Management Teambuild

'The event really made me think about the needs of other people within the team.' Participant: Waitrose Ringwood Store

Cumulus Outdoor Events were approached by Waitrose to run a team development day for the management team of their store in Ringwood, Dorset. We asked to provide a team building training day using practical problem solving challenges, orienteering and facilitated feedback and review sessions. We found a great venue overlooking Poole Harbour within 10 minutes drive of Poole with acres of amazing countryside and harbourside walks amoungst heathland and forests.

The objectives for the training day were:

• Develop open and honest relationships with each other
• Develop an understanding and respect for each others’ values
• Develop a sense of being able to trust each other and obtain support from each other
• Enable team members to value each others’ differences as strengths for the entire team
• Delegates to benefit from a team experience
• Challenges and activities used are not to be physical and must be inclusive
• The day is to revolve around a sense of fun and sharing

In response to these objectives, we designed a training package for the 15 managers that would help them to better understand how their team functions and how they as individuals interact with each other. Coaching on feedback and offering positive comment was provided as well as guided reflection sessions on how the team can improve working relationships within the team to enable the entire team to become more effective. These sessions benefited from the practical team challenges that were set throughout the day. These helped the managers to reflect upon specific team examples from within their group as well as gave them opportunities to experiment and improve on performances.

The day was rounded up with a session to enable the managers to reflect upon the day, the messages considered, the performance of the team as well how they thay can move forwards and progress in the future.

This team training day was very successful and met all of the objectives set, scoring 87% in the client survey that also produced the following comments:

• All of the indoor and outdoor sessions created a great team atmosphere
• The event really made me think about the needs of other people within the team
• The challenges helped a great deal to enhance the team's performance
• The structure of the day helped us alot to see the progression and development
• The event was run within an informal and relaxed environment that helped everyone to learn
• The design of the day and the challenges made for an excellent event
• The outdoor aspects of the day brought the team closer together
• The outdoor activities were pitched at just the right level to not be intimidating
• Always felt involved and active during the day - really enjoyable
• The team acitvities followed by the discussions were very effective
• I enjoyed the tasks set out to encourage team work
• It helped everyone to better understand each other
• The venue was well set and the day was organised well
• Very open and friendly staff hlepd us to be oursleves and have a laugh as well