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In the workplace, creativity and innovation are at the forefront of success. New ideas have the potential to refresh your business and provide new motivation for employees struggling to stay driven and focused on the task at hand.
However, good ideas don’t always come easily.
Team building days are one of the best ways to encourage those ideas to flow, as well as providing a whole host of additional benefits to your team as a whole.
But what is International Ideas Month all about?
March marks International Ideas Month, an occasion designed to celebrate the importance of ideas. It may sound simple, but ideas are actually incredibly important and vital additions to both society and our individual lives.
Without ideas, it would be impossible to move forward and make progress, find alternative ways of doing things, and improve our lives for the better.
Sometimes, even the smallest of ideas can end up making a massive improvement to someone’s life – once you have an idea, there’s nothing to stop you from taking advantage of the possibilities and running with it.
Ideas are also essential in the workplace. They can lead to finding more efficient ways of doing things, refining processes, and working better with colleagues.
Creativity is also important – sometimes the best ideas are the ones that initially seem completely wild and off the wall. Think outside the box and allow your creativity to inspire your drive to success.
Team building days can help with the generation of ideas, promoting creativity, and helping your employees to bond and promote the sharing and development of ideas. Often, something as quick and easy as a simple brainstorm can lead to many various benefits for the entire team – bouncing ideas off one another is a fantastic way to develop them further.
Choose team building days to re-energise your employees and encourage them to get to know one another better.
Promote the building of positive working relationships through fun activities and challenges designed to test your team and allow them to develop new skills which are then directly transferrable across to the professional environment.
Here at Team Challenge Company, we offer a broad range of team building days encompassing a variety of challenges and activities.
This means that it is incredibly easy to choose a team building experience that suits your team, allowing your employees the freedom to get creative and start generating ideas to benefit your business.
For more information about our team building days and experiences, get in touch with us today.
Colour Code Analysis is one of the simplest yet most effective ways of developing a team through understanding individual personalities. Not only do you identify your own 'colour' but also that of your team members, allowing for the practise of realisation, reaction and response as you learn how you should treat other people with whom you interact on a daily basis in a working environment.
Through acting upon simple steps you can develop yourself and your team as a specific unit who understand each other's needs in the workplace and have the skills to provide for them.
The process involves the identification of individual colours of the four distinct personality profiles. Once you have identified the colour of a colleague you will undergo a process of realisation as you understand what their colour means about their personality and can assess their likely behaviour as a result of knowing their specific traits.
The next step in the process is to react to this knowledge and alter your own behaviour in a small way as you anticipate their actions and can then put this understanding into action and respond in a way that will be conducive to completion of the task and in a way that your colleague will understand allowing for effective communication.
The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an introspective self-report questionnaire designed to indicate psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions.
The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment.
A means of classifying oneself and gaining an insight into the type of individual you are, your strengths and working preferences
Our MBTI workshops begin using a self evaluation questionnaire in order to define which of the psychological 'types' each individual is.
This allows identification of similarities and differences between individuals who work together, allowing teams to improve their working and personal relationships in a positive and constructive way, to avoid conflict and become more efficient.
A self evaluation questionnaire in order to define which of the psychological 'types' each individual is
Coupled with our own Experiential Learning Methodologies, the MBTI technology provides a balance of theoretical and practical knowledge. We believe it is precisely this fusion of styles which affords participants in our programmes the chance to apply theoretical learnings and individual development into the workplace with visible results.
The Myers Briggs Programme provides psychology based solutions to common issues within the workplace based on both individual and team levels.
A psychology based solutions to common issues within the workplace on individual and team levels.
The MBTI instrument provides a common language for interpreting interpersonal differences and with over 50 years of research behind it, provides one of the most relied upon methods of Team Development there is.
Call Team Challenge Company today to book your consultation for you and your team, with our fully accredited MBTI facilitators. We will work closely with you to create your ideal programme of Team Development to get you and your team where you want to go, this can be based on a morning, afternoon or full day programme.
In any professional workplace environment, you are always going to encounter a diverse range of people with different personalities.
In some cases, these personalities can end up contrasting greatly - leading to possible issues within your team. It is important to recognise these issues and head them off before they become serious, as this has the capability to divide your team and create a negative atmosphere.
Targeted team building events have the ability to combat such issues and ensure that your entire team is working together to their full potential.
Here at Team Challenge Company, we aim to appreciate different personalities and celebrate the varied roles that they can play within the team as a whole. After all, diverse personalities boast varying benefits as these personalities all come with different skill sets.
If everyone within the team had a similar personality, you would probably find your team being incredibly strong in certain areas but severely lacking in others. This is why it is so important to embrace variety and ensure that your team has a broad array of personalities across the spectrum.
Introvert or extrovert; expert salesperson, receptionist extraordinaire or IT whizz – regardless of each team member’s distinct strengths and weaknesses, once you begin to classify personality types, it then becomes much easier to start working towards creating a stronger team overall.
Psychometric Profiling allows you to identify the personality type of each member of your team, using a variety of different classification methods. We offer specific team building events focused around Psychometric Profiling in order to help you make the most of your team.
So how does having a team of people with different personalities work in your business’ favour?
People with one specific personality type will automatically be better at different tasks than others with a contrasting personality type. Therefore, if your team contains members with each different personality type, you should have an equal coverage, resulting in an even spread of strengths and weaknesses. This then makes it easier to play to each individual’s strongest points, allowing you to divide out tasks in the workplace accordingly.
Team building events that utilise techniques such as Psychometric Profiling are also essential for ensuring that team members understand one another’s strengths and weaknesses.
This leads to a greater sense of unity within the workplace and should help your team to work together and distribute tasks more efficiently.
Embrace variety and welcome the differences - with team building events this spring.
Give us a call on 03300 040903 to book your team building event today.
It is a universal truth that family is one of the most important aspects of life. After a long, tiring day out at work, coming home to your loved ones is the best reward there can be.
But what if you could go one better?
What if you could bring your family along to work with you?
Plan one of our exciting family fun days for your team to enjoy a day of entertaining activities with your loved ones and the whole office.
Create the perfect corporate family fun day, combining classic team building events with exciting activities that everyone will enjoy. The benefits of family fun days and team building challenges are many – they serve to motivate your team as well as teaching team members new skills that can be directly transferred across to the workplace environment.
In addition, team building is the perfect way to encourage your employees to develop workplace friendships; getting to know one another better and therefore creating a happier, more positive working atmosphere.
If your employees are bonding and working together well as a team, they are much more likely to collaborate on everyday tasks in the office, which can be a massive help when it comes to problem-solving and generating ideas.
Similarly, the same benefits apply when it comes to corporate family fun days. Family activity days are great for boosting morale and maintaining positivity in the workplace. Plus, if you choose to hold your family fun day at your place of work, it can be interesting for family members and children to see where you work and meet your colleagues.
Activities for All the Family
Our family fun days are completely flexible – we will work around your individual requirements to create the ideal event for your company’s needs. Our experienced, professional staff will be on hand throughout the entire process to help you plan your event.
From start to finish, we will assist you in the planning of your day, aiming to make the event run as smoothly as possible. If you don’t want to hold the event at your workplace, you can take advantage of our free venue-finding service, offering the potential to hold events in locations such as hotels and picturesque country houses.
When it comes to the actual activities, we offer an extensive selection for you to choose from. Including both indoor and outdoor activities, you will easily be able to find something for everyone in our selection, from classic games to modernised technology-based fun. We are always adding new events to our activity portfolio, so take a look at the activities on offer and start planning your next corporate family fun day!
To enquire about our family fun days or to book your next team building event, please give us a call on 03300 040903.
In the business or corporate environment, it’s a sad truth that often too much emphasis is placed on progression and competition. This is usually at the cost of getting to know your colleagues and co-workers, resulting in a lack of meaningful office friendships.
Here at Team Challenge Company, we aim to change this. We think that corporate events are important to enable people to make friends with their co-workers, as this promotes a healthy, friendly working atmosphere.
Colleagues that are also friends work more closely together, which can help with problem solving and in the creation of new ideas and strategies. It’s important to make sure every member of your team is valued and appreciated, and friendships can go a long way towards improving the general morale of the workplace environment.
With that in mind, you may not know that the 11th of February is international ‘Make a Friend Day’. This is the perfect time for your employees to escape the stress and struggles of work, and take some time out to get to know one another. Building and developing new friendships can help to boost productivity and make your employees happier while going about their daily tasks, meaning that you should soon see a happier, more positive working atmosphere.
Take advantage of Make a Friend Day and book your employees in for a team building experience with us this February. We have a wide range of different experiences available for you to choose from, including both indoor and outdoor activities so you needn’t worry about the unpredictable British weather!
Our team bonding activities and corporate events will allow your employees to develop new and existing positive relationships while encouraging more effective communication which can be carried across to the workplace.
Your team will be entertained and motivated, equally taking part in exciting challenges. Our experiences actively encourage teamwork and reward colleagues for working together to overcome obstacles.
A Wide Range of Choices
Depending on the type of team building experience that you go for, your team will be faced with a variety of physical and intellectual challenges. As they go about the problem-solving process, they will demonstrate their strengths and weaknesses, both individually and as a group. This will help you to identify which areas need to be focused on in the future, and ultimately will help your team to become more successful in the future.
Whether you decide to opt for a Crystal Challenge, Soapbox Derby. an interactive treasure hunt, indoor games, or something else entirely, the choice is completely up to you. Choose a team building event that will allow your team to get to know each other and develop friendships for Make a Friend Day this year.
For more information about our team building activities and corporate events, please give us a call on 03300 040903.
When you work in an office or an industrial environment, it is important that you collaborate and communicate with those around you in instances such as meetings, brainstorms and conferences, communication.
However, in the everyday office setting, people can come across as (unintentionally) unapproachable due to poor body language.
Here Team Challenge Company explains five approachable body language steps.
When we run our team building events, emphasise the importance of communication in teams.
Long before verbal communication begins though, teams and individuals need to encourage one another to open the communication channels; this is best done by emanating approachable body language.
You and your team need to make a conscious effort to appear approachable, and knowing the best examples of open body language will help you do just that.
So read on to see the five steps to approachable body language at work.
People notice eyes when they look at someone, and they instinctively try to make eye contact with whoever they are looking at or whoever they want to speak to.
If you avoid eye contact or make it impossible for others to make eye contact with you, you will come across as standoffish, anti-social or even shifty.
You need to be careful that you don't stare people down, but you need to look at them long enough to establish a connection and encourage further communication.
As they say, it is all in the eyes, so make eye contact a priority if you want to be considered approachable.
The easiest way to catch a co-worker's attention and let them know you are friendly, approachable and open to communication is to smile at them.
When you flash a smile, your face opens up, and your expression brightens, instantly making you seem approachable.
Subconsciously, we are attracted to cheerful expressions and smiling faces which are associated with happy and sociable dispositions.
It doesn't matter how much you sit at your desk willing your colleagues to wander over for a chat; if you don't look like you're available, you won't see a soul.
Now, looking available and approachable doesn't mean you need a neon sign offering free hugs. You just need to make sure your posture is open; don't sit slumped with your head in your hands or your nose in your smart phone.
Look up, smile and make sure people know they are not an interruption.
How you present yourself in terms of non-verbal communication and body language can determine whether or not you are seen as approachable or aloof.
Appearing approachable is not all about big smiles and wide eyes, it is about ensuring your body doesn't build itself walls. If you sit at your desk with boxes piled high, obstructing people's view of you, they will consider their presence to be an imposition.
Similarly, if you sit with your arms folded in front of you, your legs crossed and your head down, people will assume that means you want to be left alone. Remove these barriers and you will no doubt see a jump in traffic to your desk.
At some point, you will end up speaking to someone, whether you are answering a question or engaging in small talk.
When this happens, you need to ensure your body language reinforces how approachable you are. Don't shut down the conversation by avoiding eye contact or mumbling, and make sure you look invested and engaged in everything that is being said.
Nod to show you are listening and paying attention, and ask questions to demonstrate interest and encourage further conversation.
These five steps are just the start of how to be approachable at work. Some people are particularly introverted or shy, and thus use props such as a jar of sweets, to encourage co-workers to stop by. Others will simply smile and wave people over. It is really a matter of personal preference.
Of course, if you want to make a concerted effort to improve communication, collaboration and approachability in your team, you can book a team building event with Team Challenge Company.
Working with a wide range of venues of all styles across the UK and Ireland, our team have had the pleasure of working at some truly stunning locations, including several five-star luxury hotels.
Here are four of the top class hotels that offer a unique setting for your event.
Fairmont St Andrews Hotel Golf Resort & Spa sits on the eastern cliffs of Scotland, commanding spectacular sea views.
Framed by the striking St Andrews skyline and shrouded in the history of the Home of Golf, the extensive facilities include: 209 deluxe guest rooms, five restaurants each with their own individual character and style, 36 holes of great golf, a reviving spa offering a wide range of luxurious treatments and an 18 metre indoor pool with sauna, steam-room and Jacuzzi, plus a large dedicated area for outdoor team building activities and corporate entertainment games.
Designed with comfort and luxury in mind, the resort's 209 guestrooms possess an almost uncanny ability to lift the spirits and soothe away fatigue.
The hotel commands breath-taking panoramic views over the North Sea and the medieval skyline of St Andrews. Whether you're planning a board meeting, a team building event, a sales conference or a corporate entertainment event, the venue offers everything you could possibly need for your event to run smoothly.
With state-of-the-art conference facilities and an unwavering commitment to detail, there's no better place than Fairmont St Andrews.
Sofitel London St James offers five-star accommodation in the heart of London's West End and provides the perfect venue for your next away day. Experience this landmark hotel - consistently rated as one of the best in London - which combines traditional
British design with a contemporary style that is unmistakably French. You are sure to create the perfect atmosphere for your indoor or evening event with the seven stylish London meeting rooms - each with a private entrance - which can accommodate up to 180 guests and all of your indoor entertainment needs.
Our London conference rooms offer state-of-the-art technology, or you can opt for our self-contained boardroom, with an exclusive reception area and private dining room - ideal for the most discreet gathering.Located in a grade II listed building, the hotel features a restaurant, the Rose Lounge, the St James Bar, a large choice of conference suites and an award-winning spa affording you plenty of relaxation following your indoor team building event or experiential learning workshop.
This stunning hotel is within walking distance of Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus so will provide the ideal setting for your Team Challenge Company experience.
Standing on the wooded slopes overlooking Belfast Lough and the County Antrim coastline, is the magnificent Culloden Estate & Spa; Northern Ireland's most prestigious five-star hotel.
The Culloden Estate and Spa presents seven beautifully appointed event spaces for meetings and conferences, making it a fantastic choice for various indoor team building events, whether it be a Race Night or an Ice Breaker!
Situated only five miles from Belfast City Centre, the hotel is a member of the exclusive Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Originally built as an official palace for the Bishops of Down, the Culloden stands in 12 acres of beautiful secluded gardens and woodland that lends itself perfectly to team building and corporate entertainment activities.
Palatial surroundings, fine antiques and the highest levels of personal service combine to give the Culloden a unique air of elegance. The exclusive spa offers a full range of health and leisure facilities, and golfing enthusiasts can enjoy privileged tee-off times at Royal Belfast Golf Club.
Enjoy fine dining in the AA rosette winning Mitre Restaurant, or for a more informal meal, try the Cultra Inn on the estate.
Voted Top UK Conference Hotel for the fifth consecutive year in the Hot List for Conference & Incentive Travel magazine, The Celtic Manor Resort is sure to be the perfect venue for your next team building away day or conference.
The Convention Centre is purpose built for events and can host all styles, from board meetings to conferences and AGMs. At the heart of the centre is the 1500 delegate Caernarfon Suite, with adjoining pre-function areas and world-class technical facilities, offering you all the space you need for your next indoor team building session or team development workshop.In addition to the Convention Centre suites, The Lodge has a wide range of function rooms, including the Augusta Suite (400 theatre style) and the Via Julia Suite (150). The Manor Suite (120) is another option and is located at the Resort's 19th century Manor House.
All of these spaces offer a fantastic setting for your choice of evening entertainment events, from a Corporate Quiz Night right through to a Murder Mystery Dinner. At the Celtic Manor Resort, the choice really is yours.
Each of these incredible venues offers something unique, whilst delivering the utmost in luxury and excellence for you and your team.
Working in a team can be difficult at times. Whether it is conflict or a lack of communication that is the problem, it is important to tackle these challenges head-on. In saying this, prevention is always better than a cure, so if you think problems will soon arise, put your best foot forward and resolve them before they worsen with a little help from Team Challenge Company
A few common tell-tale signs that there may be a problem in your team include continuous conflict between two or more workers and a serious lack of motivation on behalf of several team members. If you are struggling to identify the cause of issues within the team, it may simply be a lack of understanding. Recognising everyone's roles within the team is so important to the success of your business, as is respect for the work carried out by your employees.
A lack of understanding can lead to confusion and frustration, therefore resulting in conflict further down the line.If you, as a manager, don't quite understand how employees work on a day-to-day basis, or if you are struggling to recognise individual roles in the team, don't fret.
Belbin's team roles are ideal for helping managers to see how their employees work best, and what they contribute to the team.Are you a manager struggling to get the respect of your team? Then why not fly over to these guys and up your managment game today!
In this blog post, we will look at just one of Belbin's team roles; The Plant.
Though not always practical in the way they think and the ideas they share, they could be described as the ‘life of the team'. They always have something to contribute, and clever yet wacky concepts are their specialty, even when it comes to corporate entertainment ideas. However, it is important to remember that too many Plants can stunt growth, as well as cause conflict. If you have too many ideas flying around the table from too many Plants, it can be difficult to make an impartial decision.
Creative and an ‘out of the box' thinker, the Plant specialises in idea generation and inspiration. Not only are they quite a dominant member of the team, but they tend to push the boat out when it comes to thinking of imaginative ways to improve a campaign or strategy.
Plants will often focus on the ‘bigger picture' instead of finalising the little details. This can be both a weakness and strength as it allows them to create a vision. However, overlooking details, no matter how minor, can put the team at a disadvantage.
If you have a couple of Plants in your team, remember to encourage them to take a project step-by-step; you should help them to see the minor yet practical details, so as not to rush ahead. This is just a short analysis of Belbin's Plant team role.If you are struggling to identify these roles in an office environment, why not study behaviour, strengths and weaknesses elsewhere? Here at Team Challenge Company, we have a wide selection of team building days on offer, all of which can offer a greater insight into your team. For more information, get in touch today.
Whatever research you come across, it is the consensus view that human beings are social creatures. From an early age, right through to adulthood, our dependency on our friends and community is evident.
Even in the workplace, we crave and cultivate social interaction through various team building activities and social gatherings.
In fact, interaction with others is such a significant part of human life that the physically isolated act of computing has become social-centric, with a number of social media networks sitting at the centre of modern culture and psyches.
Are we really as social as we think though? And if so, how did we get that way?
Well, according to various sources, evolution plays a big part.
As ancient primates, we roamed the planet solo, in pairs, or - at the most - in small clusters. Small groups that were originally created for survival turned into families, and families eventually turned into communities, which expanded into societies.
Partly, this banding together occurred out of necessity, to protect the human race from predators and to share the skills and wealth accumulated by individuals. This is just an anthropological glimpse at how humans were destined to be social though; our biology also seems to have played its part.
With a larger and better-developed brain than other primates, we were practically built to be social. Our evolved brains mean we can reason, speak, problem-solve, learn and interact socially.
It is this ability to learn, communicate and evolve that has contributed to our survival as a dominant species and allowed us to prosper as a civilization. Sociality is just as important to modern human life though, as psychologist Adam Waytz explains:
"sociality is a dominant force that shapes thought, behaviour, physiology, and neural activity" (source).
What does that mean in the workplace? It means you need to foster relations and nurture communication, within teams and departments.
It is true that for the most part, work requires a degree of solitude. Collaboration may be required for certain tasks, like meetings and brainstorms, but for the majority of companies, everyday tasks require individuals to work alone in order to stay focused and productive.
That said, when you work in a social environment like an office, you need to ensure teams communicate, collaborate and generally work well together. It is detrimental to encourage too much social interaction throughout the day, so you need to designate time for team building activities and events like those offered by Team Challenge Company.
We have years of experience in the corporate events industry, and we have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to teams and associated topics. We will help you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of both teams and individuals, whilst providing a productive session where everyone learns something new or develops an existing skill.
So help your team embrace all that being a social creature involves and get in touch to book your team event today. We look forward to hearing from you.
