| The Sales Director had organised a great
| |
| | of their coach. After each task a
|
| conference; the venue was first class,
| |
| | de-brief is held and you can actually
|
| the service excellent and the content of
| |
| | feel and see the teams started to gel as
|
| the workshops and presentations very
| |
| | they work on each task. The rain is still
|
| motivational. The only potential "fly in
| |
| | coming down but nobody is aware of it -
|
| the ointment" was the team-building
| |
| | they are too focused on the task and on
|
| afternoon which was scheduled to take
| |
| | how they are working together. They may
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| place outdoors as evidenced by the memo
| |
| | actually be enjoying the experience!Two
|
| outlining the fact that waterproof
| |
| | and a half hours later the fourth and
|
| jackets, trousers and boots should be
| |
| | final task is completed and along with
|
| brought along to the conference.The
| |
| | the sigh of relief you can detect a real
|
| "rumour-mill" was working overtime.
| |
| | sense of achievement and also of pride in
|
| "We're going abseiling." claimed one
| |
| | what they have achieved as a team. A
|
| sales representative. "No, I have heard
| |
| | final de-brief is held in the bar and the
|
| it is an orienteering challenge." claimed
| |
| | coach summarises the events of the
|
| another. "That river close by must be in
| |
| | afternoon. What has been achieved in
|
| the equation. Maybe there are canoes
| |
| | terms of them working more cohesively as
|
| involved - or even rafts!" Minds were
| |
| | a team? How does what happened that
|
| going into over-drive and with the rain
| |
| | afternoon relate to the workplace and how
|
| starting to fall and the cloud cover
| |
| | are they going to translate what they
|
| starting to not only increase but appear
| |
| | learned about themselves and the team
|
| to get lower and lower, a gloom descended
| |
| | into practical strategies that will
|
| both in weather terms and in terms of
| |
| | ensure the team delivers more business
|
| individuals' motivation. The bar
| |
| | for the company? The final act is for the
|
| presented a much better option!There was
| |
| | team leader to build an action plan for
|
| a surge of interest in the late eighties
| |
| | the team's development so that the
|
| and nineties in "outward-bound" type team
| |
| | learning from the day is not lost in the
|
| building exercises involving very
| |
| | "hurly-burly" of the workplace. The team
|
| challenging physical activities centred
| |
| | now has a way forward.From the initial
|
| around canoes, rafts, abseiling and
| |
| | fear and scepticism, the energy evident
|
| generally "roughing it", but there is a
| |
| | at the awards ceremony is proof of how
|
| lot of anecdotal feedback that this type
| |
| | "outside team development" can motivate
|
| of the teambuilding tends to support
| |
| | both individuals and teams. Which team
|
| individual development as opposed to
| |
| | won is almost incidental and although the
|
| actually developing teams.What is
| |
| | usual "boos" and cheers go up, the
|
| potentially needed are less strenuous
| |
| | feedback indicates that not only was the
|
| outdoor team activities that not only
| |
| | whole experience fun and enjoyable,
|
| challenge both team and individual but
| |
| | important lessons have been learned that
|
| also create experiential learning that
| |
| | will move the sales teams forward in
|
| participants can take back and apply with
| |
| | their quest of improved results.Oh, and
|
| their teams in their own work
| |
| | despite the rain, the scenery was
|
| environment. The activities also have to
| |
| | excellent. And not a canoe in sight!The
|
| be fun and not induce a fear of one's
| |
| | above story is a generic one based on a
|
| personal safety being compromised!The
| |
| | number of similar interventions with
|
| Sales Director had seen the outdoor
| |
| | pharmaceutical companies. What actually
|
| management and team task approach done
| |
| | have these companies learned from the
|
| before and was convinced that the
| |
| | experience of 'outdoor' development?
|
| "non-arduous" type of outdoor team
| |
| | Feedback from participants indicates that
|
| activity was the way forward. At the
| |
| | these events can produce the
|
| pre-event brief, expectations were
| |
| | following:- Greater understanding of each
|
| managed and fears subsided. No, there was
| |
| | team member and their strengths and
|
| no abseiling, rock-climbing, canoeing or
| |
| | development areas.- Similarly, gaps in
|
| orienteering. Instead each sales team had
| |
| | capability within the team as a whole can
|
| a number of outdoor tasks to achieve in a
| |
| | be identified and plans put in place to
|
| specific timeframe and each team would be
| |
| | rectify the capability gaps.- An
|
| observed by an external coach supported
| |
| | increased understanding of team dynamics
|
| by a "safety-advisor" who knew the tasks
| |
| | and processes along with a chance to
|
| "backwards". Each team would be scored on
| |
| | start to develop the team-working skills
|
| their planning, decision making,
| |
| | that are needed to productively implement
|
| communication and flexibility in their
| |
| | team processes.- A chance to 'get away
|
| attempts to undertake the various tasks
| |
| | from the workplace' and take time to
|
| which involved doing a number of things
| |
| | analyse present team performance and how
|
| with pipes, cages, ropes, ladders, balls,
| |
| | best the team can move forward and
|
| and an assortment of other implements and
| |
| | improve productivity.- An opportunity for
|
| structures. The sense of relief around
| |
| | the manager to build their leadership and
|
| the room was very evident but there was
| |
| | coaching skills.- An opportunity for
|
| still a sense of "what I am going to
| |
| | teams to air concerns, hopes, fears and
|
| learn from this?" around, especially as
| |
| | ideas.- Much of the above only occurs
|
| the rain continued to fall and the
| |
| | when excellent coaching and facilitation
|
| darkness closed in!Why outside?
| |
| | takes place during the event. In other
|
| Performing tasks outside has several
| |
| | words, doing the tasks does not guarantee
|
| advantages to performing them indoors.
| |
| | results alone!- Fun assists and enables
|
| Firstly, it takes the teams out of their
| |
| | learning!There are, though, downsides to
|
| work environment and gives them a release
| |
| | 'outdoor' development:- The weather! If
|
| from the pressures of the office or the
| |
| | it rains heavily and continuously it can
|
| conference room in the hotel. Even the
| |
| | be de-motivating and uncomfortable.- If
|
| rain and wind can be a refreshing change
| |
| | the facilitation is not first class then
|
| from the constant ring of the mobile and
| |
| | the learning taken from the tasks can be
|
| the dulcet tones of the manager!
| |
| | minimal, especially when attempting to
|
| Secondly, the sheer movement from one
| |
| | link the learning from the tasks to what
|
| location to the next frees up the mind
| |
| | happens in the workplace.- The tasks
|
| and also releases energy for use both
| |
| | should be done in an environment as free
|
| physically and mentally. Finally a good
| |
| | from 'interference' as possible. Getting
|
| picturesque location can very inspiring
| |
| | teams to manage complex tasks in full
|
| and motivational. The great outdoors also
| |
| | view of the kids from the local housing
|
| gives people space to think and space to
| |
| | scheme can sometimes be
|
| move, something which can be severely
| |
| | off-putting!- Similar to every training
|
| constricted when attempting to do tasks
| |
| | course if there is no follow up of action
|
| indoors with large groups of teams.Our
| |
| | plans based on the learning then the
|
| sales teams are now being introduced to
| |
| | chances are that little will change so
|
| the tasks and although there is a great
| |
| | there is little return on investment. A
|
| deal of energy and excitement about there
| |
| | mechanism of follow up must be
|
| are varying degrees of focus and planning
| |
| | agreed.- Tasks have to be changed and
|
| appears to be at minimum. All the
| |
| | adapted routinely to avoid the danger of
|
| energies are being used up in the teams
| |
| | participants having perhaps done the same
|
| "diving" into the first task. Different
| |
| | task on a previous programme.Overall,
|
| ideas and opinions are being voiced; some
| |
| | 'outdoor' team development is another
|
| listened to, others ignored. Some people
| |
| | intervention that can be added to the
|
| are coming "to the fore", others starting
| |
| | Training or Sales Manager's armamentarium
|
| to become more silent and "slinking" into
| |
| | of development interventions. It is one
|
| the background. As they are timed events,
| |
| | which is innovative, challenging and fun.
|
| the pressure to complete the task rises
| |
| | Provided this type of development is
|
| and voices are raised along with
| |
| | facilitated by a specialist and competent
|
| tensions. Frustrations of some become
| |
| | coach, the learning that can be taken
|
| more evident, especially when the "safety
| |
| | about how individuals and teams operate
|
| adviser" deducts points for several of
| |
| | whilst performing the tasks, can be
|
| the task rules and constraints being
| |
| | translated into what they need to do to
|
| ignored! Finally the whistle sounds for
| |
| | be more productive in the workplace.A
|
| the end of the first task. There is a
| |
| | recent participant in this type of event
|
| sense of relief that it is all over
| |
| | commented: "The early tasks were mentally
|
| coupled with a sense of "we can do better
| |
| | challenging as opposed to being
|
| at the next task!" Others appear to hope
| |
| | over-physical. In fact had we not
|
| that the ground opens up and swallows
| |
| | disagreed so much in terms of our
|
| them!The coach, as observer, holds a
| |
| | planning and our execution they might
|
| post-task de-brief. They ask the team to
| |
| | have been enjoyable! However, the coach
|
| do a self-assessment: What did they do
| |
| | enabled us to look at our behaviours and
|
| well as a team? What didn't work so
| |
| | processes and as a result we managed to
|
| well? What are they going to do next
| |
| | pull together more productively so that
|
| time as a result of the learning they
| |
| | we were much more successful in the
|
| have taken from task number one? The
| |
| | remaining tasks. It was also helpful to
|
| coach also gives their own feedback based
| |
| | be able to link what we had achieved into
|
| on their observations of how the team
| |
| | how we could operate more effectively as
|
| formed, planned, communicated, made
| |
| | a sales team back out in the
|
| decisions, resolved conflict and
| |
| | field."Further Reading:The New Why Teams
|
| generally worked together. The teams now
| |
| | Don't Work (Berrett-Koehler Publishers
|
| move on after the de-brief with an action
| |
| | Inc 2000) Harvey Robbins, Michael
|
| plan that should ensure they are more
| |
| | Finley.The Successful Coaching Manager.
|
| cohesive in how they tackle the next task
| |
| | (Troubador Press 2003) Allan
|
| overall.The lessons learned are heeded
| |
| | MackintoshOutdoor Management Development.
|
| and the next task is again taken on with
| |
| | (Gower 1994) John Bank.About the
|
| vigour but this time the initial energy
| |
| | submitter:Allan Mackintosh is a
|
| is focused in on planning how best they
| |
| | Performance Management Coach with Reivers
|
| are going to tackle the task. There is
| |
| | Development who specialise in outdoor
|
| more listening, putting forward of ideas
| |
| | management and sales team development.
|
| and alternatives and better use of their
| |
| | Allan is also the author of The
|
| resources is evident. The team have
| |
| | Successful Coaching Manager and creator
|
| learned from their first experience and
| |
| | of the OUTCOMES(R) and CARERS (TM)
|
| are continuing to learn with the support
| |
| | performance coaching models.
|
