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Corporate Team Building: Conflict Communication
1.5 days – Off Site Location
Situation Summary
Sample Group has asked Create-Learning-Team Building to develop a team building program for the Offices of Sample Group to (A) empower and create a stronger sense of “community” amongst the 10 team member organization and (B) Open lines of Communication and conflict to develop a team atmosphere of openness and caring dialog, that will retain and grow the talents of the Team.
The team is close, “Like Family, Very Close” said one executive, there has been some conflict felt amongst the team. Intra-office conflicts of personalities are holding SAMPLE GROUP from going to that next level. Each team member is a necessary part of the team unit and there is no wish to separate the team form its existing pattern.
Sample Group has asked Create-Learning-Team Building to propose ideas for discussion.
Create-Learning-Team Building believes we can facilitate a customized program for you that will help the existing team members gain a greater sense of community and learn about how their various personalities can work together to create a more resonate work place. Additionally Create-Learning-Team Building will facilitate with the SAMPLE GROUP team members to open a dialog of needs and conflicts within the office environment, by opening and facilitating this dialog the team members will see how they are a valuable member of the team.
Approach
Create-Learning-Team Building believes great teams are built when people do really fun activities together – activities that have:
• Specific challenges to overcome
• Significant interaction between team members
• Surprises and new obstacles
• Motivating, empathetic, and relevant facilitation of the group
• A relationship to work and life activities, allowing functional tie-backs
Team Building Format
Each Team Building initiative follows a similar pattern. Teams are briefed on a set of guidelines for the initiative with immediately measurable results. Initiatives are usually a large scale team puzzle or challenge. Teams are then given limited resources and set amount of time to plan the action steps for the initiative. Finally, the facilitator adds unanticipated obstacles – and they are still challenged to be successful – mirroring a work environment. During the Team Building initiatives team members often exhibit the same behaviors as when they are in work teams. It is in these moments when the team members become their true selves that the opportunity for success or failure becomes evident – and provides relevant material for reflection and learning. Through the Create-Learning-Team Building processing techniques and the open communication created in the Team Building programs teams create shared memories and beneficial habits that lead to long term positive results within their work place and lives.
Facilitation
Create-Learning-Team Building facilitators will lead processing and reflection sessions after each activity. This session may include the use of Metaphor cards, group drawing, Socratic question and answers, small group presentations of learning, personal reflection, as well as creating concrete plans of how the skills gained will be used in the work environment personally and professionally.
Create-Learning-Team Building has shown results using a variety of processing activities to actively engage each participant. Create-Learning-Team Building uses processing techniques and activities to give each individual participant the greatest learning possible for the time. Individuals and teams will learn about the different personalities and skills of their peers. This is learned through the hands on nature of the activities and the highly interactive processing session after each activity. Create-Learning-Team Building enables the group to take credit and responsibility for their own learning, and gives them tools that can be used immediately in the work environment and home lives.
Special Notes
Sample Groups Program will take place over one and a half days at a location to be decided.
Program Team Training Day 1 (10:00 am – 9:00 pm: all time are approximate and subject to change)
(?) Participants will arrive at the meeting site ~9:00 – 9:30 am, have a light breakfast and the Program will begin at 10:00 am.
Program Goals
1. Strengthen Existing Community: For participants to gain a greater understanding of the members that make up the group. Develop respect and appreciation for the skills, diverse backgrounds, values, and talents that each member brings to the group and understand that their individual attributes are a resource to be tapped for group effectiveness and learning.
2. Communication and Conflict: Participants begin with the idea that conflicts cannot be avoided, and they can actually propel innovation if handled effectively. Participants are given the tools to face conflicts fearlessly and remain neutral while navigating toward a positive outcome. Teams benefit greatly from appreciating how different people respond to conflict, and from developing a shared language for talking through conflicts.
3. Having Fun through a Shared Experience: The teambuilding program will be enjoyable and set an expectation that the work setting will be rewarding while requiring hard work to increase and sustain effectiveness.
10:00-10:30 Opening: Establish Team Program Atmosphere
• Introduction of Mike Cardus
• Logistics of Site - restrooms, general property layout etc.
• Agenda of the Program
• Expectations of team for the program
• What the team expects from Mike Cardus for the success of the program
10:30-11:00 Icebreakers and De-inhibitizers
Overview: Participants are led through a series of initiatives that will open them the team building experience.
Outcomes: Participants will have fun and begin to open up to others. The initiatives are all low risk, low physical and minimal touch. By creating an atmosphere of a slow introduction to the more challenging initiatives to come, the participants are part of the experience and take greater personal responsibility in the success of the program. These initiatives will also allow for the group to get to know Mike, and allow Mike to gain a greater idea of how to progress with the Team programs.
11:00-12:30 Full-Value-Contract
Overview: A full value contract is a partnership agreement between facilitator and clients that establishes behavioral expectations and norms for the duration of adventure training. An additional use of a Full Value Contract is a set of operating norms developed by a company, division or team that establishes behavioral guidelines in the workplace.
Outcomes: The team will create and develop their own Full-Value-Contract that is applicable to the team training for the day and a half, setting a tone for the conflict and communication part of the program. This empowers the team to decide on behaviors and norms within their community. Additionally it opens up the discussion of having a voice and being cautious of a “group think mentality” allowing ideas to be shared openly and objectively discussing what is best for SAMPLE GROUP.
12:30-1:30 Lunch
1:30-1:45 Rope ‘Cuffs
Overview: Partners stand facing each other. One person places the rope loops over both their wrists. The second person places one hand into their loop, and before placing the loop on the other wrist loop, they pass the middle of their rope through the other person’s rope. The two are now connected together. The challenge is for all the partners to become separated, causing a company wide success.
Outcome: The concept of working through a problem that seems to have no obvious solution is a valuable work skill. Creative, outside the box thinking is required. Retracing the steps between the initial formation of the puzzle, and finally solving the puzzle, provides a roadmap for future investigations and solutions to other problems. Finding the answer as part of a group investigation and then sharing the solution is also a living lesson of an abundance mentality towards sharing information that can grow the organization.
1:45-2:45 DiSC Overview
Participant will have already taken the DiSC profile on-line prior to the Program. They will not know their results (Only Mike Will)
Overview: This program empowers team members to understand individual styles of behavior and group dynamics. Each participate will have taken a DiSC® personality profile on line, that highlights their specific DiSC profile. Participants will receive information that illustrates their styles and other useful information on how to create productive relationships. The team will also be able to view and discuss the groups’ dominant style highlighting strengths and possible blind spots.
Through dynamic and highly interactive activities participants will experience their DiSC styles, as they are involved in a variety of teambuilding initiatives. Additionally they will have the opportunity to adjust behaviors to improve individual and team effectiveness. Fun, powerful and immediately applicable in the workplace, this program provides a foundation for further organizational development. The respect, teamwork, and trust created by this approach develops a framework in which all team members can excel. This is an investment in the true power of diversity and how it can be leveraged for organizational growth and success!
Outcomes:
• Trust and respect between individuals
• Greater understanding of individual behavior and its impact on personal and group productivity and morale of the group
• Improved Communication by breaking down communication barriers
• New techniques for adapting behaviors based on individuals they work with
• Key challenges that inhibit optimal team performance
I Know Your Style
Overview: Participants choose several different cards that list behaviors that correlate to DiSC profile words. They place these behavior cards into envelopes that have team member’s names written on them. They may not place these cards into their own envelope.
Outcomes: The participants do not know the results of the DiSC profile (they will discover them next). The “I Know Your Style” activity introduces the participant to the DiSC language. Additionally it gives the participants the opportunity to see how others on the team view them. The choices are anonymous, and the participants are welcome to agree or disagree with the behavior card choices. After the DiSC profile results are given to the participants we will explore how closely the behaviors chosen for them by their team mates, match up with their DiSC results.
2:45-3:30 Break and Personal DiSC review with each Participant
Overview: Mike will meet with each participant 1 on 1 and go over the DiSC profile.
3:30-4:30 DiSC Team Time
Overview: Review of each elements of the DiSC and where each participant falls into the DiSC profile. Cover the dominant DiSC behaviors of the team. Discuss what this means and what to do with the information?
Outcomes: Each participant will know their DiSC profile, each others DiSC profile, and the Team Dominant DiSC profile. This will create a common language and greater understanding of how to work and behave with each other. Additionally the team members will feel more intimate with each other and have a dialog about how to be more effective as team members.
4:30-5:15 DiSC Puzzle Connection
Overview: Participants are split into two sub-groups according to their dominant DiSC. Each group must work together to accomplish a challenging goal with a tight time deadline. The team is shown a large wooden puzzle with complicated directives to follow. Each sub-group must switch from being active to be inactive during the activity.
Outcomes: Highlight DiSC, positive and negative aspects. Dialog on effective team work and team feedback using the DiSC foundation. View conflicts that took place within and between the sub-groups and gain a better understanding of what caused the conflict, and effective ways to grow from the conflict.
5:15-5:30 Break
5:30-6:00 Recap and What’s Next
Overview: Process and recap the day, highlights, disappointments, surprises etc.. Discuss what areas the team wishes to go deeper into, and ways to implement the teams’ wishes into the continued program.
6:00-7:30 Dinner and Discussion
7:30-9:00 Night Hike or Night Activities
Overview Night Hike: This program is designed to create an environment that encourages group members to address sensitive issues that may be difficult or impossible to bring up around the conference table. These issues include trust, conflict, leadership, and communication. This program allows participants to address issues while never seeing another participant’s face or mannerisms. Groups will be lead on a journey through the darkness - only the moon and stars to provide light. Through dynamic group activities and time for personal reflection, participants are challenged physiologically and intellectually to take responsibility for behaviors and attitudes that might be present.
Outcomes Night Hike: The time spent just slowing down after a long day of discussions and possibly heated conflict is a nice break. The team being together in a “foreign” environment the Darkness creates an instant bond and a feeling of community and FUN!
The processing of Night Hike can be very serious to light hearted. I have processed Night Hikes with groups over beer and wine, S’mores at a camp fire: these choices can easily be accompanied into the process.
Overview Night Activities (can involve alcohol or not): The team is lead through a series of interactive and entertaining activities, these can be Play Dough Pictionary, Mouse Trap Drinking Games, Blind Wine or Beer tasting competition, or I have even lead Culinary Challenges where the team makes tapas, and drinks for judging.
9:00 - Free time and Bed
Program Team Training Day 2 (9:00 am – 2:00 pm)
Times can be changed: and are just tentative for the Proposal
(?) Participant eat Breakfast from 8:00am – 9:00am)
9:00-9:15 Change Up
Overview: This activity explores dealing with change. Each player is given a card and asked to arrange themselves is a variety of numerical and alphabetical orders, each round more challenging than the last.
Outcome: Change Up offers valuable insights into the needs that different team members have for information and detail, how people like to work in either structured or unstructured approach to problem solving (Change). As well as how quickly or slowly people are willing to move ahead with a plan based on how much they know and understand about the solution.
9:15-9:30 Recap Day 1 and Renew Goals
9:30-10:00 Going Nuts
Overview: The Group is given a threaded metal rod with 5/8 size nuts screwed onto the rod that equals the amount of participants. The group is challenged to remove the nuts as fast as possible.
Outcomes: This activity raises the frustration level of the participants. A plan is needed for success and everyone’s hand is needed to reach an optimal effective rate. The team will discuss how it will choose to operate when a problem is encountered, and how it will mark progress of the problem. Team members will reflect on their participation in “Going Nuts” and how they deal with the team stressors.
10:00-11:00 Hoopdom
Overview: The group is split into 2 teams that will compete for victory (possibly split by DiSC). Each team is given 6 hula hoops and ~30 feet of rope. The teams are challenged to recreate a structure using the hoops and weave their rope through openings in the hoop structure while not physically touching the structure. Following the competition an all team activity takes place where the group is challenged to build a tower of the hoops that is self-sustaining.
Outcomes: FUN! A look on competition vs. Cooperation.
11:00-12:00 Mouse Trap Activities
Trust Trap Sequence
Overview: Participants are asked to choose a partner. Each participant is given a mouse trap. They are then walked through and shown the proper steps on safely loading and unloading a mousetrap. The partnerships are led though a series of initiatives loading and unloading mouse traps, each more challenging than the last
Entrapment
Overview: The group is challenged to arrange 15 set mousetraps so that they match a given image. Set so that if one goes they all go!
Trap Towers
Overview: The entire team is challenged to stack balanced pairs of loaded mousetraps on edge with the metal workings facing towards the inside. Each new level is stacked on top of and perpendicular to the pair below.
Stack them as high as you can (the Create-Learning-Team Building record is 36 levels to current World Record is 52 levels)
ALL Outcomes: The participants are asked to write a behavior they wish to change or improve upon on the mousetraps. The participants are asked to share these behaviors with the group. The group speaks openly with each participant about ways to ensure success in the behavior change. By metaphorically linking this behavior change to mousetraps participants start with something frightening and unknown (mousetrap and change behaviors). Through practice and team support the participant becomes familiar with how to make the change happen (mastering fear and actualizing a path for Behavior change).
Additionally the team creates a support structure to “check-in” and aid fellow team members in the change.
12:00-12:10 Break
12:10-1:00 Recap and Now What? Group of Art
Overview: Participants are supplied with a large canvas, brushes, and paint. They are asked to create and artistic rendition of their time together, as well as what they are going to do with the learning and newly acquired skills. Every team member must add to the final product. The team takes the Group Work of Art back to the office for a memory and a reminder of the goals they set and the time they shared.
1:00-2:00 Lunch and Good Bye!
Create-Learning-Team Building Guarantee
1) No Bait and Switch. Mike Cardus designs and delivers all programs.
2) No Cancellation. This Program will not be cancelled by Create-Learning-Team Building.
3) Nothing to Lose. If you are not satisfied with this program for any reason whatsoever, let us know. We will return your entire registration fee.
About Create-Learning-Team Building and Mike Cardus, the facilitator
Create-Learning-Team Building provides experiential corporate, college, and classroom training that creates great experiences for lasting memories and improved performance.
Mike Cardus trains, facilitates, and speaks to groups in a variety of corporate and educational settings including Fortune 500 Companies, small businesses, universities and classrooms. Perhaps best know for his high energy and creativity, Mike has trained groups of as few as two people and as many as five hundred. He trains Ropes Course Facilitators and develops related indoor and outdoor training activities for adults and children. He is active in organizations such as the Association for Experiential Education, Association for Challenge Course Technology, New York State Outdoor Education Association and the Organizational Development Network of New York.
Mikes knowledge spans from Environmental Science, with a love for insects, to Organizational and Workforce Development, with a love for personal and group empowerment.
Mike uses his unique mix of science, creativity and organizational psychology to make his presentations hands on, fully involved and educationally powerful.
Certifications and Selected Education
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
• Leadership and Team Development – University North Carolina, Charlotte NC
• High and Low Ropes: Challenge Course Management and Facilitation
• Research; Global Communication in a Flattening World, skills that organizations need to create a global work team.
• Teachable Moments: Advanced Facilitation – High Five Adventure, Brattleboro Vermont
• Advanced Facilitation for Experiential Educators – Project Adventure, Morraine Farm – Beverly Massachusetts
• Challenge Course Adaptation for Corporate Clients – Project Adventure, Morraine Farm - Beverly Massachusetts
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