Tug –of- war is a drollery fun filled activity which comprises of pulling the rope from either side by two teams. This activity makes a sense of healthy competition between the rivalries and yet makes a sense of belonging to ones team. This is the core reason why the San Francisco team building involves this activity in their teamwork edifice modules. Precisely, the same quality is expected from an organizational team so as to perform impeccably. This activity requires team hurdles and team cooperation with a excellent communication between the team members. This way it channels a excellent route for the invigorating dialogue between the known and the unknown team members and needles the dependence of teamwork to triumph over the challenges not only in the game but also in the real life work-scenario. Team Building San Francisco uses many such activities to get the best in your employees. They have customized and tailor-made team building activities, as per your organizational norms. The tug-of-war is one of them which can be either played outdoors or even played in a cafeteria with no time constraints and yet members get the best out of it. San Francisco Team-building believes in getting the employees together by inspiring them with real life situations. It encompasses fun activity to accomplish a given task. Hence with their tug-of-war activity they give them a significant message of working together in concord which not only makes you a winner but also reduces the strain on your shoulder. The resultant success is overwhelming.

Dogs are faithful animals and are more faithful compared to human beings and are considered to be the man’s best pals. But Toronto’s team building activities that involve these canines will bring you back to reality. Toronto team building activities are some fun-filled acts that involve our very own buddies, the dogs. Toronto team building proudly boasts their extraordinary team building activity involving canines. Here, they come up with many custom-made activities which are fun, exciting and full of doggy-adventures. Few of the activities which involve dogs are detailed description of dogs and their way of living, learning to pet the dog by ways of giving them treats, making them groom for an act or making them run your race and teaching them few tricks. The basic concept of these dog-canine activities is to learn to develop the leadership skills and how you work harmoniously with your fellow workers. One such activity designed by the Toronto team building is to have different teams and giving each team a dog to be trained for an act per say. Now each team has to know this dog’s traits and its behavior. Now you have to mould the canine accordingly and make him complete the act. The key here is to treat the dog for each of his right act, so that he is motivated to learn the new acts you are about to teach. In the similar fashion this simple dog activity teaches you to become motivating and appreciating your seniors and fellow workers, so that they can work more swiftly and efficiently with you. This activity helps you brush up your leadership skills and make a pleasant working environment.

Some entrepreneurs assume that a traditional corporation, or “C corporation,” provides a fantastic structure for saving money and growing wealth. As a result, these entrepreneurs do their investing inside their C corporations.
On the face of it, this wealth-building gambit seems to make sense. Profits retained inside the small business C corporation will typically be taxed at a low 15% corporate tax rate. So the entrepreneur gets to save as much as 85% of the pre-tax profits.
In comparison, if a C corporation pays out its profits to owners as dividends or large shareholder salaries, the profits often get taxed at rates of 40% or more. In the end, the entrepreneur gets to save at most only 60% of the pre-tax profit.
Despite the attraction of investing 85% of your pre-tax profits inside a C corporation instead of 60% or less of your pre-tax profits outside a C corporation, this particular gambit is a terrible thought for four reasons . . .
C Corporation Tax Issue #1: No Preferential Capital Gains Tax
The first problem with building wealth inside a C corporation concerns the long-term capital gains tax rate that the C corporation pays on its investment profits.
Specifically, here’s the rub: A C corporation’s long term capital gains don’t get treated favorably. C corporation capital gains get taxed as regular income. A business that is successful in its investing, therefore, might easily pay a 35% or 40% capital gain tax.
In comparison, individuals currently pay a much lower 15% long-term capital gain tax. And even though politicians are talking about raising the long-term capital gains tax to 20%, that’s still way less than the rate a C corporation might pay.
To summarize, then, saving and investing inside a C corporation means paying capital gains taxes that are 2-3 times what as an individual pays. Ouch.
C Corporation Tax Issue #2: Double Ordinary Income Taxation
The lack of a preferential long-term capital gains rate isn’t the only problem with investing inside a C corporation, unfortunately. Another huge problem exists–the prospect of double ordinary-income taxation.
Here’s how this works. Suppose a business owner does inadvertently save and invest inside a C corporation. And then in a few years the business liquidates the investments–and of course pays perhaps a 35% to 40% income tax.
If the C corporation then disburses the profits to the shareholders and the Bush tax cuts have expired in 2010 (as seems likely), the dividends will be taxed at ordinary income tax rates. Shareholders, in other words, might pay up a second, 40% tax when they receive the dividends.
This double ordinary income taxation could easily mean taxes confiscate 60% or more of the investment profit when investing inside a C corporation. Yikes.
C Corporation Tax Issue #3: Capital Loss Usage Limitations
But you need to look at more than just tax rates when thinking about investing inside a C corporation. You should also consider what happens when investment losses occur. Here’s why: Capital losses that occur inside a C corporation are more hard to use as a deduction.
If an individual suffers a capital loss, for example, the individual can net the capital loss against capital gain in the year the loss occurs. Then the individual can use up to $3000 of any leftover capital loss to offset ordinary income in the year the loss occurs. And then the individual can carry forward any remaining capital loss to future years to wipe out capital gains and up to $3000 a year of ordinary income in those years.
The rules for using capital losses on an individual tax return are a small complicated, obviously. But at least the individual taxpayer gets to use the losses eventually (probably).
Inside a C corporation, but, capital losses work differently. First, capital losses can only be netted against capital gains. Second, capital losses don’t just “hang around” indefinitely.
A corporation can carry a capital loss back three years, and apply the capital loss to gains in those years. And a corporation can carry a capital loss forward five years, and apply the capital loss to gains in those years. But any leftover capital loss which still exists after the three-year carry-back and five-year carry-forward is then forgotten.
As compared to C corporation investors, obviously, individual investors benefit greatly by being able to use more forgiving capital loss usage rules.
C Corporation Tax Issue #4: Deemed Exchanges Upon Distribution
Finally, one vital point of clarification. Sometimes business owners, upon learning about the problems of investing inside a C corporation, just choose to just withdraw the property or investments from the C corporation. For example, a C corporation that rather foolishly chose to buy the building the firm uses might choose to just give the real estate to the shareholders.
That would seem to solve the problem, right?
Well, no, unfortunately. And here’s the reason: If a C corporation distributes property to shareholders, tax laws effectively say that the property was sold by the corporation at its honest market value and then the implicit proceeds paid out as a dividend to the shareholders. This deemed exchange treatment means that the C corporation and shareholders still pay all those taxes described in the preceding paragraphs.

The responsibility of organising team building events is a huge task for anyone. Everything has to be plotted and implemented with sheer precision. In addition to that, team building objectives would need to be incorporated into most activities. This is why the goal of the event must first be identified prior to the plotting process.
Once that’s done, it would be best to run a research on the various team building activities that will achieve the intended objectives of the organisation. Browsing through websites such as http://www. chillisauce. co. uk/corporate-events will give you with an thought on the type of activities you can run.
Your next step is to pick a venue that has the necessary facilities to run your team building activities. It may be a excellent thought to go through the list of locations approved by your corporation before you start making enquiries. This way, you won’t waste any of your time considering venues that will not be accepted. You can also cross check with your colleagues for referrals, as they will possess first-hand experience on the service levels and facilities of the places that you are thinking about.
As a team building event planner, one of your core responsibilities is to make a balance between meeting organisational objectives and boosting of employee morale. One of the ways to do this is to encourage interaction amongst participants, through the activities and games that will be implemented. Holistic participation would be your ultimate goal, which is why these games should be made appropriate for everyone.
Utilising activity evaluation models such as Kirkpatrick’s Learning Model will help you choose if an activity is enjoyable, educational, and applicable while improving performance. Depending on the event objective, there will be many activity options for you to choose from, such as ice-breaker exercises, leadership and management activities and observation and awareness exercises.
Finally, it’s excellent to make a last-minute list of the tasks that you need to sort out a few days before the event date. For instance, you may need to confirm the number of team building participants with the venue or resort and make a list of the equipment needed for the event. Ultimately, precision in all of these details would be essential for your success as an event organiser.

The reason for plotting team building events is to help make a more cohesive bond between workers and management. On the contrary, sometimes team building activities such as F1 car simulation races are plotted simply for the fun of it. A simulation racing game day plotted by a corporate office, retail outfit, or other place of employment can provide a break from the everyday routine. Besides, employees who participate in fun work-sponsored activities are more likely to get along with their co-workers.

One of the most “Grand” of team building events perhaps is a car racing simulation game. One of the types of cars that is featured in one of these computerized racing games is the Grand Prix. Usually a game simulation event is presented on a four foot by six foot screen or larger. Each “driver” will then sit behind the wheel of a car and steer as they “race” down a realistic-looking race track. Often simulated race track games are designed to allow groups of employees to compete against one another. The fact that this sport can be competitive could possibly seem anti-conducive to a positive work environment. But, nothing could be further from the truth-at least in most people’s eyes-and to the eyes of reputable employers.

As mentioned earlier in this article, fun games such as the racing simulation game can provide a break from the everyday office routine. This break from ordinary daily routines can help reduce the level of stress that a person experiences. In turn, employees are usually more likely to get along with one another better after events such as this. As far as the competitive aspect of car simulation racing is concerned, the level of play against fellow employee usually produces more positive exhilaration than hard feelings. Besides, this healthy form of competition could be a stepping stone towards improving office politics. One of the most “Grand” of simulated car racing events is the F1 simulator. This one can be both played by different individuals on their own, or as a group racing against one another.

All simulated car racing events are usually set up in a setting that looks as close to the way a real race track would look. For instance, real life sized flags may be used to determine the winner of a race or the floor of a simulation room could be shaped and set up like a real race track. This simulation game racing event could take included in a full schedule of activity day events. For instance a racing event could take place in between motivational speeches, live entertainment, and other team building activities. By the way, other types of team building activities include murder mysteries and treasure hunts. These types of games are often thought of as problem-solving games that both involve clues that lead to answers.

The purpose of problem-solving games is to promote working together as a group. Individualized employee skills are also brought out during these events as well. For example, managerial skills such as delegation and organization may be strengthened.

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Firstly, let’s take a look at the advantages of hosting a treasure hunt event for your team building session. Communication has to be high up on the list of benefits, on excellent events your team will need to communicate the information to each other.
Getting people working together and breaking the ice is clearly achieved. There is a habit to want to stick with what you know and on these types of events you can mix up your team into small groups and by the end they will have bonded with their team mates.
Friendly competition, teams will be competing for points usually, this will give the edge to the event and give a reason for completing the hunt. Time management, motivation and lateral thinking are three other skills that are flexed in a excellent solid event.
How do you identify a excellent treasure hunt event from a terrible one? Well firstly you have to question yourself what does your company want to get out of the event? If you want a well structured event, one that has something for everyone and one that has a professional feel to it then you need to approach a professional team building company.
Take a look at their hunts, most companies will give a detailed overview of what you will be doing. It’s vital that you do not get a self managed hunt, one that resembles something that the Girl Guides would do.
Look to see if there is an event manager over seeing the event. Look to see how many other members of staff the team building company will be providing. Measure the amount of staff against the number of teams. If you have five teams and only one person from the event company then this spells a problem.
This is for two reasons, if any teams have problems then this person will only be able to help one team at a time, any other team will be left hanging around – not very motivating. Also at the end of the event it will take some time to mark up your results, you need it to be quick, slick and professional.
Look to see what different things you will be questioned to do. If it’s just answer trail questions and collect treasure, is this going to stretch your team? You need multiple sections that will engage everyone.
There are so many different elements to consider when choosing the right treasure hunt event. The most vital thing to do is to pick up the phone, get the team building company to talk you through their event and get a feel for it, this way you will be sure you are getting the right team activity for your group.

Team building remains one of the most vital functions for long-term success in business. The reasons are many, but as more and more employees leave the workforce for more personally fulfilling options such as home-based businesses the decline in both morale and available talent is diminished. This is both excellent and terrible news. On the one hand there are new business start-ups that draw from the incredible potential of personal passion and dreams for a better future. On the other hand businesses that are looking for talented staff members may have an even more hard time finding team-oriented staff members to fill vacancies. One of the primary difficulties many employees experience in the workplace is inflexibility when it comes to the hours they spend on the job and whether they can break those hours up to juggle family and personal issues that may arise. Many team-building businesses are learning that if they can allow their staff members to attend after school sports events or ballet lessons with their children their staff members have a higher degree of satisfaction with the business they work for. Some businesses also offer the ability to do some work at home with occasional visits to the office for staff meetings and internal issues. A excellent team builder will work to know what makes work the most satisfying for their individual employees and seek to accommodate those requests to the best of their ability. Often these requests are unspoken so it may take some creativity to find out what makes your employee tick. If you can find ways to encourage them without patronizing them, reward them without turning over control to them, be flexible while holding to a strong work ethic you may be on the best track to achieving positive team building, improving job performance and increasing the overall level of job satisfaction among your team members. For someone who has been involved in team building it is not impossible to visit a business and see where problem areas lie. By simple observation you can spot the employee that is severe Type A and feels that they should be in charge, or the Type B personality that will not generally cause problems, but feels a bit forgotten because they don’t do anything elaborate to get noticed. There are often individuals that seem nice enough to their boss, but are more than willing to talk negatively about their leader when he or she is away. What if all this energy was focused on completing a team oriented task? What if the team leader made family a priority for his or her team? What if encouragement was the norm instead of an afterthought? And if you should need to rebuild a team, believe it or not, it may be a very excellent thought to admit your failings as a team leader first. When your team views you as a human who understands their own humanity they may grant you the initial seeds of trust needed to draft a new workplace strategy.

Summary: Team building may include listening to your staff and asking for their expertise in choice-making. You may be the team leader, but if you do not take their concerns to heart the concept of ‘team’ will not be believed. James was not a likely candidate to be the owner of any business. He was often bullied by coworkers and regularly had customers stolen from him by competing sales associates. His father was a Baptist minister and James believed in the golden rule – do unto others and ye would have them do unto you. This was a tenet he followed throughout his well-known career. It was James’ father that instilled the courage to make a go of it when others did not live by the same rule of order. His father’s confidence would sustain him when life was not honest. James understood this because his own father was taken early in life. James went to Denver, Colorado in 1897 for health reasons and found work at the Golden Rule stores. He found the work agreeable and the company prospering. Those who hired him were well pleased with his ability and would reward him for his efforts. Thomas Callahan and Guy Johnson would eventually question James to join as a partner in their store chain and he agreed. By 1902 James opened his own store in Wyoming. He made sure that his store was run on a cash only basis when competing stores were agreeing to barter or credit. But, James worked to ensure the product he sold were high quality and at a honest price. Residents liked his approach and rewarded him with their long-term business. It wasn’t long before James changed the name of his stores to reflect a more personal touch. James was a consummate team builder. He never referred to those he hired as employees. To him they were associates and he made it their job to find another associate that was equal or better than they – and he, in turn, would hire them. By 1924 James had opened his 500th store and people across the United States wondered when James Cash Penny would open a new store in their town. J. C. Penney was not a rich man by way of family wealth, did not possess a college education and he was a genuinely nice guy, but he knew how to inspire his ‘associates’. He did not attempt to belittle them because they had not achieved the same success he had because he understood that the business he was building was only as excellent as those he counted as co-laborers. The foundation of his business set a course in team building that has continued long after his death in 1971. James Cash Penney was 95 years ancient. Team building may include listening to your staff and asking for their expertise in choice-making. You may be the team leader, but if you do not take their concerns to heart the concept of ‘team’ will not be believed. The environment of business may seem significantly altered from a one-room store in Wyoming where J. C. Penney set out to build his fortune, yet the team building environment he started in the early 1900’s is worth emulating more than 100 years later.

I was visiting with a motivational speaker recently and I discussed some of my views on team building. There was discussion on the need for making sure everyone could identify with the goal of the team and they understood the unique role they played on the team. Since my friend had been a part of a major team oriented business throughout his career he could identify with what I was saying and he found himself in general agreement with my assessment of the need for team building. 1) They are not employees they are team members. 2) Productivity increases when team members work together as opposed to a business comprised of lone rangers. 3) Problem solving is best observed in team-oriented brainstorming. When we started discussing some of the problems inherent in a lack of team building I mentioned the lack of productivity and cooperation. My friend agreed and then he said something that I hadn’t considered, “It won’t be long before those employees steal something. “ At first I found the comment weird. After all, why would an employee steal something just because team-building ideals were not observed? The more I thought about the issue the more I started to know the scenario my friend was talking about. You see, employees often look at what they do as slave labor. Yes, they willingly took the job, but they often find the notion of being an employee frustrating as their job satisfaction level plummets. Many of these workers will say things like, “They do not pay me enough for this. ” They are simply doing a job instead of molding a future and forging a path. ”Employees” can often find themselves in a place where they simply carry out orders without being considered as useful in overcoming problems. They can get frustrated when they feel that you really do not consider them valuable. In larger corporations they might wonder if you even know who they are. If these frustrated employees come to the conclusion that you do not consider them valuable and rewards are non existent or minimal they may reach out and reward themselves. They believe there should be more to a job than what they experience, but no one has given them a voice to express their opinions on matters that affect them. These ‘employees’ may steal time, office products or other items that may not typically be missed. Of the items listed it is time that is most often stolen. These employees will figure out ways to manage the bare minimum in duties and then they might spend time on the Internet or talking to other employees or on the phone. Many employees find ways to do their work as slowly as possible to keep a low expectation of their efforts. In this way they steal from their employer. Team building not only maximizes potential it also provides the purpose many need to feel as though their work is valued and that they can contribute to the overall success of a company. No one likes to feel invisible, but if they do expect the potential for employee theft.

Imagine watching a National Football League game that was run in the same way as many businesses are structured. Let’s set this up. The team in black is threatening the team in blue. The offense feels as if they have an answer to the dilemma, but first they must seek an appointment with the CEO to finalize, fine-tune and study the plot. That plot is forwarded (generally by email) to upper management for input. Then of course it has to be run through legal counsel where it is revised and ultimately requires binding and an interpreter. The problem is, by the time the final draft of the consent decree has been forwarded back to the team the opposition has already annihilated the team that didn’t have permission from the head office to fend off an attack until tit was too late. In the NFL there is an umbrella of protection for the team. The head office makes certain decisions and they typically pass along expectations to the coach who is the primary go-between for players and the head office. The coach prepares the team for battle. By the time they meet the opposition on the playing field the team is FREE (because they have been fully trained to fulfill expectations and in knowing company policy on each play) to represent the ownership without constantly asking for permission to do so. Yes, it is possible that team members will mess things up. They might confuse a call or jump too early or draw a foul, but the team finds freedom within framework. And that allowed team members to provide encouragement when needed. By knowing the goals and aim of the team, the members of that team can take the sum total of what they know and use that knowledge to be effective ambassadors representing the coaches, the head office and fans. Team building is vital because in order for there to be a team the team leader or coach must invest in the lives of his or her players. They have to know about each player’s strengths and weaknesses and work at conditioning them to know the game plot, play calling and future aspirations of the team. The coach knows when to stretch the team and when it’s OK to loosen up a bit. When this structure exists the team is FREE to represent the company in a way that demonstrates an understanding that when everyone puts their all on the line fantastic things can happen. And when the team wins everyone can celebrate because a team is always made up of more than a single individual. Team building really is geared toward the concept of athletic training. It is saying that the team members are vital enough that an investment of time, energy and money is worth it all when game day comes (usually that’s daily) and the team outperforms the competition – not because one individual is selfishly hogging the ball, but because each player knows their role in the game and are ready to lay it on the line.

Employee satisfaction is directly related to a business’ level of productivity. Fun team building activities, such as corporate scavenger hunts, can greatly improve a company’s production through strengthening employees’ job satisfaction.
In today’s world, the corporate and industrial business culture holds an increasingly strong influence. As businesses and corporations become an increasingly integral part of the fabric that holds our civilization together, it becomes necessary to ensure the well-being and happiness of our workers. According to recent studies and news reports, productivity is directly proportional to employee satisfaction.
Herman Cain, founder of Godfather’s Pizza states that, “Nobody motivates today’s workers. If it doesn’t come from within, it doesn’t come. Fun helps remove the barriers that allow people to motivate themselves. ” This theory is reiterated in “The FISH! Philosophy” which is based on employees in a Seattle fish market who were filling orders by flinging fish to one another, inciting laughter from each other, as well as the customers who they would often invite to join in the fun. The owners started to notice a direct correlation between the fun that the workers were having, and the level of production they were accomplishing.
Most corporate offices have found it hard to replicate this type of environment, as it is often much more hard to trigger the same type of fun and excitement when most corporate office workers are sitting behind a computer all day. But, there are still many strategies that employers can implement that promote team building and raise employee satisfaction levels. One option is a corporate team-building scavenger hunt from Watson Adventures.
Corporate Scavenger Hunts — Team Building in Chicago
Watson Adventures is an online resource for team building exercises that help increase productivity and employee satisfaction by offering companies exciting scavenger hunts that are fun and adventurous. Their Chicago team building scavenger hunts lead groups around the city to locations such as, The Field Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, Hyde Park, Lincoln Parks, and many other local areas. Nearly every area in Chicagoland is covered, so you’re sure to find a venue that suits your needs.
Watson Adventures’ website calls the Field Museum scavenger hunt their “most surreal hunt in Chicago”. Presenting a whirlwind experience through the museum taking groups from “Ancient Egypt to the Pacific Islands, from the tundra to the forest, from Tibet to the lair of two bats,” hunters experience a challenging, competitive race through the museum while strengthening relationships and job satisfaction.

We’ve all seen the television shows where someone enters the office of a high profile businessman and uses a pocket camera to, through nefarious means, photograph some of their trade secrets or other insider information and then, under cover of darkness, escape undetected. It all seems disreputable as we stare at the flickering screen. Invariably a janitor makes his way into the office just as the thief dives under the desk and hopes not to be noticed. The music is tense, but the unwitting janitor never discovers the thief while dumping so much potential evidence into the communal trash bin. I don’t know how you handle sensitive data in your company, but I do know that when you place team building principles in action you may be less likely to see company data stolen by your team members. The principle is essentially that the team leader mentors his or her staff in such a way that there is very small any team member is interested in stealing. The implication is that the team leader trusts his or her team to such a degree that they have access to the common business brain trust. In other words, if a team member wants to know how to perform a certain task or try a certain business procedure the team leader may, at their discretion, choose to train them knowing that if that team member leaves the team they also take all the training and knowledge with them when they go. So how can this be excellent for business? Look at the world of sports. The coach is always developing new plays and strategies for winning. Unless the team member always stays with the coach the only thing they can be certain of is that they knew what you were doing as a team when they left. As new players come into the team the dynamic will always change to some degree. In many cases former team members try not to intentionally duplicate the ‘plays’ of their former team. By making your team fully aware of where they are going and supplying information along the way to get them there you continue to foster the common sense of teamwork. When a team member senses his or her importance on the team they are more likely to commit themselves to the team if for no other reason than a heightened sense of job satisfaction. If your team really feels like they are learning the game plot they are more likely to stick with the team and will resist the urge to take the game plot with them if they leave. The truth is there are still a lot of businesses that do not operate as a team. You often have a dictator and a vast host of underlings who do not even like their employer and would not bat an eye at taking information and using it to their advantage when they leave. Perhaps your best security is a team building approach that incorporates an open door policy.

Summary: What if your team regularly had time they could spend together dreaming huge dreams and pooling intellectual and intuitive resources (call it a game plot if you will) for the company to take the next step, to stir the sleeping giant, and to take a chance? Imagine a basketball team taking to the court. Something weird has happened to this team. Somehow a potent force field has surrounded each player. The opposing team can get to these players, but their own teammates can’t come within five feet. When they get knocked down their teammates can’t help them up. When they want to pass off a ball the force field makes it impossible to be close enough. When they want to get together to talk they have to yell to be heard and the opposing team learns their game plot. This wouldn’t be a very effective way to operate a basketball team, but this is often how businesses operate. Businesses erect walls that are both physical and invisible. Titles are assigned and employees are placed in a box and given very specific job descriptions. Some employees like this segmented approach to business because everything is orderly and everyone knows what they are supposed to do. What if the guy in box five just happens to have some background in something that the guy in box seven is working on? Remember the basketball force field? This is how is in business. Too often employees have understood the wall concept all too well and are quick to say, “That’s not my job. “ When it comes to team building a really excellent team starts with the understanding that as a team each member should be free to offer suggestions for making the game plot work. The team leader will call the plays in, but the skills of all members are used to develop a plot that makes the overall team successful. What if your team regularly had time they could spend together dreaming huge dreams and pooling intellectual and intuitive resources (call it a game plot if you will) for the company to take the next step, to stir the sleeping giant, and to take a chance? Sometimes relying on a team this way involves risk, not every game will be won, but the ability to unleash corporate creativity for the benefit of business and personal satisfaction is a concept that inspires some of the most maverick new business to reckon outside the box. Apple is an example of a company that thinks outside the box and delivers products that stir the imagination. Their success is due in part to team building principles that removes many walls so the techno-geeks are sharing space with the gadget guys and the marketing guys are learning what they can from the technical team. The hard truth is team building MUST involve am interactive team. It cannot exist in a world where team members are used to saying, “But I don’t do that. “ Walls don’t work in basketball and they don’t work in business. In the words of former American President Ronald Reagan, “Tear down those walls. ”

Summary: An open approach to change is a disarming approach while a firm approach to change is nearly assured to result in a defensive posture among your team members. How exactly do you do that? If you are seeking to build a new team profile in an existing business, but are fighting the status quo it may be time for an object lesson. We’ve all experienced those moments when existing employees will say something like, “We’ve never done it that way before. “ As a team leader you’ve likely heard that answer often enough that your stress level is in constant conference with your brain seeking an injunction against lashing out at the first person who shows sign of dissent. When, as a team leader, you see evidence that a new course of action is needed it can be simple to reckon that an entirely new team may be a excellent thought. One thing you need to remember, but, is that as we work into a routine we find comfort by knowing what we are supposed to do, why we are supposed to do it and be able to do it without thinking. When you question for change you upset the applecart, so to speak. The staff may not know what to do, why they are doing it and they have to reckon about what they are doing. For some it can feel like starting another job altogether. Not everyone will accept the change and they have the right to find a new team if they choose to. But, there is something that can help you transition a staff to a new team building structure. You have to become the ‘vision caster’. You’ve got to be the one that educates the team on where you want to go and why. You’ve got to work at motivating them to make the transition willingly. If you do it right your team may even go enthusiastically toward your new team-building model. Too often team leaders can come to terms personally with the change and then simply inform their team that something new is in the offing. This approach can come across as unfeeling and dictatorial. If you can provide open dialogue and strategic team meetings to outline the plot and the reason for the go it allows each team member to work at coming to terms with the change. If you can help the team member know the change they are more likely to follow. When you simply demand a change it often results in a wall of steady and profound resistance. An open approach to change is a disarming approach while a firm approach to change is nearly assured to result in a defensive posture among your team members. It can be a heavy responsibility to be a team leader, but if you treat your team with respect and value their contributions you may find most of them are willing to follow you anywhere – once they know the game plot.