Submitted by 430jan on
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Hi all, I am a nurse manager (I know, a bit out of the ordinary for these forums). It's public health and I have a wonderful team, but most are still a bit new to the job. We had a day away last year to review our philosophies and strategies. The team wants "team building" this year, but I am violently opposed to trust walks and rope courses (as, I think, are they). They don't want 8 hours of lecture. I would like more awareness of the manager tools way, as I am a big devotee. I have little cash for training, so.....do you have resources, games, websites, other things that might help organize a day long experience that is worthwhile? I have consulted with HR, it is $2500 + for a consultant to come. I don't think I need that, manager tools/career tools is where I want them to be in their understanding. I just don't want death by powerpoint. Thoughts? And thanks.
Janet
One Idea...
Zoellner-
I've contacted a member who I hope will be willing to share her similar experience, at least as a start.
Mark
How about a day focused on process improvement?
Have you listened to the podcast on team building? http://www.manager-tools.com/2007/05/team-building-101
There are also some team building ideas in this podcast (when Mark and Mike discuss getting the team together):
http://www.manager-tools.com/2005/10/virtual-teams
(That cast references the "meetings introductions" which is a great tool http://www.manager-tools.com/2005/12/december-2005-member-only-podcast)
Perhaps your team building day could be focused on process improvement? You could have a brainstorming session, a "hot wash" about some project or initiative you undertook recently, that sort of thing.
Spending time getting to know one another, and focusing on being a better team in what you do could just work.
And please let us know what you do that works and what doesn't. Many of us are in the same situation.
John Hack
Teaming Together.....
I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of kitschy team-building stuff. And, don't like the idea of paying a lot of money to consultants. However, I've run activities for my teams from a couple of books and they've gone really well. I think the key to success is knowing the "personality" of the team. Each team has a different personality when they're together in a room.
http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Emotional-Intelligence-Activities-Managers/d...
http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-Activity-Book-Activities/dp...
Thanks!
I appreciate the help, your podcasts have been revolutionary in a county health department!
Jen_Wren and JHack
Thank you very much for sharing the links and information. I will go back and listen to the teambuilding podcast and see what else I can glean too. JHack I will let you know what I decide and post how it goes.
Free (or close to it) is good!
Here are some of the ideas we'll be using for this year's "Take Our Children to Work" day. I think I subbed out "kids" in all
Hula Chain
Line the people down opposite walls, facing each other. Have the team members hold hands, creating two long chains. Start the hula hoops at one end of each team. The object is to maneuver the hula hoop down the chain without letting go of hands. They just have to wiggle and squirm it over their arms, shoulders and head!
Obstacle Course
Set Up:
1. Tie 5-7 strings to the large metal washer
2. Setup start and finish line
3. Setup course with cones
How to Play:
Tennis Ball Production
Setup:
How to Play:
Thanks for responding Ashdenver
I appreciate your time as I sort through the options. Thanks for weighing in.
Janet
Team Building
Know you've already gotten some great input here but can't resist adding my two cents. My view is that two things make a team: shared objectives/vision and shared history. Ropes courses, trust walks and the like are all attempts at creating shared experiences so that you quickly get to having a shared team history. However, you can accomplish the same thing by making your day an interactive working day. Use your need to create the former (shared objectives/vision) while doing the latter.
Do it by involving the whole team - involve them in the planning, getting the food and in running interactive, working sessions. For example, if you're doing yearly planning, you might have some people do the pre-work of gathering and summarizing customer input. During the meeting, break them into small groups, give them group assignments (and tight timelines) and have them work together rather than be presented to. Throughout the day, mix up the groups. That way, you accomplish your planning goals and you get team building along the way through interaction they have with each other.
My one caveat would be never assign work to the group if you are not going to act on or listen to their ideas. For example, if you already know your project priorities, you wouldn't ask them to prioritize the projects.
And one final thought (though I think you already know this) -- if they sit in chairs and listen all day, it really isn't a meeting.
Kim
Thanks for a moment of truth everyone
Many wonderful insights in your post Kim. We have shared goals for the most part, but almost all of my staff was hired within the last 3 years (a mass exodus before I came on board). So the shared vision and history is still developing.
With all the input I have gotten I am forming a bit of a sense of where I need to go. Basically the same place I go to every day. They are a green staff, so I need to lay out clear expectations and goals. I have to be careful that I don't make the issues so wide that they have to synthesize beyond their current ability without vision and guidance. I need to absolutely give away every area that doesn't require management perspective (so VERY easy for a high D high I woman, right??).
It's really a trust issue too, isn't it? I know in my mind what I want, but I can't do it all, so I have to move them through a meaningful day that is only a continuation of the everyday experiences before and after. I have to trust that as professionals they are capable of this. They are just going to do it like a staff that has been at it 3 years and not 30.
I hope that is making sense.
Makes a lot of sense
Your comments make a lot of sense. That's one of the reason I like to structure my all day meetings into several smaller breakout sessions. It gives the team smaller bites to take on and if you're fairly explicit in what you expect from each breakout group they can't get too far off track (good for your high D need to control.) Of course it means more work for you up front, but I'll bet they deliver the goods.
By the way, that shared history thing is my theory on why Mark's intros (someone else referenced it above) work so well. Seemed corny to me at first but it creates a team/group feeling very quickly because:
* everyone starts out slightly uncomfortable (you want us to draw?)
* there are shared bits of humor along the way
and everyone goes through it together. It works.
Best of luck to you.
Kim
build something
Team building is about trust and relationships. Give someone a charity building project and you will see individuals working together. Pond, play area whatever. You find a natural pecking order and ID those not contributing or shy at pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.
I don't like away days, but if you have to have them - at least derive benefit for others.
Chris
Relevance to our situation? What do you think Chris?
Thanks for your response Chris. We are in a bit of an unusual circumstance because our days as pubic health nurses are all spent in service. Hauling in baby clothes, rushing formula to clients that have run out, phoning clients with clients with communicable disease, etc. It makes their days challenging and selfless.
I do thank you for your suggestion. It would ring true for the nurses to have an element of service to others in our day away and maybe we could do something a bit different. Maybe something for our service men and women, or a sister agency in a different country. Believe me, we are very well sick to pieces of Americans at some points in our day! Especially at this time of need in our country. We are pulled in many directions. It was great of you to look at reaching out to help others as part of this day.
I love the boards here to see what others are doing. We are very isolated in government work at times, and I need a reminder that the kind of management reflected in these boards is relevant to our work in public health. Sometimes it seems so, other times not so much.
I had not considered adding an aspect of service, but fitting that in would be, I think, kind of fun to nurses. Thank you.
Sorry my last post was a downer
Guess we'll chalk it up to a long and brutal week.
Janet
Sorry my last post was a downer
Guess we'll chalk it up to a long and brutal week.
Janet