Monday 31 October 2016

For An Effective Team Building Exercise Baltimore MD Companies Need To Hire A Professional

By Betty Foster


The days when most companies were managed by filtering orders through from the top to the bottom of the hierarchy are long gone. The present trend is to empower groups of people that work together by allowing them more decision making power and the ability to communicate their needs and ideas to management. Groups therefore need to be extremely efficient. After a team building exercise Baltimore MD companies often see groups that are newly motivated.

Special outings for groups to become better acquainted, to learn more about each other and to learn skills that will help them to perform better as a group has become very popular. The idea is to send the group to a location away from the office, where they cannot be disturbed and to lead them through a variety of activities and lectures all aiming at creating or building upon group cohesion.

There is no shortage of contractors that advertise their services as expert facilitators for corporate group excursions. The scope of the programs that they offer wildly, with some specializing in a very specific area, such as communications skills. A large variety of others, including activity managers, motivation speakers, psychologists and venues have also realized that companies are willing to spend considerable amounts on the development of their employees.

Companies should be very careful when hiring a facilitator. There are, unfortunately, many operators that are neither qualified nor experienced. Companies should insist on several valid references and they should be investigated. If a previous client says that the group truly enjoyed themselves, for example, then that should not be seen as necessarily positive feedback. The question is whether the group grew as a group and as individuals.

Facilitators cannot be expected to submit proposals and quotations unless they have been fully briefed. They need to know as much as possible about the participants because this will determine which activities will be most suitable. The budget should also be spelled out and any other restraints, such as when and for how long the excursion must be planned should be clear. The more detailed the information they are given, the better they will be able to develop a suitable proposal.

Ideally, prospective contractors must present a written quotation that stays within the budget limits previously declared. The proposed activities should be listed and the objectives that will be achieved with each one should be specified. The client should be able to either approve or reject certain activities. If other professionals will be hired for lectures or activities, they should be listed and their roles should be justified.

In order to gain maximum benefit from an excursion it is vital to obtained feedback from the participants as soon as possible after the event. The feedback should ideally be both individually and as a group. The feedback should address strong points and shortcomings in the program and facilities and the extent to which the objectives were achieved. The report and individual feedback should be treated in a confidential manner.

If groups of employees are to take responsibility for their efforts, their productivity and their contribution to the vision of the employer, then they need to be empowered to grow as a group. Group development excursions can play a valuable role if it is properly planned. This requires an experienced and qualified facilitator.




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