Q. We would like to include a team building activity during our off-site meeting. How can you help us?
A. Many of our programs are tailored to build a bridge from your overall meeting theme and/or objectives to the team building experience. From a couple of hours to multi-day team building programs, we will create an experience that augments the content of your off-site meeting and provides meaningful alignment to current business challenges.
Q. What is your overall approach to team building?
A. We combine the hard-hitting principles of leadership and team behaviors with active learning. It’s easy for a team to talk about the strategies of great leaders and teams, but until they are able to ‘try it out’ under the simulated pressures of time, it is often difficult to fully absorb and embrace the concepts discussed. The perfect analogy is learning to ride a bicycle. You can intellectually understand everything you are supposed to do to successfully ride a bike. But, until you get up on that seat and ‘feel’ what it takes to balance, you will not be able to successfully ride the bike. This is what our programs are all about – putting principles into action so that behavior shifts are experienced and lessons are ‘felt’ by the individual participants.
Q. We are not sure where we will have our meeting. How can you help us with determining a location?
A. We conduct programming across the U.S. and provide recommendations to our clients on the various meeting location options. In the case of our outdoor programming, we are able to work in most any outside area or venue. Once we collectively determine what type of program is most appropriate for the team, we will recommend a number of location options that will be convenient to the group.
Q. What makes your team building programs different from other team building companies?
A. Corporate Teams has been delivering team building for over 15 years. Each of our programs is customized to incorporate the specific challenges identified by our clients. Our professional facilitation team consists of successful business executives who have lived and experienced the pressures of the dynamic corporate environment. We often explain it this way: Many team building companies do a great job at delivering an ‘experience’ such as a scavenger hunt, team Olympics, build-a-boat, ropes courses, etc. And there are those companies that are experts at delivering in-depth communication assessments such as Myers Briggs, DiSC, Firo-B, etc. But, there are few companies that are able to combine the depth of communication principles with the ‘experience’. This is what makes Corporate Teams different. Our team delivers meaningful programming that combines the wealth of proven team and leadership concepts with active learning that provides for true behavioral shifts. We feel that this combined program delivery is critical to increasing individual and team performance.
Q. How do you determine what type of team building program is best for our company?
A. Before we recommend any programming, it is important for us to understand the objectives of the team, the challenges that are currently being addressed, and the opportunities that exist for the future. Once we are able to gain an insight into these key areas, we will propose a number of alternatives that will meet the needs of the team. Our hope is that the team will consider the team building experience an investment to longer term collaboration with our company. Our goal is to provide an option of possible bridges to our client companies that provide the opportunity for on-going team and leadership development. We don’t want the team building program to be an island of activity without a means of connecting the experience to longer term objectives. We invest in this process by committing to delivering high impact programming and building a plan for future individual and team development.
Q. How long should a team building program last in length?
A. We understand the pressure of a fast moving workplace and the challenge of taking the team out of the office for a period of time. Our job is to understand your objectives and then provide you with feasible options that will meet those needs. From a team building experience of two hours to programs lasting multiple days, we are committed to matching your objectives to a program that will work within your timeframe.
Q. How much do we need to invest for a high quality team building program?
A. There are a number of variables that drive the cost of a successful team building program. These include: number of participants; types of programming activities; amount of time dedicated to the team building program; time required to prepare for the program delivery; venue or meeting location; number of staff required to deliver the program. Once we are able to understand these variables, we then outline options that vary in cost. Our minimum fee for any team building program is $2500.
Q. If a team building program is held outdoors, how do you help us select a location and ensure the team’s needs are met during the day?
A. Once the type of program is determined; we will provide a list of options for where the program can be held. This is often dependent on availability, type of activities required for the program, proximity to the meeting location, and number of participants. After the location has been selected, we will secure the permits required to ensure that the space we need provides comfort for the team throughout the team building experience. This typically includes: covered pavilions; picnic benches; restroom facilities; and access to water.
Q. What if members of my team have physical challenges? How do you accommodate the team building experience to ensure these individuals are included in the experience?
A. The diversity of our programming offerings provides us the opportunity to select the most appropriate activities that are inclusive of all team member abilities. Our commitment is to ensure that all team members have the ability to fully engage in the team building experience.