Well, how long is a piece of string?

If you need to build sandcastles you go to a beach, if you need to go sailing you go to sea, and if your team decides that mountain climbing is the perfect event for them then it’s off into the country and find a mountain range.

Horses for courses: So then why would we think it strange that the team would select Dublin as a destination for team building? It is the capital city of the country and has the greatest and most diverse range of activities than anywhere else in the country! When it comes to team building and group bonding that we are all on different pages at the beginning. It takes time, effort, leadership and coaxing to sometimes get a consensus. Nothing wrong with that really and it does show democracy at work. Someone always needs to put their hand up and take the initiative. It’s what happens. Others prefer to be led than and that’s fine too. The whole point about leadership get-a ways and team building events is it opens up opportunities for those who neither are, nor regarded as natural leaders.

It also brings out qualities that may not be apparent in an office environment. It gives all participants a chance to see what other members can bring to the party. Just because a team member it red hot at computing doesn’t mean that they are dumb when it comes to outdoor pursuits or outdoor team leadership. There’s many a gem hidden under a corporate rock and a spell away from the work environment can often help to unearth such gems. So let’s bring it on.

Back to Dublin and the reasons for selecting it as a corporate event outing destination for the team.

The variety of activities, places of interest, art galleries, hotels, pubs, restaurants are as long as they are interesting.

Whatever we find in other places in Ireland, we can find the whole bundle of them in Dublin. Dublin is not just the capital of Ireland now, it’s a vibrant European city and pretty much like New York, it’s a city that never sleeps. The only drawback is probably the extent of the activities. There will surely be some disagreement within the group as to what is a priority. This takes the team back to the reality of democracy and consensus. THE main attractions are the art galleries and the museums, the range of bridges spanning the river liffey. The enormity of the phoenix park, which houses the Zoo and the Aras, home of the President of Ireland is not fully appreciated.

It totals over 1700 acres and is bigger than Central park in New York and Hyde Park in London. There are lots of other main stream activities to keep the team happy.

Another reason for selecting Dublin as a destination for the team is its access.

The main railway hub in Ireland is at Heuston Station and it services the south, the south east and the west of Ireland. A second station at Connolly serves the north east and Belfast. Dublin airport is now one of the busiest in Europe and has connections to multiple destinations in not just Europe but worldwide. Ferries sail in and out of Dublin Port every day to the UK and continental Europe. So it your group or team are planning a spell in Dublin and moving on as a part of that team building exercise all travelling options are open. Finally, Dublin as we have stated is not just the capital of Ireland, a European city, but is a multicultural location that can compete with the best in the world at anytime.

The post Dublin for your team building event, three reasons for selecting Dublin appeared first on BigPotatoes.

Bigpotatoes is working on establishing a diverse range of activities for team builders. Team building in the employment space is so important not just for the staff member but for the company as well. Team building and team leadership building encourages staff members to work in harmony. Therefore the team learn how to understand one another better. The team will benefit by having a more harmonious work space. And, the company will benefit by having more loyalty and better productivity. It’s a win, win, situation for all concerned!

Today we recommend something completely different. It will increase the heart rates of all on the team building day out. We are going to go to Falconry.

Yes, to take a bird of prey in the hand and get it to soar up into the sky. There are several falconry’s in Ireland and they all provide an excellent day out.

First a little bit of background on falconry: Falconry is a sport with a long social and historic history. It is the art of using a wild bird to attack its prey in its natural habitat. Falconry originated in Korea around 2000 BC. It spread throughout China and Japan before spreading west to Persia. From there it spread to the Arab world with the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan. The returning crusaders brought it back to Europe. It was used more as a means of catching prey rather than just a sport at that time. Falconry flourished for centuries till the advent of firearms. It was in decline for many years until the emergence of modern falconry. This is now considered the fastest growing country sport in North America and Europe.

So, the first thing the team needs to do is select a location and make plans. It is a good idea for team leaders to divide up the responsibilities so that the whole team feels involved. At bigpotatoes we are great believers in the old fashioned map. So get a team member to purchase a map and look at the different locations. Select a location and check the booking details on their web site.

Select a day, make the booking and turn up. Corporate rates are available for business teams and team building days out.

The first exciting reason :

The first exciting reason for this day out becomes obvious very quickly when the staff introduce the team to these magnificent birds.

The most popular birds used are the Harris Hawks. The team or guests are then brought to a sparsely wooded area in the countryside where they will be given the opportunity of handling the birds and putting them through their paces.

Most of the falconry’s carry out their routines in the traditional manner. They employ techniques dating back thousands of years. They have married those skills with modern technology and they keep abreast of conservation and the welfare of their birds.

The second exciting moment :

When a team member slips on the glove and holds the falcon for the first time. That is an awesome moment.

The third exciting moment :

When the bird leaves the gloved hand. The thrill of flying your own hawk in natural surroundings.

The fourth exciting moment :

When the bird swoops down from the sky and settles on the gloved hand. It’s exhilarating stuff!

There are loads of species in the falconry. The team will enjoy their introduction! Their will be a few photo opportunities too!

Your team will love this amazing trip.

The post Four exciting reasons for taking your office team building day out to a falconry appeared first on BigPotatoes.

St. Patricks day comes every year and it is a time that most of us enjoy. Whether we are new to the country and want to engage in the customs and traditions here, or have fond memories of watching the parade as a child – St. Patricks day can be a fantastic day out. Get in on the Paddy’s day cheer by organising a day of team bonding for your hardworking colleagues.

A trip the a Millinery is wonderful way to get some extravagant head gear ready for any St. Patricks day events! Perfect for the office gang who love getting crafty, this team building activity will have your team producing some seriously stylish creations. Use plenty of green tulle and beads to create the perfect Paddy’s day look.

St. Patricks day happens during Spring time in Ireland and this means that the weather is a combination of sunny spells with random pours of rain. If you are lucky enough to stumble upon some glorious weather this St. Patricks day, definitely head off on a Boat Tour. Relax and enjoy a drink with you co-workers whilst taking in the scenic Spring time views. Is there beginning to be a stretch in the evening!? We think so! (This would be the perfect event to sport your newly made St. Patricks day hat too!)

There you have it! The perfect recipe for an amazing St. Patricks weekend team bonding session. Maybe kick things off on the Friday of the bank holiday weekend. The extra day to relax and have fun will be wonderful news to your hardworking team.

The post St. Patricks Day Team Building Ideas appeared first on BigPotatoes.

5 Team Building Mistakes to Avoid

Planning Team Building Activities is a positive step toward housing a happy team! Make sure that they are effective. You don’t want them to have a redundant or negative outcome! Here are 5 Team Building Mistakes to Avoid.

Different Abilities

Avoid making the mistake of not acknowledging your teams differing abilities. Your team is made up of people with different skills. They also have different interests. Most importantly, they have different abilities. When planning your next team building activity consider this. While one team member might enjoy a Hair and Make Up class, another might enjoy dirt buggying a bit more! Also, older members of your team might be more comfortable taking a trip to a pottery or going on a boat ride. Try and cater to what your team will benefit from the most. 

Cliques

Cliques promote segregation. Try and break up office cliques at your next team building activity! Working together is the key! Cliques form naturally in any social situation. The crowd from the admin office might be close friends. The interns might have a lot in common with one another. Give everyone the opportunity to work with someone new! This enhances communication between team members. 

No Clear Goals

Make clear goals at the start of the activity! Maybe send an e-mail explaining why you have chosen this particular trip. If goals are not made clear, your team might be confused. Communicate your aim early on to ensure they are achieved. If you are planning an excursion to an Adventure Centre, do let your team know why. Although they will enjoy the fun physical exercise, make sure they know that there is a wider point. 

Overly Ambitious

Baby Steps! The idea is to have a few excursions per year. A few in office Ice Breakers, a Summer BBQ and a trip Dolphin watching. There are activities to enhance everything! Don’t spend two weeks taking trips to stay cooped up for the rest of the year. Don’t expect to achieve everything all at once! Over working a team to achieve a goal will wear them out. Be consistent! Don’t make your team bonding activities too ambitious.

Neglecting to act on People’s Suggestions

Act on the suggestions of your team. If your team expresses an interest in a particular area, act! This will encourage your employees to make suggestions to you in future. If a team member suggests something wacky like Zorbing, do some research. Find out what the benefits are. Ask around to see if there is interest. Take on board what people have to say! 

The post 5 Team Building Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on BigPotatoes.

Qualities of a Strong Team

There are many qualities that make a team strong. Encourage your team to embody these qualities. Suggest activities that inspire support, openness and individual development. These team building activities will bring out the best in your team. Above all, a strong team is a happy and productive one!

Support and trust

A strong team is built on trust. People help each other by listening, evaluating and offering ideas. Therefore, Encouraging experimentation and giving support is key to progression. Give your team the chance to build trust in one another. Suggest Archery Tag! Your team will learn to support one another learning a new skill. (And trust they won’t be used for target practice!)

Openness

People can express themselves openly and honestly. Working through difficult situations constructively is important. Looking for a way to encourage this? Take them Paint balling! Form teams and open fire! A great way to get the blood pumping. This team bonding activity increases reaction speed. As a result your team will learn to trust their instincts!

Individual development

Developing new skills is a way to stay excited. You learn new ways to think! In other words, It keeps everything fresh. This can be stimulated in a variety of ways. Developing your team on an individual bases is a great team building exercise! Of course, Surfing is a great skill to learn! Many people have not tried it before! Your team is made up of individuals. Give them all a chance to learn something new! 

What else makes a great working team? Find out here!

The post Qualities of a Strong Team appeared first on BigPotatoes.

Exercises To Do At Your Desk

You may spend quiet a considerable amount of time during your working week at a desk. There is so much stuff online and on social media about being active whenever you get the chance. The benefits of exercise is widely known so don’t miss out in work. It should be encouraged in any high performing team as a way to refresh the body before a meeting or heavy work load. So, try out a few of these Exercises To Do At Your Desk or in the office.

Desk Dip or Push Ups

Now we aren’t suggesting that as you walk through the office that you suddenly drop to the floor and give your manager 20 push-ups. But when you’re on a coffee break or lunch. Spend 2 or 3 minutes doing a few desk dips or push ups to get the blood flowing.

Shoulder Rolls Or Shrugs

Many of us tend to carry our stress and tension in our neck and shoulders. So, while you sitting at your desk. Sit up straight and shrug your shoulders upwards and roll the backwards. And repeat. It’s a fantastic exercise also to help with correcting your posture from sitting at a desk .

Leg Raises and Calf Raises

Sitting down all day isn’t ideal so a lot of exercise professionals would advocate getting up and walking on your lunch or just around the office to get the blood flowing. If you can’t leave your desk for some reason. Leg raises and calf raises will help to get the blood flowing to your lower limbs.

Leg raises involve you sitting up right and simply lifting both your legs off the ground and directly out in front of you. Calf raises then are very simple. Again sitting upright with your knees bent push through the ball of your foot and raise your heel. Repeat the motion for a minute.

Balance / Swiss Ball

Finally, if you really want to make sure you get some exercise at your desk. Then invest in a balance or swiss ball and replace your chair. It’s fantastic piece of kit to improve your posture and will help engage your core throughout the day.

This could even be a great way to beat that midday slump in the office!

So, will you be working up a bit of a sweat with these Exercises To Do At Your Desk?

The post Exercises To Do At Your Desk appeared first on BigPotatoes.

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. 

The post The Benefits of Team Building Activities appeared first on BigPotatoes.

5 Things To Beat The Midday Slump

The midday slump has affected us all at some point in time in our working lives. You’re powering along with your work then next thing it hits you like a ton of bricks. The eyes feel like there is lead weights hanging from them and you can feel your concentration slipping away from you. So, beat the afternoon drowsiness with these 5 things to beat the midday slump.

1. Get Your Snack On

If you feel your focus slipping and a little bit on the drowsy side. You may well be hungry. For a lot us our emotional state is high dependent on whether or not we’re hangry or not. So, avoid this happening at work. Grab a snack and restore those energy levels and be a far happier and more alert person.

2. Sniff A Lemon

Yes, your read that correctly. There has been plenty of research into this type of aromatherapy. A good sniff of a crisp and invigorating scent gives us a nice mental stimulation and a welcome mood boost. So, slice a lemon in half and take in a big whiff. It’s a brilliant way to beat the midday slump and get your head back in the game for one of BigPotatoes’ team building activities.

3. Turn Up The Tunes

Many of us listen to some music while working. But often we don’t pay too much attention to the power it can have over us. If you’re feeling yourself dragging through the day, kick the tunes up a gear. Put on a real upbeat song that you know you’ll be powerless against the rhythm. Should the beat take over and you start dancing. That’s not a bad thing as getting the blood moving in the body with wake you right up.

4. Power Nap

I won’t lie. I’m the king of the power nap. I swear by them and I have the incredible ability to sleep anywhere and through anything.  A 20 minute nap, is not just enjoyable, but will boost your creativity, productivity and alertness. If you snore best to find a private spot is our only advice. But, we’re pretty sure you won’t need one when you’re on one of our team building activities.

5. Walking or A Walking Meeting

Getting outside and enjoying the fresh air is always good for the body & soul. However, this fresh air is also an brilliant way to invigorate yourself should you be feeling the midday slump. It’s proven to help with mental health, productivity and creativity in the workplace.

You can take it a step further (pun intended) and have a walking meeting. It’s something different that is sure to break the monitomy of the boring meetings in the office or boardroom.

Bonus Tip

6. Coffee

If all else fails then start drinking a load of coffee. Or as I and many would call it ‘mandatory life fuel’. We all know it’s power and when you need that pick up coffee is always there.

So there you have it, 5 things to beat the midday slump. Hopefully these will come in handy wherever you’re working to be as productive as possible. Or to be nail that meeting on why you and your team should be heading on a BigPotatoes.ie team building event.

Finally, if your interested in a team building activity or package for your team or group. Contact info@bigpotatoes.ie for more details!

The post 5 Things To Beat The Midday Slump appeared first on BigPotatoes.