Team building and team bonding isn’t just for footballers or rugby players or those involved in team sports. It is also about creating a healthy and harmonious atmosphere within the confines of the workplace. A happy staff, or team, leads to better productivity and a friendlier environment. The knock-on effects from that happy environment are indeed multiple. Apart from productivity, staff or team retention in today’s market is critical. Demand for highly productive, well educated team members is at an all time high. Therefore, making the work place a happy place will be the first brick in the wall.

Team building and breaks away from the desks are paramount for a successful work place environment. We have discussed a myriad of options that involve both the ladies and the gents in the company getting together for team building. Sometimes, it’s ladies only and sometimes the concentration is on the men.

Today we are discussing an option for the male team member, that’s usually regarded as the preserve of the ladies. That option is a Spa and a pamper afternoon.

First of all, the spa is not just for ladies!

And, while the lads from the office might think of it as girly, forget it! Drop the caveman attitude and get the male team along to a Dublin spa for some real body treatment.

The fear for some blokes is that it’s all about fluffy dressing gowns slices of cucumber on the eye lids and delicate perfumes. Wrong again! The body and mind needs relaxing whether it’s male or female. The Idea is that on entering a spa the man will immediately experience the feeling of calm. The Therapists will focus on the stress points so that the body’s well being is assured and that the mind is free to drift to a higher altitude. The highly trained staff will guide your team through each step of your relaxing journey.

It’s amazing how relaxed, revitalized and rejuvenated you will feel after the treatment.

Depending on where exactly you take your male team, a variety of treatments are available, each with its own unique selling point.

Indian head massages are popular with most establishments. They involve a relaxing face, neck, shoulder and head massage. The treatment is steeped in Indian tradition and with their skill set, the masseuse will work on the head and scalp to ease out all the tensions above the shoulder areas.

Men with sinus problems and tired eyes will also experience a major improvement. Other treatments for instance involve a pine and eucalyptus enriched moor mud back treatment followed by a back massage. Or why not try a Hot stone back massage and or maybe a hot stone leg and foot massage.

The hot stone heat penetrates the deep muscle tissue and eliminates the need for an excruciating deep muscle massage that makes the cure worse than the disease.

The male members of your team will experience a life changing moment when they are whisked off for a Spa and pamper afternoon.

Once the body is successfully sorted, the mind in a peaceful orbit. A pleasant feeling of well being will hang on the body like a well cut suit. It can be regarded as a job well done and an initiative that was worth pursuing. The spa will no longer just be for the ladies in the team but also for the macho males that had never had the experience before.

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Bigpotatoes was very impressed on a recent visit to Limerick and so we wanted to share our findings with any of you planning a team outing!

Bigpotatoes.ie has had a great input from the businesses and hot spots in the city and we are working with their advice on how to help the team leaders everywhere to bring their football, hockey, rugby and GAA teams to the Treaty city and suck up the beauty and the atmosphere. Limerick is a buzzing university city and we want to share this with you!

Limerick has everything from sizzling food to street art. As they say in the Treaty City, ‘there is something in the air in Limerick right now, so lets’ make tracks’. Making a really early start and breakfast in Limerick will give plenty of time for visiting all the sights.

1. The Big Breakfast.

This is an old fashioned Irish tradition, breakfast like a king and where better than The Canteen. Chef Paul Williams has brought a beautiful casual edge to Mallow Street. Good food, good coffee and good prices that the team will enjoy. A tip! Try the green eggs and ham, a delicious plate of poached eggs, avocado and chilli sauce topped off with bacon. Lots of other enticing options on the menu;

2. Thomond Park, home of Munster Rugby.

Thomond Park is Legendary in the sports world and a fortress for the home team. Take the team on a tour of this stadium and feel what the players feel when they walk into the dressing room and out on to the pitch. Browse through the museum and get a glance of the memorabilia of some of the great players that wore the red jersey of Munster. What better way to boost team morale than to take the team to the home of legends. You might even see some players!

3. The Hunt Museum and the Limerick City gallery.

In 2014 Limerick had the honour of being Ireland’s first city of Culture. While that showcased the City it also brought attention to the wonderful historical artifacts in the above galleries. The team will witness a different side of Limerick’s culture and it could be something different for them from the norm.

4. Street art.

This will be appreciated by the whole team. Have the cameras ready for some stunning photos in Limerick. Limerick is a fun vibrant university city and there is street art everywhere. This gives the outing and the trip great energy and life. Limerick has art in spades and this will add to your amazing day out

Well, there you have it! 4 great reasons for taking your office team on a trip to limerick Your team will be talking about it for weeks!

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The top three reasons it’s so important to team build

Trying to solve problems or develop ideas is naturally built into all of us and while much of the time we try to work things out for ourselves by ourselves.

Very commendable of course but think of it slightly differently. How much more successful the outcome might be if the approach was shared, in other words a team effort. We will examine the main benefits of team building, team bonding, and sharing team experiences as we look at the top three reasons as to why it is so important to team build.

Was it not Edison who once said after he was criticised for making ten thousand false attempts in perfecting the light bulb, “It’s not that I made ten thousand mistakes, but found ten thousand ways that it won’t work”.

Perhaps if Mr. Edison had been part of a team or team building or had a team working around him. He may well have solved the problem much sooner.

The first of our top three team building benefits is achieving goals.

Life is full of challenges and while we can individually rise to any challenge the benefits and results of working together as a team and in particular as we team build will accelerate the end result and more than likely also enhance it. This is most obvious say in team sports. While an argument will be made that a team sport is exactly what it says, a team sport. It is possible to have a team of very gifted and accomplished sports people playing together as a team and not functioning properly. It’s called individualism, brilliant at executing a particular skill but not functioning in a team set up.

In order to achieve the target, the individuals need to bond, need to team build, need to understand all other players and the part that they play in making the team strong. Make the team a unit by team building. Team leadership is important in building this concept. External leadership by a team leader or head coach, but internal team leaders in different areas of the team set up. Team leadership is particularly important in the game of rugby, for instance. It is often noted by commentators that a team had great team leaders all over the pitch. Forwards, backs, defenders, attackers, line jumpers and in the pack. So in order to achieve their goals, team building is paramount for success.

Personal Skills Building

As part of team building we develop interpersonal skills and we learn from others as we share ideas. Team building is not a one way street. It’s two way traffic; as you learn from a team member on the strengths and views as they see things and at the same time you can teach them on the basis of your own experience. That is applicable to all team sports but it also applies to everyday life. How many of our greyer population never had the opportunity of attending a third level college. Yet the experiences that these people have had, as they say, in the University of Life; can have a huge effect impact in team building in the progression of life’s goals.

One of the unseen benefits of team building is the development of friendships and social interaction. Man, and woman for that matter were not meant to be alone or solitary. Just by nature alone we see the necessity for the procreation. So that the world has its guardians and team leaders as time moves on. Friendship and personal attractions are not just essential for team building but more importantly for the good of humanity.

So, when you’re planning your next team building event. Don’t forget The top three reasons it’s so important to team build.

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Stimulate Creativity in the Workplace

Creativity is a fundamental element to any project. Get those creative juices flowing! Your team will come up with creative solutions to problems with ease. Try something creative and do not be afraid to experiment! Try out these activities. Stimulate creativity in the workplace! Check out these excellent creative team building activities. 

Style Class

Try out a Style Class! Learning how to co-ordinate an outfit is beneficial for many reasons. You learn to look the part. It can give you confidence. It can give you that little bit of edge! Ground your wardrobe with a few classic pieces that never go out of style. Find the right look for you! Mix it up with some trends. Pick the ones you like and rock them for a season or two. This is a great team building activity! Style is personal. Your team will love sharing tips.

Pottery Making

Making pottery is a relaxing way to stimulate creativity. Using your sense of touch activates your brain in a unique way. Pottery Making improves focus. It promotes exploration and reduces stress. Thus, allowing the mind to relax and expand. This sense of focus can be applied to other areas in life. It’s social! When a group relaxes they can chat about anything. Your team will enjoy talking to one another while making some pottery. It is a team bonding activity that will always go down well. Pottery Making is beneficial for the body and the mind! See the results.

Paint a Nude

Life Drawing increases focus and patience. It can be an excellent team bonding exercise. Painting a nude as a group would stimulate loads of creativity! Experiment! Start off with pencil and charcoal and move on to paints. Maybe bring different types of paper and make a collage! Perhaps a member of your team would like to try take a few photographs instead. Try it all out! Have anyone in your office who is very comfortable in their own skin!? Maybe someone will volunteer to model! (Although maybe hiring a model might be a bit less awkward!)

So try out these fun activities! Stimulate Creativity in your workplace and see the positive results! Looking for something more adventurous?! Look at our extreme sport activities!

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The Benefits of Team Building Activities

Team building activities have been proven over the last few years to be an effective tool to increase overall performance. Regardless of the type of team. They have shown to have a positive impact on productivity, efficiency and motivation. A happy team is a hard working team. Here are BigPotatoes we are the experts in organising killer team building activities to take your team to the next level. So here are just on the Benefits of Team Building Activities.

1. Team work

Firstly, team building activities sets aside the team to work exclusively on team work. Focusing on what’s needed or the key components on becoming a more efficient team. During a team building activity you’ll learn how to work together more efficiently and how to maximise the skills of each team member.

2. Leadership Skills

Regardless of the type of team, every good team has a leader. Be Team Building Activities will help identify leadership qualities and skills in individuals. How? A structured team building activity will allow members of the team to contribute as leaders throughout the day, event and activity.

3. Communication Skills

Good communication is important in all aspects of life. However, in business it’s paramount. Team building activities aids in breaking down the barriers of communication, that may occur in teams at times. It’s also a fantastic tool to improve both verbal and non-verbal communication.

4. They’re Fun

People enjoy doing fun things. The workplace should be fun as a happy team is a hard working team. A team building activity will reinforce having fun in the workplace, allow the team to let off a bit of steam and form a stronger bond outside the workplace. The results in the workplace will follow.

5. Team Bonding

Why is team bonding so important? It builds the sense of looking out for each other in a team and more importantly builds trust within a team. During a team building activity your team will get the chance to learn about each other and build an even greater respect for each other. This all happens in a fun environment.

6. Responsibility & Confidence

The benefits of team building activities is never more apparent when it comes to improving confidence and a willingness to take on responsibility. Improving someones confidence through a team building activity will transfer into other areas of their life. In the work place it will be confidence in their work or to get a particular job or project completed.

In a team everyone has a role and everyone is responsible for their role. Team building exercise and activities will help to reinforce how taking and providing responsibility will improve team performance.

7. Team Morale

Let’s be honest, a good team building activity will raise the morale within a team or group. Before the team building activity people are enthusiastic and after, a great team building activity with BigPotatoes, there will be a fantastic positive vibe in the workplace or group.

8. Trust 

During a team building activity, the team, staff, or friends will learn much more about each other. They’ll find out their strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities. These learnings will help to form a stronger bond and trust between everyone in the group.

9. Results 

Team building activities promote better communication, promote a positive work environment and has been shown to improve the efficiency within a team. A happy and more efficient team will produce better results.

Finally, If you’re interested in a team building activity for your team or group. Contact us today on info@bigpotatoes.ie. 

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