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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Three stimulating reasons :

We all know the benefits that we gain from taking a leisurely walk in the countryside. The tingling feeling as the body warms up and the breathing increases. The gentle push of the breeze against your face, the sounds of the countryside, birds, cattle, farm machinery and some traffic all add to the moments of serenity and pleasure. The freedom of being out of the rat race, whether on your own or with a team training to get fitter and healthier, is of great benefit to you and your team. That’s an easy option and while very enjoyable for team training or solo recreation it will not bring on a stimulation that will leave you in a mind blowing situation. Let’s examine another team building extreme sport that will test the team and it daring qualities;

We are talking about Skydiving, also called parachuting.

There are several places in Ireland that cater for the parachuting enthusiasts and the nearest to Dublin is an area in Kildare. Generally, this sport is very much weather dependant.

Low cloud cover makes it a non event. Visibility is a key factor not just for the aircraft pilot, but for the teams participating.

Let’s be honest, there’s no point in jumping out of a plane at 10.000 feet if you can’t see the ground. The whole adrenaline rush would be lost.

We are highlighting three factors that make this team experience high on the adrenaline rush Geiger counter.

Number one is turning up at the aerodrome with all your team members and getting the feeling of trepidation as you kit out in the gear, parachute and slip on the helmet.

Gloves and goggles are supplied! Let’s be honest, this is an extreme sport and can be dangerous or fatal so qualified instructors are on hand to make sure that everything is done according to the regulations. Because there are risks means that we class it as an extreme sport. Therefore, the exhilaration that the team will experience illustrates our desire to push the boundaries out. Everything is done with military precision with no chances taken as the team enters the aircraft and prepares for takeoff.

Team leaders will say some reassuring words as the plane picks up speed and lifts off into the clear blue sky. Butterflies will begin swirling around in some stomachs, hands will become sweaty and mouths dry out. Suddenly the plane is at ten thousand feet and the instructor starts the jump sequence. No turning back at this stage as someone shouts “Geronimo” and disappears out into the great emptiness.

This is where the second great adrenaline rush kicks in as team members fall and accelerate to 120 miles per hour (terminal velocity) in less than ten seconds.

The wind rush distorts the facial features so the fear factor is not plain to see. It is an unbelievable feeling. A mixture of exhilaration, nervousness and thrilling expectation as the ground appears to rise up to meet you. The cord is pulled and the traffic slows down to a crawl. Time to draw breath and view the landscape from a place inhabited only by the birds; silence wraps you in a blanket and leaves the team in awe as the gap between feet and ground closes.

Then the third great adrenaline kicks in.

The landing is soft but the euphoria is truly hard core.

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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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Team Building For The Haters

There’s no getting away from it folks. We’ve all worked with or come across someone that absolutely hates team building events. As soon as they hear there is a team building event, work night out or summer BBQ coming up. They’ll start piping up about how boring they are blah, blah, blah. The reality is that they’ve been on god awful team building events before and have a negative experience because of that. They simply need a BigPotatoes.ie team building event. Here’s Team Building For The Haters!

As I mentioned earlier you’ll hear the haters pipe up in the run up to the event with a few classic nuggets. We’ll go through them now.

A Team Building Event is a Waste of Time

Unless they’re a complete workaholic, which they probably are not, most people enjoy a break from their work to refresh their mind. That’s why a lot of us live for the weekend right. If they say it’s a waste of time it’s simply down to their dislike of team building events or they’re simply blind to their benefits.

Take them aside, explain the company’s short and long term goals and the team performance on every level is going to drive this. Then explain that you are not all going to be sitting in a room talking it all out. You’ll be out enjoying activities like paintball, surfing or even paint a nude. Then detail each of their benefits to the team like communication, interpretation and developing a deeper trust. Also, they might change their tune if it’s during work hours.

Team Building Activities Are Stupid

Again, this comes from a previous negative experience on a team building event that required them to impersonate an animal or had to do a scavenger hunt that they had no interest in doing. But, we guarantee when they hear they’re going for a Spa Day, Cocktail Making Class, Zorbing or even driving Dirt Buggies. They won’t think team building activities are stupid!

I Get Tired From High Energy Team Building Activities

Fair point, some people don’t fancy working up a sweat in a variety of high octane outdoor activities. They may also not be the most physically fit either. So, to avoid this let them know that as your team building event or work night out, you’re just enjoying a Gin Tea Party, A Cruise on a River or just indulge in a little BBQ. It’s all about getting to know your work colleagues better and creating long lasting relationships.

It’s Awkward And It’s Just Forcing People to do Things Together

Depending on the size of your team, most people within the team know each other. It’s not like you’re asking them to have a team building activity with a complete stranger. You can always select team building activities to suit their comfort level. Something like a trip to an Adventure Centre is a great option as there is normally a wide variety of activities to choose from that are both individual and team based.

Again reinforce the benefits of the team building activity, the reasons you’re doing these activities and that it all helps to your long term goal.

I Hate To Lose

By there very nature team building activities such as karting or paintball are competitive. If the person in question is overly competitive it’s always a good idea to speak about the process rather than the outcome. Set up your activities as a cumulative event that everyone feeds into the overall result.

So, there have it folks, just a few tips for Team Building For The Haters.

Finally, for more details on booking your next team building event. Drop us a line on info@bigpotatoes.ie now.

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