Team Building Activities - As the manager of the sales department for a large company, I’m responsible for the performances of all my employees. When sales are sluggish, I try to use different incentives to motivate everyone. For example, offering bonuses and prizes for top performers usually seems to work well. But I’ve noticed that these type of incentives improve productivity for only a short period of time and that they result in a cutthroat atmosphere around the office, which is not what I intended. I want my salesforce to work together, not as individuals. That’s why I’ve decided to employ team building activities from now on.
The first thing I did was contact the human resources department to let them know of my desire to implement team building activities among my salesforce. The manager over there told me that they didn’t have anyone on staff that had experience in teaching team building activities, so she recommended that I use outside consultants for the job. After getting the names of a few local firms, I started calling around to find out about their services.
I was very impressed by the variety of team building activities these consulting firms proposed for my salesforce. Although some of the team building activities seemed way too intense for our particular needs (I didn’t think a weekend in the woods was called for yet), many sounded like they would be perfect for us. For example, one consultant I spoke to said his team building activities consisted of games and exercises that would be tailored for our situation. Best of all, he could teach us these team building activities over the course of a two-day workshop held right in our offices. That sounded pretty good, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get approval from my boss for the budget expenditure.
So it was back to square one for me. I didn’t give up, though, and started searching for low-cost or free team building activities online. I actually found a lot of websites that contained some excellent suggestions for introductory level team building activities. I decided to try a couple of these first. Then, if I could go back to my boss with proof that team building activities work, I would have a much better chance of getting approval for this kind of training in the future.
Towards that end, I’ve scheduled the first round of team building activities for next week. I’m taking my role in the process very seriously and am spending a lot of time on preparation so that I can be a competent facilitator. I’m very optimistic about the effects these team building activities will have on my salesforce.
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Telemarketing Lists (1)
...to hang up the phone. It is pretty tough being a telemarketer. The first couple months that I was doing it, I was depressed all the time. I knew that the people who were shouting at...
Telephone Bills (2)
...I’d never know. I suspect that most people are in the same situation. I have called my phone company and asked them to go over my telephone bills with me. Someone usually does, but...
Temporary Placement Agencies (3)
...with some pretty patronizing managers. Managers in many businesses seem to assume that you are only there because you aren’t skilled enough to find a job on your own. When you’re hired...
Thank You For The Referral (4)
...never seen a business letter thank you before. In general, I consider myself a very polite person, but my written communications are rather brief and to the point. I always try to get the job...
The Best Savings Account (5)
...into the same bank where I do my checking, I’ve decided to shop around for the best savings account I can find. Everybody probably has their own definition of what features the best...
The Most Profitable Businesses (6)
...about a successful money making scheme, don’t assume that it would be ideal for you. Take the mere notion of success and apply it to what you would excel at or are good at. So much...
Thinking Skills (7)
...focus on learning facts but not on abstract thought processes themselves. When you become aware of the brain is a machine that can be tweaked to work better, however, the possibilities become...
Toll Free Number (8)
...can return their call. Make sure you do this as soon as you can to keep them happy. A toll free number should be a way for customers to reach you when they need to, but don’t make it...
Translation Company (9)
...You may have thousands of customers you’re missing simply because they cannot read your page! This is where you may want to consider the services a translation company can...
Virginia Beach (10)
...from colonial times, a rich marine life and year round golfing. The area is also well known for its abundance of craft shops and antique sellers. The climate has supported a number of vineyards...
Web Addresses (11)
...so does the demand for web addresses. I often think that there are just so many sites out there that there must not be any good addresses left, but that is far from the truth. If you have...
Web Based Calendars (12)
...frequently underrated devices available. If you run a business in the service sector, a web based calendar can make all the difference. I know. I have been using Web calendars for months, and...
What Is Niche Marketing (13)
...today. If you want to know what is niche marketing, look at a simple example. You don’t need marketing case studies, you only need to look around you. Look, for example, at high schoolers....
Wholesale Clothes (14)
...the businesses who had bought wholesale clothes from the supplier were actually owned by the supplier. Although it was not technically fraud to tell us that they recommended the supplier, it certainly...
Wholesale Gift Basket Supplies (15)
...loved my creations so much that they frequently suggested that I start my own business. Since I wasn’t working at the time, I decided that I would give it a try. Although there were...
Wood Working Equipment (16)
...have no idea why. Fortunately, my husband took some time out of his home improvement project to explain the importance of the different wood working equipment that he owns or wants to own....
Woodworking Projects (17)
...a go cart with my father when I was 12 years old. It was one of the most exciting things that I have ever done. I loved watching the pieces go together. I still can’t get over how neat...
Word Of Mouth Marketing (18)
...of “…and they’ll tell two friends and they’ll tell two friends…” that was so popular in the 80’s Well, the same premise still applies today but...
Workplace Privacy (19)
...are aware of what they are doing. Most of them are very responsible, but there are some that seem to have a lot of time to send emails from work. I wonder if they know that their employer...
World Time (20)
...from mind. When it is ten A.M. here, it is almost midnight of the next day for them. I think that’s right, anyway. It can get very confusing. If I’m not sure what time it is for...
Yellow Page Advertising (21)
...Page advertising seemed like the only solution. If only we had known sooner what an effective solution it was! I think we were uniquely situated to benefit from yellow page advertising....
Affiliate Business (22)
...to increase your income and make your site more valuable as a resource for your visitors. Your visitors will definitely be interested in children’s books, educational software and kid’s...
Audio Editing Software (23)
...software is that it has a kind of low-tech feel to it. The sound file is displayed in green wireframe for one thing. You can custom tinker with the filters, or another. Unlike one of the...
Banner Ad Design (24)
...flashing ads, think twice before you use it. For one, some people won’t click on them because they don’t like the “look at me” type of ads. If someone has a slow connection...
Buying Online (25)
...time for such things as shopping and simple errands is forever increasing, the demands on one’s time can become quite taxing. This is where taking advantage of the internet becomes a huge...
Computer Help (26)
...of before. The problem is that we have become so dependent on Computer technology that, when something goes wrong – which it often does – we are completely helpless. Computer software...
Computer Information Technology (27)
...I never thought about it as computer information technology, and I didn’t do it because I wanted a job. Although I did have some spare time work providing computer help to various...
Computer Jobs (28)
...was understandable – who doesn’t want to be rich Even so, it caused a problem. With all of the people going into computer jobs, and many of the computer information technology...
Cover Letters (29)
...from school, whether from university, technical college, or even high school, you will find that it is time to start looking for a job. So, you sit down at the computer and get a resume ready...
Desktop Computer Accessories (30)
...to buy from them, though this is not always the case. Make sure they tell you all about the desktop computer accessories that they are sending to you, and make sure you ask if they are...
Digital Editing Software (31)
...is so good that they can splice things together, add in special effects, alter the dialogue, alter the characters, and generally rework things at the last minute to make them appear passable. The...
Electronic Organizer (32)
...vase of flowers, not hidden behind a huge pile of paper. To the paper and clutter hater, this affords a little bit of calm in your life. With an electronic organizer, you may come to enjoy these...
Envelope Printers (33)
...space in your office. Though if there is something that is out there on the market, envelope printers may indeed be smaller than any of the others. If you have access to regular printers...
Floor Mat (34)
...it is something that can be very useful. I had a problem with my computer chair last year, and I decided a mat was the perfect thing to help with the situation. I have hardwood floors, and the...
Library Management Software (35)
...classification systems have existed since the very first libraries came into existence, it is only after the advent of the information technology age that library management software came into...
Owners Manual (36)
...print out if I wanted to. This seemed like a huge waste of ink and paper to me, so I just bookmarked the site in case I need it. Because I am very familiar with computers, I really didn’t...
Printable Birthday Invitations (37)
...toys off the floor. That’s it! That’s the whole deal. Can you imagine if that was all the work you had to do Life would be grand indeed. So much free time to do what ever you...
Printable Cards (38)
...can make them black and white, or you can go with color. You can buy card stock for printable cards to keep in your home. This is what I have done, and it has worked out well for me. I...
Printers For Sale (39)
...When printers break down, they can cause major delays, and the decline in productivity is just not worth it. Although a lot of people would cringe at the thought of going out and finding...
Scanner Software (40)
...what they were asking, and I send back an e-mail saying as much. They told me that their scanner had stopped working, and their computer kept asking them for scanner software. They had no idea...
Screen Capture Software (41)
...on the Internet when you may find an image that has been right click protected. This means that if you try to right click with your mouse, no menu will come up. For most images, when you do this,...
Screen Printing Equipment (42)
...before. Screen printing equipment is easily found in any art supply house, at nominal expense. Expect to pay from $30 to $100. Here’s the screen printing equipment...
Software Shopping (43)
...or even their convenience, so much as the unreality of the transaction. Software shopping means that you never have to hand over cash or even a credit card. You can pay at the touch of...
System Restore (44)
...all of my pictures back on my hard drive so that I can use them when I need them. There are two ways I know to do a system restore. One is the best way, but it doesn’t always work....
Advertising Billboards (45)
...saw as he sat there. It became something that he would talk about each day as his irritation grew. It wasn’t the idea of advertising billboards that annoyed him. There was one in...
Affordable Apartments For Rent (46)
...this season and looking for affordable apartments for rent. There are some tips and tricks that can help anyone looking for an inexpensive place to live. Real estate costs seem to have...
American Inventor (47)
...to make life better. Why Henry Ford, founder of the Ford motor company, might be most popularly known for his car, but this American inventor made an even bigger contribution to the world...
Ancestry Searches (48)
...with broad searches, but once you get names and locations, you can narrow them down to get more relevant information. Some of the most effective ancestry searches happen when you have a...
Boats For Sale By Owners (49)
...for, and other things to watch out for. Many boats for sale by owners are sold very quickly by an owner who wants to get rid of the boat as fast as possible because of some major problem, to a...
Buying Property In Florida (50)
...when I was around 11 years old, my father took me to Disney World in Florida. This vacation was a total blast. I remember it well even to this day, 20 years later. And you want to know what else...
Event Planner (51)
...planners, you can decide how much you want them to do and how much you want to do on your own. You can have them take your ideas and plan the entire event, or you can have them do portions that...
Fireplace Accessories (52)
...fireplace accessories. I really didn’t think much about whether or not they were supposed to be used. Good thing that I only used them once. There was really little sign that the items...
First Credit Card (53)
...care if you have no prior credit, because they are hoping to snag you as a lifelong customer. When you get your first credit card, you may have a higher interest rate, and the limit may be higher...
Foam Packaging (54)
...breakables to go into the mail, you should think twice before doing so. Though this is a great idea for smaller packages, it won’t hold up well in bigger boxes. To avoid having everything...
How To Remove Tree Stump (55)
...simpler way to do the job. It turns out that there is no simple answer to the question how to remove tree stump. There are many different things that you can do. Some experts on how to remove...
Inexpensive Hotels (56)
...There are all kinds of factors that determine whether or not you can find cheap lodging in a particular city. If it is the off-season, for example, you can find all kinds of cheap hotel deals....
Interior Decorators (57)
...thinking at times. They have done things to rooms that should be considered illegal. They are for the most part great interior decorators though, and perhaps they just get a little goofy on occasion...
Interior Design Magazine (58)
...bound to make a few mistakes, after all it is your first try at serious decorating, but all in all isn’t it more fun to get the reward of doing your own work in making your own changes...
Job Search Australia (59)
...you ever traveled to any outstanding foreign lands Personally I have only been to one, and I don’t care to go back. One of the more popular continents seems to be Australia. This...
Jobs In Photography (60)
...also helps you build up a portfolio to help you get better jobs in the future. You might even want to do some charity work in your community to build up your samples and you reputation....
Journal Writing (61)
...the world and things around you. It also allows the opportunity to notice the environment you live in – including recording all the impressions from your five senses. Many people...
Learn To Play The Piano (62)
...in most of them. Learning to play piano seemed beyond my reach. First of all, I have short fingers. This makes reaching the keys very difficult in some compositions. The chance that trying...
Learning How To Write (63)
...many therapist and autism professional suggest that some children who have pervasive developmental disorders are better off learning how to write on the keyboard rather than by hand....
Month To Month Rental Agreement (64)
...you may be offered. Some places ask you to sign a lease for one or two years, while others with offer you a month to month rental agreement. There are reasons why you may be interested in the...
Practice Exams (65)
...class and always tried to study my text book, but I never did as well as I wanted to do on my exams. One roommate I had suggested that I try practice exams. Though it was a bit of extra...
Practice Test (66)
...study is by practicing. If you have a group of friends that you study with quite often, you may have found a great way to get a practice test before each important test you must take. You...
Public Education (67)
...won’t allow us to afford that option. In knowing all of this, we relocated to a nearby school district that has a reputation for having a wonderful reputation in regards to public education....
Types Of College Degrees (68)
...notions about education and learned routines of high school. Those days are gone! It’s now time for the real deal. Although high school is a part of our lives that we come to know as...
Watches For Sale (69)
...comes down to how much people want the item in question. I have been selling used watches for sale for several years now, and I have seen many of my second hands become collectors items. For example,...
A Successful Entrepreneur (70)
...how it happened, I ended up scoring very high. I guess that tells me that the skills that it takes to be a successful entrepreneur are more about common sense than anything. You can’t...
Accept Credit Cards Online (71)
...how to accept credit cards online. They know that everyone is looking for fast service when they are shopping via the Internet, and that is what they give them. If you don’t accept credit...
Better Business (72)
...the matter to the Better Business Bureau, and they paid attention to me. For those of you who are not too familiar with the Better Business Bureau, I encourage you to be. Why They...
Business Logos (73)
...will be lost on them. That is not good news for your and your company. If you are skilled with a computer, you can make up your own business logos. There are many programs out there that...
Business Opportunity Seekers (74)
...search on general business opportunity seekers to see where I would be lead. My first search produced several thousands hits. I knew that not all of the business opportunity seekers could possibly...
Charity Ideas (75)
...to give away to the charity of your choice, there are other things that you can do. There are charity ideas all around you, you just have to decide which will work best for you. If you don’t...
Health And Safety At Work (76)
...my husband, health and safety at work is a huge issue. He works in construction, and this means that he is at high risk for injury each and every day when he goes to work. His company is very good...
How To Start A Cleaning Business (77)
...working for someone else and she knew that she could do a lot better on her own. However, it is really important to make careful consideration before making a move. Of course, she wants...
How To Start A Not For Profit (78)
...started. When trying to work through the process of how to start a not for profit organization you really need to have a vision. Make sure that you have a solid idea of how the service will...
How To Start A Small Business (79)
...that you have a good supplier. No matter what you do, there is one key and one key only to how to start a small business: dedication. Without it, you just will not survive in the business...
Human Resource Department (80)
...hiring, firing, and dealing with the employees at any given company. Though smaller companies may not have a separate department for this, most midsize and larger companies do. This is to take...
Letterhead Design (81)
...the image you’re trying to project. If you’re looking for a more sophisticated corporate image, your design should reflect that goal. Simple, short and sweet, with “standard”...
Making Money Online (82)
...to hold the secrets of making money online you should take it with a grain of salt. Most money comes from work and they call it “work” because it’s not fun. If it was...
Online Business Opportunities (83)
...opportunities first. I’ve been hearing about average people just like you and me making obscene amounts of money from various online business opportunities ever since the Internet...
Real Estate Business (84)
...a sound piece of property could certainly be worth the while. Unfortunately I’m not ready to do this until my home is paid for in full. Priorities, priorities. Are you in the real...
Shared Office Space (85)
...like to be interrupted. In the 1970s, a Japanese style of business was all the vogue. The shared office space, in the sense of everyone being in an open plan office, was a Japanese...
Start A Day Care Business (86)
...my business to the next level. At first I couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. How could I make money off of child care Then I realized that starting a day care business...
Start My Own Business (87)
...I just knew that I needed to. I really wanted to be my own boss. Everyone wants to be his or her own boss, but with me it was different. I do very poorly with authority. I have always had outstanding...
Stop Junk Email (88)
...knowledge I must admit that I do this at least once each day. There is always something new I wish to learn. I never could understand those individuals who hear something, don’t...
Stuffing Envelopes (89)
...who did it, but I have met plenty of people who have been scammed into giving money with the promise of that type of employment. If you want to work from home, you are in luck, because today...
Team Building Activities (90)
...to begin with. When I worked as a waitress I made sure to take extra time to accommodate customer special requests. While this worked well for me independently it really worked against...
The Most Profitable Businesses (91)
...thinking, more than anything else, the got in my way when I tried to start a profitable small business. Trying to start a business requires realism above all else. The most profitable...
Used Furniture Buyers (92)
...or a husband-wife team operating a home-based business, buying old furniture and selling it for a profit, you’re all looking for a quality piece at the best price. Some people think...
Sell On The Internet (93)
...You will have to rely on shipping companies in order to get your product around the world, but when you sell on the Internet, you have opened up a whole new world of possibilities for yourself and...
Sell Your Items (94)
...around it. You do not have to hire contractors or laborers. If you are Web savvy, you can actually set up shop yourself. It costs less than it ever has before, and you do not need licenses, employees,...
Shared Office Space (95)
...this may far exceed the small amount they’ve set aside for office rental. Instead of taking on the cost of an office on their own, shared office space gives them all they need at a...