Teambuilding in a "Down Economy"

With the spectre of a looming "economic downturn" upon us, many business leaders are being forced to tighten their belts and rethink their future expenditures. During times like this, off-site retreats and holiday parties are doubtless going to take a lower priority. The irony is, now - when things are most challenging for both businesses and their clients - it is even more vital that we motivate staff and create a work environment that fosters healthy risk-taking and creative thinking. Now is the time for those in charge to plan for change, and invest in strategies that foster innovation, rather than cutting everything but the bare essentials.

This is an exciting time, with great opportunities for the organization that is able to adapt. The most successful companies are those that do not sit back and run on auto-pilot. The best companies find a way to take stock of what is working and what is not working in their organizations, taking time to streamline their processes and create innovation where they can.

In conclusion, economic downturn spells opportunity for the company that has the foresight to innovate and adapt to an uncertain future. Don't let fear and uncertainty keep your organization from moving boldly forward!

Making a Case for Corporate Teambuilding

September 1, 2008

I am a teambuilding provider for organizations in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. I make a living (I’m not rich, but I can still pay for gas - no small feat nowadays!) by giving small and large groups an opportunity to get out of the office, into an unfamiliar setting, and engage in traditional teambuilding activities with their co-workers. Prior to the program, I spend a little time getting to know the group - who they are, what they are about, and what they believe to be the goal of their teambuilding event. Many groups have vague goals - “We want to get to know each other better,” “We want to build trust,” “We want to have fun.” These programs are fun to plan for, and although they may seem trivial to some, can hold hidden rewards for the participants who engage in them.

Occasionally the group might ask for something more specific - “There is tension between the new-hires and the management team, we want to improve our communication,” “We are combining two departments into one, and we want to bond these people together.” “The year has been tough, we’ve had a lot of employee turnover, and we really need to reinvigorate the staff and jump-start their creativity to get back in the game…” These programs are not only more challenging to plan for, but offer lasting benefit to those participants who give them selves up to the process.

Either way, there is benefit to engaging in a well-designed, professionally implemented teambuilding program. The activity itself has merit - people are open to learning when they are engaged in a fun and challenging activity. The openness that comes out of the shared experience of the activity enables participants to engage in sometimes lively discussions following the activity - facilitators call this discussion “debriefing the activity.” During this crucial follow-up discussion, teams are encouraged to relate the activity back to real-life. My particular facilitation-style is to float a question and allow the group to answer in their own words, their own way. When we drill down deeper into their answers, we often come up with kernels of wisdom that resonate among individuals in the group, and this resonance is what feeds the learning.

The thing that many clients miss, and many of the higher-quality teambuilding companies know, is that the wisdom gleaned from a teambuilding ‘event’ is similar to opening the door just a crack. The free flow of ideas and positive energy that occured in your off-site is often completely lost once your team returns to the dysfunctions of the office.

The full benefit of a good teambuilding program is realized in the short and long-term follow-up. Without follow-up, be it a quarterly re-energizer or an ongoing meeting facilitation and consultation, the benefits of a teambuilding program can be short-lived and un-quantifiable. Building a strong team requires long-term commitment, both from the client and from the teambuilding provider. Building a strong team is like any other relationship. You must nurture the trust and improve the communication over time. If you neglect this relationship, you run the risk of losing whatever you have gained in the initial teambuilder.

Where Does 'The Process' Come From?

Most people don't give much thought to the how's and why's of where things come from - which is completely the opposite of what a critical thinker should be - so I thought I'd give everyone a chance to look into the inner workings of how this teambuilding idea got started...

First, I run a teambuilding and adventure instruction company - GO-AdventureSports - which offers ropes challenge courses, portable team challenges, soapbox derby races, community service construction projects, and adventure instruction programs (rock climbing, caving, mountain biking, wilderness skills). These types of experiential education programs have shown time and time again that people learn best when engaged in fun, challenging activities - as opposed to lecture-style programming. In order to achieve maximum effect, we typically precede activities with a "frame-up" and follow activities with a "debrief" discussion period. This free-form discussion enables team members to draw correlations from the activity, back to "real life."

The shared adventure aspect of traditional teambuilding programs is a great way of engaging people, and makes an excellent first step in building a high performing team. Traditional teambuilding programs are like opening a door, allowing those who have the desire and the commitment, to walk into a completely new place. All too often, however, the ropes course or portable teambuilding program is the only opportunity people have for engaging one another in this 'learning environment.' Once the program is over, people go back to their normal lives, sometimes talking about the fun they had, but rarely utilizing the teamwork tools they learned during the event. The ropes course becomes a colorful memory, rather than a jump-off point into a brilliant future.

Armed with this knowledge of human tendencies, I began researching a good deal of the literature on the subject of leadership, team dynamics, personal development and success - mostly from the perspective of people in the business community. Trying to sift through the myriad of different books and audiobooks available, I came up with a list that I felt was most useful for building a successful team:

The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
Work Like daVinci
The Power of an Hour
The Emotional Intelligence Quickbook
The Ten Faces of Innovation
Leadership and Self-Deception
Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Eat That Frog!
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People

Granted, this is a long list, and much of the information found within any one book is similar to that found in many others. However, each of these books had some kernel of truth that I felt teams needed to master in order to become a 'learning organization,' capable of innovating to meet the future head-on.

Now, as I begin fine-tuning 'The Process,' I am building a mind-map (brainstorming tool that allows you to get everything down on paper, and then draw correlations between your ideas) of "kernels of truth" and combining them with powerful traditional teambuilding exercises. This combination of experiential and theoretical education will yield the best results.

I'll keep you posted!

Update on The NEXTeams Process

I recently finished a course in Professional Facilitation Techniques (flip charts, dealing with dysfunction, group dynamics, etc...) and I am very excited to use these new techniques in the delivery of 'The NEXTeams Process'. I think that the combination of traditional teambuilding exercises - de-inhibitizing games, problem-solving activities, and trust-building exercises - and "table-top" facilitation techniques - flip-charting, brainstorming, listing, mind-mapping, etc... - will create an atmosphere of enhanced creativity and group cooperation. What better place to bring a team that needs to get something accomplished?!? Stay tuned as I get ready to roll out a new and improved teambuilding event... Coming soon!

The NEXTeams Five-Step Process...

• Step One — challenge participants to get to the root of their 'organizational identity' and learn new ways to enhance that self-conception. The goal is to get everyone on the same page about purpose - the Real Mission of the organization.
• Step Two — invite participants to explore their role within the organization - not only their job title and responsibilities, but the potential benefits that they can offer to the organization as a whole – the Personal Identities within the organization
• Step Three — give participants a task to accomplish - exemplified through traditional 'teambuilding challenges.' The goal is to show through tangible experience the interdependence of the group – the TEAM within the organization.
• Step Four — focus on transferring the lessons learned in the initial program, back to the 'real world' of their day-to-day organizational function. Simple steps the leadership can take to encourage cross-communication, innovation, an environment of openness in the team – the TEAM Environment within the organization.

• Step Five — Following the initial four-step process, NEXTeams will be available for follow-up consultations and recurring “FLUX Re-Energizers.” – a chance to get together in the learning environment and check-in about things that are working and things that need more attention.

NEXTeams - The NEXT Step in Team Development.

NEXTeams Team Development

While technology continues to make the world more interconnected, internal workings of organizations both large and small seem more and more disconnected. This disconnect can be caused by a number of factors - ironically the technology that propels us forward being one of them... The disconnect can have one or multiple causes, from a simple misunderstanding between two employees to a misinterpretation of the overall mission of the organization. Whatever the reasons, and whatever the problems, organizations often benefit from the help of mediation and facilitation. NEXTeams is a company whose mission is to get to the root of an organization's internal and external challenges, identify these barriers to success, working within teams to map out a strategy for overcoming the adversity, and helping the organization implement the plan. Combining goals/needs assessment and personality testing, with expert facilitation and experiential education tools, NEXTeams is the Next Step in Team Development.

Key Components of the NEXTeams Process:

• Initial consultation with your NEXTeams Facilitator will define the perceived challenges and proposed goals of your organizational development strategy.
• Meeting participants (your team and our facilitators) will map out a short-term goals list for completion prior to the 'event.'
• During the scheduled 'event' our facilitation team will utilize personality testing and interest assessment tools to provide insight and clarity into differences and similarities between team member personalities.
• Facilitators will provide experiential training tools that relate directly to the key components of - building trust, effective communication, leadership styles, etc...
• Teams will discuss the training tools and their relationship to the organization's challenges and strategies concepts.
• Following the 'event,' facilitators will periodically check-in with key team leaders, provide consultation, and if necessary return for a second or third event - the key to success is focus and repetition.

Two Rivers Public Charter School - 8/14/08

GO-AdventureSports hosted a teambuilding event for Two Rivers Public Charter School again this year, at Seneca Creek State Park, in Gaithersburg, MD.  This year's goals were to focus on trust between members of the team, and to learn how to ask for help when individuals were in need.  Each activity challenged team members in different ways, and during each event, different leaders and problem solvers emerged.  During debriefs, the teachers discussed how individual experience, educational background, and personality helped to shape the overall character of the team.  As the day progressed, the activities were sequenced in a way that helped build trust and confidence between the members of the team, and by the end of the day, the entire group was ready for the intense 'mouse trap' trust exercise.  A great way to end the day and start the school year!

Howard University - 8/12/08

A beautiful sunny day at Rock Creek Park was the setting for this Adventure Challenge.  A group of 120 Howard University Resident Advisors were preparing to go back to school this Fall, and their wise leadership had decided, once again, to build teamwork into their Orientation program.  As soon as they got off the bus, the group was ready for fun.  The foam noodle pass was a big hit, getting the group warmed up and energized.  The RA's were split into their dorm groups to embark on their team challenges.  Teams had to get their members over the 'electric fence,' an activity that required a great deal of planning, in addition to precise movement.  While some teams had to traverse over 'the acid river,' using only a few small stepping stones, others were challenged by the 'bigfoot relay' in which they had to problem-solve moving from one side of the river to the other using a pair of 'one-way boots.'  The activities required several attempts before achieving success, but once the system was identified, the teams worked together like a well oiled machine.  Another impressive performance from our friends at Howard University!

Adventist Health Care 4/1/08

The Adventist Health Care managers played an April Fool's Day joke on their employees today.  The staff were told to report for 'boot camp' at Seneca Lodge in Germantown, MD, and with some hesitation (and fear) group members started filing in for their hard-core workout session.  Little did they know that their team leaders had in fact put together a day of fun, food and team building.  The health care employees were already a tight-knit group - you could see how much they enjoyed working and playing together.  When confronted with the team challenges, they put their thinking caps on and accomplished the tasks laid out before them.  Following each activity, the groups engaged in meaningful and insightful debriefs, discussing teamwork, team membership, and ways to bring the lessons learned back to the workplace.

Shenandoah Telephone Company

GO-AdventureSports traveled to St Michael's, MD for an Adventure Challenge event for 160 employees of the Shenandoah Telephone Company today.  Part of the company's weekend retreat was to have its employees work on 'team building.'  The participants were split into 12 groups and had to successfully negotiate the obstacle fields while blindfolded, retrieve items with using non-verbal communication and solve a 'traffic jam' puzzle using all members of their team.  Competition was fierce, and the rooms were filled with energy - especially when the groups revealed their team cheers.  The night ended with a cup stacking competition, in which all group members worked to build the tallest tower of cups and put their team on top of the competition.  Good fun, and good teamwork!

Family Fun Day at Butler School

- June 2nd, 2007 - Well, it's been a busy week at GO-Adventures. The end of the school year at Butler School means the beginning of the summer season, and between end of school-year trips and beginning of summer trainings, I re-installed a zip line for the Family Fun Day.

One of the parents was kind enough to make this little video of her children on the zip line - enjoy...

Zip/Wall at JR' Pavilions of Turkey Run

Last weekend we ran a zipline/climbing wall program at JR's Pavilions of Turkey Run (corporate picnic facility near McLean, VA). Participants had to climb up our challenge wall, step onto a platform that sits 40 feet off the ground, and zip down the 500 foot cable. Fun!

Although the action shots didn't come out, one of the clients was able to get shots of his wife climbing the wall and stepping onto the platform. Enjoy!

Adventure Challenge - A Self-led Rotational Teambuilding Event

On the hottest day of the year (so far!) we headed out to Rock Creek Park and met a group from Georgetown University Medical Center for an Adventure Challenge! The group took part in a self-led, rotational teambuilding program, and in spite of the heat, they were great sports and had a good time...

Post-Graduation Climbing at Sugarloaf Mountain, MD

No pictures for this one (I really have to remember to start bringing my camera along--but even when I do, I'm so involved in instructing and facilitating that I forget to shoot pictures), but on Friday morning I took a group of girls from Mary of Nazareth school rock climbing at Sugarloaf on Boy Scout Ledges. They had just graduated from 8th grade and had won the contest to go climbing with two of their favorite teachers, who they teased with all the familiarity of newly-minted equals! The girls belayed and backup-belayed one another after they learned how to manage the rope, tie in, check one another for safety, and call out the climber-belayer cadence ("on belay? belay on! climbing? climb on!"). They all had fun and encouraged one another to keep climbing and keep trying, and I hope they come out for another program sometime soon!

Website Down and Other News

Extreme Adventures Butler Camp has started, the summer is in full swing, we're all muddy here at GO-Adventures...and we have a new name! We've changed our name to GO-Adventures from GO-Adventure Sports, because the old name had too many syllables and no one could remember it. Also, the new name is....snappier. Let us know what you think! The search engines are having a bit of a harder time finding our site now, so hopefully everything will work out...

In other news, we switched our hosting provider to Yahoo!, and we're still ironing out the kinks. The website was down over the weekend (curses!), but it's back up now. Soon we'll have all the links fixed up, and I'll get the photos back in to our blog. Things might be text-only for a little while. Hang with us!

Caving with Cousins at Carnegie Cave, PA

Saturday, June 23rd -

I took Eliza, Rachel and her cousins to a cave near Shippensburg, PA today, and we had a great time. Carnegie Cave, is a horizontal shaft cave that begins with a 200 foot corrugated pipe crawl under I-81. Once we got through the pipe the fun began, and we tried to get into whatever holes we could find. When we got to the back chamber of the cave, Eliza and one of her cousins went off on their own to explore every nook and cranny while the rest of us hung out in the big room.

Naturally, I forgot to take any pictures in the cave, but did manage to snap this photo on the way out...

I'll get more photos next time!

Whiting's Neck and Indian Cave Adventure

July 7th, 2007

Caving at Whiting's Neck Cave, Martinsburg, WV.

Today we took a family caving at Indian and Whiting's Neck Cave, near Shepherdstown, WV. Great day for caving, the heat outside was 91, but the cool inside the cave was about 55! The two boys and their father had been caving before, but they thought this was the "best cave" they had ever been in...

We started at Indian Cave, then ate lunch and headed up to Whiting's Neck. The boys were 9 and 11 years-old, making them the youngest kids to go into the drop. They did a great job, pushing themselves through the tight squeezes and hauling themselves up the rope. This was Shana's first time into Whiting's Neck Cave, so she had to try everything. She was a trooper, and we snapped a shot of her coming through "Rebirth."

Portable Team Challenge - July 28th, 2007

July 28th, 2007

Today we put on another Portable Team Challenge with a group of international students. The kids had been working and traveling together for a couple of weeks already, and this was their recreational team building event. The students showed great enthusiasm, in spite of the heat and sun. A couple of highlights was the successful completion of the "gutterball," and the "magic boots" activities.

In "gutterball," the team had to move a rubber ball down a series of PVC pipes that were lined up like a gutter. The activity took great focus and communication, as well as a good bit of planning before beginning the action.

For "magic boots," the team had to traverse from one side of the "river" to the other side, using only one pair of "one-way" boots. In other words, the boots could only be worn once for each participant, and had to be used to transport 16 people across. Challenging!

Here's a couple of highlight shots to give you an idea of the challenges... Enjoy!

Keeping Experiential Educations Professionals in the Industry

I have been working in and around the experiential education arena since 1992, and over the years I have seen hundreds of good and even great adventure educators enter and leave the field of recreation and education. So many talented and passionate guides and leaders seem to slip through the cracks every year that I start to feel like we are just like so many other service-based industries - a great place to start in the workforce, but mainly thought of as a stepping stone towards "a real job." Now, please don't misunderstand me, I know plenty of people who have been around for decades - it just seems that these old-timers are in the minority...

A few years ago I was faced with the serious question of whether or not I would switch careers (just like so many other adventure facilitators) and rather than throwing away the 10 years I had already invested, I chose to start my own adventure business. Seven years later, I am still running my business and I am faced every season with the uncertainty of who and what I will find to help run my climbing, caving, mountain biking, wilderness skills and portable teambuilding programs...

This winter, my plan is to create some sort of network for the adventure guides and facilitators in my area - Maryland/Virginia/Washington, DC - and attempt to generate some dialogue between the professionals who are the lifeblood of our industry. The goal is to get people to know who is out there, what they have in common, how they can help one another, what the industry can offer to them, etc... In the process, I expect us to have some fun!

I'd appreciate any insights that anyone might share with me about how to make this work. If you know of any already existing networks (I mean real-life, successful networks - I've seen a few websites that seem pretty bogus...) I'd love to hear about them.

Thanks to all of you who make (or have made) this industry great!

Eriq Powers
GO-AdventureSports
www.go-adventuresports.com

Dressing for the Outdoors!

Dressing for the Outdoors

Have you ever been caught outdoors without an umbrella or raincoat? Do you remember how it felt? First you got wet, then cold, then miserable? Perhaps things became a bit more worrisome – your teeth began chattering, your fingers and toes got “frost nip,” you began shivering uncontrollably. Every year thousands of people are caught unprepared by a sudden change in the weather. For many, the situation becomes even more desperate, leading to hypothermia, frostbite, and sometimes death. Following a few simple rules can make the difference between a fun adventure and a miserable and potentially dangerous one.

When planning your next outdoor adventure - be it a hike in the woods or a multi-day backpacking trip - keep these rules in mind:

Check the Weather-
Before heading into the outdoors, it is important to check the weather reports for the next couple of days. Knowing what to expect will help you in deciding which clothing will be appropriate for your outdoor adventure.

Leave a Note-
If you are planning to head into the wilderness (anything away from telephones and people) be sure to let someone know your plans - where you will be, what you will be doing, when you expect to return. In the event of an emergency people will be able to get to you quicker if they know where to look!

Dress in Layers-
Wearing multiple layers will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Remember the three-layer system – base layer, mid/insulating layer, and outer/shell layer. Adding or removing a layer helps your body adapt to changes in your activity level and temperature. Here are a few rules of thumb:


Base Layer-
The base layer is the one next to your skin - your underwear. Although you might think it’s relatively unimportant, choosing an appropriate base layer can make a huge difference in your comfort level. In winter, a wise choice for your base layer is non-cotton long underwear (tops and bottoms) made of either a natural fiber (silk or wool), or a synthetic fiber (polypropylene, nylon). The benefit of choosing non-cotton over cotton underwear is the way that the fabrics react to water. Cotton fibers are hydrophilic – they absorb water -- whereas non-cotton fibers are hydrophobic – they repel water. As more water is absorbed, less heat is retained, which translates to you getting colder faster. Choosing hydrophobic materials will allow both perspiration and rain to be repelled from the body – thus enabling your body to retain heat for longer periods of time.

Insulating layer-
The insulating layer is the layer between the base layer and the shell. As before, choosing a non-cotton insulating layer will help to retain heat and wick perspiration away from the body. Two of the most popular choices for insulating layers are wool and polyester fleece. Not all polyester fleece is created equal! The thicker the garment, the more heat it will retain. For thicker garments, be sure there is some way to vent the heat, either through pit-zippers, front zippers, or both. There is such a thing as being too warm!

Waterproof/Breathable Shell-
The shell layer is the first line of defense against the elements. Choosing a jacket that is “water resistant” will help protect you from an early fall shower but might not be as effective during a late spring deluge. Choosing a jacket that is “waterproof” (such as a PVC rain slicker or poncho) may keep the rain out, but without the benefit of breathability you could become soaked in your own sweat. Breathable/waterproof fabrics (such as the venerable Gore-Tex) will provide the optimum combination – both keeping the rain off and letting the sweat out. Once again, choosing a garment with vents (pit-zippers and front zippers) will provide better temperature control.

Protecting the Extremities-
A wool or fleece hat will help with heat retention and can be easily removed to prevent overheating.

Wool or other non-cotton socks are a must for outdoor comfort. Warm even when wet, wool/poly-blend socks can be worn in winter or summer and can even help with blister prevention.

No matter what level of adventure you are planning, by using a sensible layering system and following a few simple rules you can avoid exposure and potential danger in the outdoors.

Caving with Talbot Park Baptist Church

Wow! Great trip last weekend with the kids from Talbot Park Baptist Church. The kids had a great time, worked well together, weren't afraid to get a little wet and dirty... It doesn't get any better than that.

We got a couple of great shots of "the Wedding Cake" a flowstone structure in the upper chamber of the cave. Here's one that gives you an idea of the size. This structure grew from minerals deposited through a seam in the ceiling of the cave.

Here's a happy caver coming out of a hole down in the "Popcorn Room." Popcorn, or 'cave coral' is made when a mixture of minerals and moisture are squeezed through a porous rock. Once the moisture is released, it feeds the growth of a coral-like mineral deposit which vaguely resembles popcorn.

Finally we have a picture of ice stalactites and stalagmites growing near the entrance to Indian Cave. The icicles are very similar to actual speleotherms, and give us a great idea of how the amazing structures grow underground...

ARTBA Portable Team Challenge

Had another great Portable Team Challenge event with American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) last week. The group was made up of project managers from around the country, and their goal was to get to know each other better, learn effective communication skills, and build trust. Although they were a pretty high functioning group, they were also willing to really share during the debriefs following each activity. Naturally, this helped make the experience more than just a fun event...

Coming Soon... NEXTeams - The Next Step in Team Development

While technology continues to make the world more interconnected, internal workings of organizations both large and small seem more and more disconnected. This disconnect can be caused by a number of factors - ironically the technology that propels us forward being one of them... The disconnect can have one or multiple causes, from a simple misunderstanding between two employees to a misinterpretation of the overall mission of the organization. Whatever the reasons, and whatever the problems, organizations often benefit from the help of mediation and facilitation. NEXTeams is a company whose mission is to get to the root of an organization's internal and external challenges, identify these barriers to success, working within teams to map out a strategy for overcoming the adversity, and helping the organization implement the plan. Combining goals/needs assessment and personality testing, with expert facilitation and experiential education tools, NEXTeams is the Next Step in Team Development.

Over the next month, I will be posting regular updates on the creation of this unique team development program, and I welcome any feedback from clients, professional facilitators, and anyone interested.

Stay tuned!

Welcome to GO-AdventureSports/NEXTeams

This is the Weblog for the new and improving GO-AdventureSports/NEXTeams website. Over the years, our focus has evolved from mostly youth-oriented adventure instruction and recreational teambuilding, to more sophisticated adventure programs (see our Adventure Weekend) and team development (see the NEXTeams team development event). This year promises to be one of innovation - not only in the way we run our programs, but in the way we run the company as a whole. One of the most visible changes will be the creation of NEXTeams Team Development - our corporate teambuilding branch. NEXTeams will fill the gap between recreational 'teambuilding' exercises (think of your average corporate picnic field games activities) and a traditional organizational development program (think of 'corporate training' with an expensive consulting firm). Stay tuned for more news as GO-AdventureSports begins to fine-tune its mission, and NEXTeams begins to form its new company... It should be exciting!