rare for the really big boss, like the CEO of a national organization, to directly participate with front-line workers. But corporate communication trickles down through various levels of management and then has to crawl back up again.  It takes effort to keep those channels of communication flowing.

When varying levels of employees are able to participate in an event, it can be a useful opportunity for managers to hear what people are doing and talking about.  It allows colleagues to get to know each other outside of the stresses and structure of the work place. But team building is more than learning about each other’s children and pets.  The goal is to get to gain insight into how another works, what motivates them, what they like and dislike.  

The difference from “Undercover Boss” is that in teambuilding, there is full disclosure – no deception or made-up stories.  And, even better, no camera crew.

As the game got underway, Lori’s team assigned her to a position in what is the paintball equivalent of out in “left field”.  Even as she took her place, she still worried out loud that she might not be able to handle the role.  But soon enough the team was caught up in the action and gave little thought to Lori, alone in the outskirts of the field.

Of course the competition had taken note of Lori’s attitude and determined that they could use it to their advantage.  When the time was right, one of their stronger players crept up on Lori’s fort, certain that he had an easy capture. 

“POP!POP!POP!POP!POP!POP!POP!!!

 Before the man knew what had hit him, he was down. Lori had laid into with rapid fire, taking him out of the game.  Now smiling and flushed with excitement, she went on to do the same to several of his teammates…contributing to a win for her team.  Once she actually started shooting, it felt so natural she found herself carried away in the rush.  Even the referee was a little intimidated by her fierce protection of her fort.  She may have been the last line of defense in the game, but she turned out to be the most effective, delivering an MVP performance. 

 Lori’s amazing performance set the stage for an energized debrief,   She had empowered herself and become an inspiration to her colleagues.  Everyone was excited to have participated in and to talk about such an outstanding shared experience.

 Suddenly, the signal sounds and the game is on.  The previously subdued field has been transformed into a frantic scene – people dodging, ducking, moving deliberately together, a gun toting leader shielding a map-wielding partner who occasionally stops to grab a flag here or collect a baton from over there.  No longer hushed, they are accompanied by loud laughter and shouts.  Brightly colored streaks fly through the air, creating a rainbow that blurs the people against the Arizona high-desert landscape.

  Fifteen minutes later a loud cheer erupts to signal that a duo has reached their final destination.  This game is over but the group is energized and ready for the next one to begin. Welcome to modern paintball – where it’s not enough to be the biggest, baddest gunman who muscles his way to victory. 

 Strategy is the name of the game here as teams cooperate to shoot targets, retrieve objects, rescue team members and perform tasks in order to get to the next location or checkpoint.  Teams work together under pressure and stress to achieve their goals quickly and efficiently.  They may even have to be creative when they find themselves with limited resources.   Here there is a place and a role for all types and ability levels.

 If this situation has a vaguely familiar feel, it should.  If you are a business manager, you know the term SMART goal – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely.  It all comes to life out on the playing field.  

In this environment – under pressure but cooperative and goal-oriented, people see each other and themselves with fresh eyes.  From this energy and excitement flows discussion, ideas, insights & “ah-ha” moments.  This is what corporate teambuilding should look like.

First, take an honest look at the state of your team. If there are serious issues, consider hiring a consultant who can administer personality tests and work one-on-one with individuals to get to the root of problems with attitude and communication. On the other hand, teams that are already working well together can still benefit from regular team building activities.  In fact, they might even get more out of the event because the foundation already exists, they won’t be have to start from scratch.

Then, ignore many of the activities sold directly through a local recreation provider – the bowling alley, the climbing gym, the laser-tag facility, the theme restaurant.  Your group might have a fun time together, they might get some great photos and return to the office with some good “war stories” to reminisce about but they probably won’t get much more then that out of the activity. 

Instead, invest your money in an experienced facilitator.  Ask a prospective provider questions about their education, their background, their approach to teambuilding.  Make sure that they or an experienced staff member will be running the event, which could take place at numerous venues.  An activity such as paintball or rock climbing can be plenty effective, providing a “novel setting” that gets the group out of their comfort zone.

The difference happens when the event is lead by a professional facilitator, rather then the part-time, teenage staff who normally work at the venue.  When the group is left to their own devices the purpose of the day can quickly disintegrate, with the IT department running around like Rambo, working together only to blast Ron from accounting as much as possible.  A facilitator won’t impede the group from having a good time, but they will do it while maintaining focus on strategy and collaboration.

Like an adult “buddy system”, accountability partners help each other develop and achieve work-place goals.  The key is that the partners are workplace peers.  This is different then a manager-performed performance review.  The partners should be workplace peers who commit to following up with each other regularly and sharing honestly about their progress. 

Because this system operates best through what may be considered “small” goals, this system works well both for employees who are naturally goal oriented and those who are not.  An employee who has already set their sights high can benefit by taking their “stretch” goal, perhaps to be salesperson of the year, and breaking it down into a series of attainable steps (ie. make five extra sales calls each day) that will ultimately contribute to that success.  On the flip side, an employee who may be struggling to stay motivated simply to do their required tasks will gain confidence and a renewed sense of purpose in seeing those tasks as goals rather than as unappealing chores.

 At each scheduled follow-up, accountability partners will discuss progress and the reasons for one’s success or failure.  Together, they can decide whether a particular goal was too easy or too hard and what adjustments to make for the next time period.  The result is a more relationship oriented and goal focused team. 

A professional teambuilding facilitator can aid the formation of this program in several ways.  They can explain how to create an attainable goal and guide a group through goal-setting practice.  Then they will help facilitate peer-selection and set up system of checks and balances.  Finally, the facilitator will explain the system to managers, letting them know how they can support the program and make sure it happens while keeping enough distance to ensure the employees retain ownership.