info@teamchallenge-company.co.uk
03300 04 09 03
Each and every one of the team building events hosted by Team Challenge Company comes with its own range of intended learning outcomes, designed to help develop everyone that participates. As well as working to improve the overall morale within a department through team building, the intention is for these specific learning outcomes to help develop your team into a well-oiled and efficient machine that easily translates into growth for your business..
Depending on the skills that you wish to develop within your team, there are a wide range of events and activities that can help. For example, if you want to bring out the creative side in your employees, you may organise a morning or afternoon on our Puppet Masters event, or if you are keen to unearth the next leaders in your business, the Beat the Box challenge will allow those with natural leadership skills to flourish.
As well as participants learning more about themselves and their colleagues, our team building events also allows for business owners and the team leaders within to learn more about their team away from the typical work setting. This helps to develop the skills of members of staff and the team as a collective, as well as helping leaders to shape their department for the betterment of the future of the business.
In order to realise the full potential of your team, you need to bring the best out of them. This means challenging them to collaborate and innovate to achieve a common goal, as well as supporting each other when completing individual tasks.
Over time, it is natural to slip into a comfort zone. The danger here is that output and quality can decrease when this happens. When an employee doesn’t feel challenged, this drop off is a natural reaction which is why our team building events challenge participants in multiple ways. With each member of your team working at full capacity, the sky is the limit for your business when it comes to productivity and output.
Creative team members have the ability to think outside of the box, designing and implementing new processes and ideas within the business. This can have the required effect of streamlining everyday tasks, allowing for more time and resources to be dedicated to expanding the business’ offering.
To bring out the creative side of your employees, there are a range of team building exercises that demand problem-solving and critical thinking outside of the usual work environment, which can yield fantastic results. Leave the office behind and work together as a team to construct a life-sized Formula 1 race car – which is exactly what participants on Flat Out: Formula 1 can expect.
Using a flat-pack kit of materials, small teams collaborate to construct a race car - complete with their very own branding – and are tasked with devising a race-winning strategy. Creativity and communication are essential for teams to be successful, as each member of the team is delegated individual roles, while all working towards the same collective goal.
Along with creativity comes innovation! Team members that can demonstrate an ability to adapt to change and lead the charge in an ever-changing marketplace are vital in today’s world. It is important for businesses to be seen to evolve with the times and keep pushing forward, and the same is expected of employees, who ultimately are the all-important cogs in the machine.
An event that best demonstrates the need for innovation is Chain Reaction; teams are tasked with turning a pile of recycled items into connecting supply chains to form one complete circuit. This calls on teams to not only understand the desired outcome of the task but to also visualize how they see the materials forming their section of the supply chain as well as being able to communicate with their team. It is only with all of these cogs in motion that a team will be successful in ensuring that all parts of the chain reaction work together cohesively.
Teams can expect to make plenty of modifications to their original plans and ideas, calling on on-your-feet problem-solving and communication skills to create a fully functioning contraption. All of this must be achieved within a determined timeframe, of course, where only the most innovative of teams prove to be the most successful.
The ability to identify an opportunity is a strength that can and should be utilised within your business; staying one step ahead of the competition in even the most competitive of markets is essential for longevity. In every team, there should be at least one individual who is willing to take a calculated risk, having the self-confidence to voice their opinion and take the lead on strategy for both internal and external projects.
One of Team Challenge Company’s most popular events that require strategic thinking like this is The Infinite Loop. Teams face a series of challenges and puzzles with the mission of saving a man trapped in a digital world – this is as far removed from the normal workday as you can get yet will utilise and develop very real-world skills. Utilising scientifically verified learning techniques, this challenge relies on communication and problem solving to not only complete the mission at hand but to do so faster than competing teams.
Here at Team Challenge Company, our expert knowledge of our events and how they can benefit your team and your business means we are able to recommend the perfect team building event. Simply highlight the key areas for learning and development within your team and we can match these with events and products that deliver your desired result. Investing in your employees is an investment for the future of your business.
For more information, please make sure to get in touch with a member of our team today by calling us on 03300 04 09 03 or sending us a message via the contact page.
Businesses that prioritise developing their existing members of staff over hiring from outside generally benefit from higher rates of employee retention. Employees feel the benefit of working for a company that invests in their personal and professional development, as well as the presence of a clear career path in the business.
Here at Team Challenge Company, we believe in helping employees realise their potential which, in turn, benefits the business on a long-term basis. The leaders of tomorrow start from the bottom and work their way up the corporate ladder, although, often, many feel as though they have to seek development opportunities elsewhere as the door remains shut in their current place of employment.
Do not allow talented employees to leave your company in search of better opportunities, potentially strengthening your competitors in the process. The benefits of staff training and development are clear - from the perspective of both the employee and the business.
Creeping complacency can quickly spread even throughout the best members of staff when they become comfortable in their roles and aren’t being professionally pushed. Career development opportunities for staff provide a chance for employees to grow as they take on extra responsibilities, adding variety to their day.
When employees outgrow their role within the company with no sign of progression, one of two things normally happen. Either they stop pushing themselves and go through the motions, doing the minimum of what is required on a day to day basis, or they look to further their career elsewhere.
While it can be tempting to want to look outside of the business when hiring for a senior position in search of someone with years of experience already underneath their belt, it can be demotivating for long-serving members of staff not to even be considered. After all, they know the company, the processes in place, and the people, and there isn’t much of a bedding-in period compared to that of someone new coming in.
Promoting from within sets a positive message to all members of staff that opportunities are there for those that want them. One of the clear advantages of training and development of employees is that it sets them up and provides them with the tools required to further their career, as well as helping the company to understand who amongst the team is ready to take the next step up.
Finally, it makes commercial sense for the business to invest in its members of staff.
Hiring externally often costs more money in the long term as candidates are in a position to negotiate better packages for themselves, as well as the time it takes to train new starters and see them settle into their roles. Also, if the hired candidate chooses to leave within their initial probation period, the whole recruitment process has to start again.
As well as looking at existing staff for internal promotions, developing current employees also allows you to improve performance and proficiency that affects the overall performance of the business.
If the business overall is not hitting targets, then the reasons why need to be identified and addressed accordingly, and naturally, this can sometimes lead to jobs being at risk. When staff is properly trained and given the correct support throughout their employment, however, the business is less likely to have to look internally at why targets are not being met, thus reducing the need to recruit new staff.
Team Challenge Company recognises the benefits of employee training and development programs, which is why our team is on hand to offer events that can be tailored to your business’ requirements. From small, intimate programs to large-scale events, we guarantee that you won’t regret calling on the help of our team for your team building needs. Contact us today.
Whilst we’d all like to think our company does everything it can to show the world our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), unfortunately, it’s not as effortless as we might be led to believe. If we’re being honest, most of the time we forget how much of a responsibility our businesses have to support others, especially around deadlines and crunch time.
Arranging and following through with a campaign to help the environment or local community takes time, effort and planning from all members of the team. However, at Team Challenge Company, we also like to remind people of the significant business benefits that come with corporate social responsibility. That's why we offer a range of CSR team building activities that focus on maximising your team’s unity whilst simultaneously contributing to wider society and embedding CSR values.
Here are some key reasons why investing in helping wider society should definitely be on your priority list.
Taking part in local events and helping your community are always feel-good events for everyone involved. Though you may need to put time aside to plan it all, your team’s impact on a worthy cause and seeing the positive results of all your hard work will make your co-workers feel like they are doing something good, boosting morale and motivation within the office. Whether it’s raising awareness for underrepresented charities, fundraising for local causes, or supporting your community, your team will come away with a sense of fulfillment that encourages them to take pride in the business that they work for, improving employee retention and satisfaction.
When you’re a company in the public eye, you cannot go wrong with improving and reassuring customers of your public image. Showcasing a little CSR is the perfect way to go about doing that. Consumers work with businesses that they trust and perceive as genuine, so showing off your business’ human side with socially conscious efforts is incredibly valuable from a brand recognition perspective. If consumers are reminded of your business’ positive ethos and commitment to helping others, they are likely to associate your brand with positivity and consider working with you in future.
Giving your co-workers a day out of the traditional working process is always a gratefully received reprieve from the daily nine-to-five grind. The fun and social tasks of our CSR activities are a welcome change to employees. They are able to enjoy the challenge and fun change of pace. As your team’s goals are all short term, for the end of the day, there is added incentive to work closely with others and will feel more dedicated to completing their new goals. As well as an opportunity for improving teamwork, giving them a break in a fun and informal environment ensures they won’t feel too overwhelmed after a busy week. On Monday, you can be sure that everyone will return to the office feeling refreshed, more prepared to work towards personal targets with a clearer mindset.
In much the same way that the public can be swayed into your favour, social responsibility events show your workers that your business is not purely profit-motivated. As much as you want customers to perceive your brand favourably, making sure your workers also value their company and work is important for maintaining employee motivation and engagement. The people on the inside can better see how much of your own time and company resources go into planning help for these good causes, so your employees can better appreciate the effort you’re making.
Your company should be confident in what it strives to do and how it presents itself to the world. Your company values act as guidelines for everything you do for your customers and community. Alongside the benefits to public image, CSR demonstrates your business’ selfless dedication to supporting people and causes that are in need. While striving to be socially responsible, our CSR activities here at Team Challenge Company make it easy to promote your positive contributions to the public. By supporting organisations and local people, you’re bound to generate interest and build confidence in your company’s brand, and including the public in your success is an all-but-guaranteed way to build your local reputation.
When you find yourself against the world, wanting to make a positive impact but not sure how or whether it’s worth the effort, just know that Team Challenge Company can help. Not only do we take all of the event planning and stress off your shoulders, but our brilliant variety of CSR team building activities have united teams and improved the public image of businesses throughout the UK for years. We’re experts in bringing employees together into cohesive, hardworking units and building brand recognition at the same time.
If you would like further information on corporate event management or team building in or out of the workplace, get in touch with our knowledgeable and friendly team on 03300 04 09 03.
With spring now here and the sun shining, it is a good excuse to take everyone outside for some fun team building events.
Winter is now a thing of the past and your team are noticeably happier, simply because the sun is still out when they leave the office. What better way to harness that positive feeling than by getting everyone out of the normal work environment?
Sitting inside the same four walls all day every day is bound to become a mundane exercise, no matter the job. A change of scenery mixes up everyone’s routine for the better and helps to break down any barriers that may exist between colleagues.
Family fun days are an excellent way of bringing everyone together in a fun environment. Not only does this help relieve some of the pressure on those with children, who would usually seek childcare in order to attend, but it provides fresh ground for colleagues to get to know each other outside of the workplace.
Businesses are judged on results and a happy team is a productive one. Team Challenge Company offers a wide range of outdoor team building events that are designed to encourage colleagues to work together.
With events such as the soapbox derby, treasure hunts and Highland Games, a particular favourite for team building in Scotland, your team are guaranteed to have fun while learning the best ways to work and communicate with one another.
Small competitions encouraging everyone to get involved help build camaraderie, as well as provide many a talking point around the water cooler come Monday morning!
Organising a corporate fun day gives your team something to look forward to. Not only can this serve as a treat for long-serving employees, it is also an effective method of integrating new members into the team.
When a new team member joins it can be a daunting prospect, especially if the team is relatively close-knit. Inviting new employees to join in boosts overall team chemistry, helping new recruits to work effectively within their new surroundings.
If, as a business, results have begun to slide and there is reason to believe that a high staff turnover may be the cause, this could be due to low morale. Businesses are prone to losing experienced and valuable employees due to poor morale. Through team building events, businesses can address this issue before it begins to have detrimental effects.
If you would like more information on the team building events that we can offer, contact us today on 03300 040903.
If you find your team lacking motivation and struggling to succeed in the workplace, it could be that you need to identify their individual strengths and weaknesses in order to optimise productivity.
Team building events that use Psychometric Profiling can be really useful when it comes to this, enabling you to get the most out of your employees.
Psychometric Profiling is a method of team development which allows people to identify specific personality traits that are useful in the workplace. Team building events with psychometric profiling can be vital in helping you to reach a personal understanding of your personality and job role.
In turn, this enables both you and your team to be able to identify strengths and weaknesses and adapt the structure of your team accordingly.
Belbin Team Roles is a way of measuring behaviour and identifying behavioural strengths in the workplace, based on the belief that team members naturally seek out certain roles, performing better in those roles they are drawn to.
At Team Challenge Company, we provide a range of team building events that make full use of Psychometric Profiling.
Each comes with different benefits and boasts a range of activities that we have specifically tailored to suit the individual Psychometric Profiling methods.
So, what are the Psychometric Profiling team building events that we provide?
Our workshops help your team to become more effective, using Belbin Team Roles to help your team members maximise their strengths and control weaknesses. The focus is on achieving a balance between the different Team Roles, allowing you to make your team the best it can possibly be.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI) is a method of classifying differing personalities in order to establish your strengths and working preferences. This promotes self-awareness and enables a developmental framework to be created.
MBTI is one of the most widely used team development strategies, providing a mixture of practical and theory-based knowledge
Our MBTI workshops start off with self-evaluation questionnaires which will define which personality type each team member is.
Then, throughout the course of the workshop, colleagues with similar and different personalities can work together to learn how each personality contributes to the team as a whole.
Colour Code Analysis
This method involves the representation of four main personality types as different colours. Our Colour Code Analysis workshops get your employees to identify the ‘colour’ of their colleagues, learning about what this signifies in terms of their personality. Employees can then learn from this process and find new ways to ensure effective communication is transferred across to the workplace environment.
Team Management Systems
Team Management Systems (TMS) focuses on understanding varying team skills in order to improve team performance. Participants highlight their individual existing skill levels, then work to find ways that these same skills can be used by the entire team in the future.
Neurolinguistic Programming
This practice utilises the connections between language, neurological processes, and learned behavioural patterns in order to reinforce positive behaviours. This method uses idealised behavioural models in order to show employees how they can adapt their work and increase efficiency.
To get more information about our Psychometric Profiling team building events, simply get in touch with us.
While the seasons can affect many things, they shouldn’t affect plans for team building days. However, every season is different and each can bring about various types of weather. Thanks to the great British weather, it’s not always clear what kind of weather it will be on any particular day, so it’s always better to plan in advance and go with the season.
There are many benefits to team building and plenty of activities that can be done both inside and out, so pick a season and allow it to influence your choice of activity. Here are some of our favourite ideas for fun team building events during each individual season.
Spring is many people's favourite season - it’s starting to get warmer and the days seem a little brighter. With that in mind, it’s the perfect season to venture outside. Alternatively, if you're faced with endless April showers, you could always stay indoors.
“Flat Out Formula One” is a team building game that can be played inside or out. While it’s perfect to motivate and unite the team, it’s also incredibly fun. The aim is to construct a Formula One car using a flat-pack kit in a given timeframe, decorating and branding it, then finally heading out for a drive on the track.
As the perfect outdoor season, there is no excuse to stay indoors in the summer. The sky is blue, the sun is out and you should be too!
“Beat the Clock” is the perfect outdoor team building activity. The aim is to complete as many activities as you can in the shortest time possible. Set out in two stages, this game will help to break the ice between co-workers while allowing everyone to have a great time.
Stage one involves planning and refining the technique required to complete the challenge; stage two is where it gets intense and teams must complete their tasks before the clock runs out.
As it starts to get colder, it can feel as though the outdoors isn’t the right place to be. However, it’s not all bad as there are still activities that you can do both inside and out.
To stimulate creativity and explore excellence, Revel Music is the perfect activity for both indoors and outdoors. The experience allows colleagues to come together and learn about music while taking part in a fun percussion workshop. Music has been used to help people bond and develop relationships for many years, so why not use this tried and trusted technique to bring your team together?
No-one likes to venture outside in the winter unless they have no choice - even the thought can be enough to make you feel cold! Luckily, there’s no reason why you can’t work on your team building indoors.
“The Domino Effect” is the perfect indoor game, designed to improve negotiation skills and communication. The aim is to get creative and beat the opposing team. Each team will need to construct a domino rally before being given a box of obstacles to be placed alongside the dominos. Only on the completion of each task will an obstacle be removed and when each team has a clear track they can both set off their dominos. The winner will be the fastest one that correctly meets the criteria.
This just goes to show that you can complete your team building exercises at any time of the year, so don’t let the weather stop you. For more information on team building days or to organise one for your business, contact us today.
Spring is on its way and with that comes the better weather that is bound to brighten up the office. However, due to the time of year, it doesn’t mean that work will grind to a halt and leave employees dreaming of summer days spent enjoying the weather. It also doesn’t mean that you should just let spring pass you by.
If your office sees spring as just another season, then it's the perfect opportunity to think about making a change and prepare a plan to change this. Look at team building days to get everyone out and enjoying the better weather - after all, this plan doesn’t have to include solely office activities. In fact, it would probably be far more beneficial to get everyone out of the office to enjoy the spring. It's far better than sitting in the office and staring out the window wishing to be out and about enjoying the season. But before you make plans for your team, you may be curious about what activities you can do on a team building day.
Although the sun is starting to peek out from behind the clouds, it still may not be the best time to venture outside for your team building activities. If you're wary of the weather, it may be better to choose from the wide range of indoor activities that will allow everyone to get involved.
One recommended activity is “Puppet Masters” - everyone can take part and have fun whilst doing so. The aim of this game is to break employees into teams; it requires concentration, coordination and the willingness to have fun. Each team will work to master the moves of the puppet before picking a song to perform for the finale dance. This particular activity is designed to be fun and motivational whilst also allowing employees to expand their skills in project planning and strategy communication.
However, just because the weather may not yet be perfect, it doesn’t mean to say that it’s not tolerable. If you would prefer to take part in outdoor team building activities, spring is a great time to start looking into organising events for your team.
“It’s a Knockout” is the perfect outdoor activity as it’s fun and motivational but still has the added benefit of being outside, which is perfect on a warm spring day. This activity requires you to choose from a huge selection of inflatables- each one will allow you to do different things but all are bound to get your heart racing.
So, whether you decide to stay inside or out, don’t let this spring pass you by. Team building days are ideal for everyone in the workplace and it will definitely get everyone in the right seasonal mood.
For more information or to organise a team building day for your office, please contact us today.
The weather should have been a fine Scottish summer’s day, but the rain came out to play instead, so we chose to take this great group inside for an afternoon of entertainment, challenge and competition. It was a pleasure to welcome SITE members on their Perthshire Familiarisation trip in conjunction with the wonderful Dunkeld House Hotel. After a sumptuous lunch in their delightful function suite hosted by General Manager John and his excellent team, we were headed to the marquee for the challenges that lay ahead.
The weather was unfortunately not playing ball and delivered a steady persistent downpour, however Dunkeld House pulled out all the stops and offered us the use of their beautiful onsite Marquee– just perfect for this sample teambuilding event taking this great group inside for their challenges. The group were split into 3 teams to go head to head against each other at the ever so challenging Beat the Box and the mentally testing team building challenge Red Alert then our newest high tech challenge namely Infinite Loop. The teams were named:
Mafalda’s Minions
Sandrine’s Spartans
Liz’s Rubbish
As we moved between the three sample activities it was clear from the whoops and hollers who was leading and who was only there for the delicious food! It was a challenge too far for some of the teams on the Red Alert – focus and attention to detail were the keys to cracking the codes and saving the planet – but who would stay the course and who would fall at the first hurdle?
Beat the Box offered a sample of this escape room theme ideal for conferences with a twist as the team wrecked their collective brains in a joint effort to crack the puzzles and move further in to reach ever more complicated boxes one by one - but who was the smartest team in the room ?...Marquee ?
Infinite Loop showed off our latest exclusive in the UK high teach event as the teams had to work both in the virtual world and the real world with communication, planning and attention to detail helping them travel thru a series of unique challenges designed to bring out the very best in communication, learning and planning techniques.
The teams gathered for the presentation of the Team Challenge Trophy and wooden spoon. In third place sadly came Liz’s Rubbish who by their own admission let victory slip from their grasp. In second place was a valiant Sandrine’s Spartans and taking the top spot with a truly awesome performance was Mafalda’s Minions with a clean sweep on every challenge – excellent performance here
As we said goodbye to the group we hope you all enjoyed your brief trip to and experience at Dunkeld House Hotel and we look forward to seeing you at your next event.
We spend a lot of our day in the workplace, and possibly the majority of our time if you factor in the time taken to commute between home and work. That’s why it’s all the more important that businesses place a priority on positive mental health in their employees.
This doesn’t mean catering to every annual leave request when it leaves you short staffed, but you could offer more opportunity for a better home/work balance and reward your hard-working employees with longer breaks or the odd afternoon off. Offering staff the opportunity to get involved with corporate event management can be beneficial and opens up options for team building in and out of the workplace.
Mental health is more than being ill, it is affected by our social, psychological and emotional well-being and covers all aspects of having a “low-feeling” day to disorders such as depression and anxiety.
We break down some options for businesses to offer good support for their employee’s mental health;
If someone is struggling in the workplace, is there the option for them to work from home? Or could they be given space to work in the office without a constant need to micro-manage, although this may not always be possible with certain employees.
Alternatively, changing working hours so employees who are struggling with the social aspect, so they work less sociable hours or start earlier or work later. Working with employees to provide reasonable adjustments to their working day is a great way to offer good mental health support.
Sometimes if someone is going through an internal struggle or experiencing high levels of stress, feeling like they are stuck at their desk can only exasperate their issues and lead to more stress. By allowing employees to excuse themselves from the room or from certain events allows them to feel more control and can help them take the space to calm down.
Good working relationships can be a hugely positive aspect of good mental health. Presenting your employees with the option for more social and team building opportunities can help build and strengthen the bonds between colleagues. Get staff involved in corporate event management and let them decide between them how team building is best carried out and if there are any preferred activities.
If you’d like more information on team building opportunities across the UK, get in touch with our team building events team on 03300 04 09 03 or using our online form.
Be Heard Day will soon be upon us when the 7th of March rolls around, but before it arrives, it’s important that your employees feel they can be heard. Employees need to be able to speak up about any issues that they are having in the workplace and if they feel that they can’t do so, things need to change.
To help your employees raise their voices and be heard, you could look at team building days to bring them out of their shells and give them a little more confidence. There are plenty of activities that will assist with this but first, you might be wondering why this day is so important.
For some time, small businesses have struggled to be heard - a fact which is even truer for small branches of a larger company.
This was noticed in 2004 by Business and Marketing Strategist Shannon Cherry and she sought to make a change. Her goal was to give businesses knowledge for free, sharing her professional expertise in order to benefit both businesses and their employees.
However, should it really come to this? We believe that employees should feel able to talk and be heard at any point and as this day was created over ten years ago it could be argued that Cherry's idea is now somewhat dated.
So, this year, to help your employees be heard you could look at team building days. Not only will they help develop their confidence, but they will also reassure employees that they can come to you with questions, queries or issues on any day.
Team building is essential in the workplace and is recommended for many reasons.
However, there are activities specifically designed to help employees develop their confidence by uniting the team and helping to improve key skills like negotiation. One great example of an activity is Trade Winds, which requires teams to accumulate treasure by building relationships with other traders while also gathering vital market information. Another activity ideal for uniting the team is Bridging the Divide, where teams are required to build a bridge that perfectly meets the customer's specifications while using limited resources and very strict timelines.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide which activities will best suit your employees but it should be noted that each activity can bring a wide range of benefits to your workplace. So, to improve your employee's confidence for Be Heard Day, why not take a look at team building days? Contact us today.
