Media Section & Articles about Team Building |
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Articles by Scavenger Hunt Anywhere Articles by Scavenger Hunt Anywhere January 2007 All We Need Is AFew Good Men...And Women...So Where Are They? The Revolving Door October 20, 2006 Not Looking Forward To Planning Your Office Team Building Event?
Help Is As Close As Saying "I Love Team Building"! Managers and workplace experts alike agree that in concept, corporate team building activities are an important part of team development. In reality, the meeting planner is often overwhelmed by the wide array of team building ideas from which to choose. Without understanding the specific team building objectives of their group, it becomes virtually impossible to create a successful event. Let's say we take the parallel cases of Steve and Sally. Steve and Sally were both assigned the same task in different departments: find a team building activity for the afternoon that fits their budget. Each manager added the only other condition: "it should be fun". But once Steve and Sally began to dig into the options they realized that their groups could do everything from shoot paintballs at each other, do a scavenger hunt, solve crimes, scale walls and climb ropes courses, go kayaking or canoeing, ride horses or cook a four-course meal. How would they decide? Steve, hoping to make a choice that would please his boss, thought that since his manager liked golf, and since the golf course nearby had a nice restaurant, this would make a good afternoon outing. His group could play some holes, have dinner and award a trophy to the winning team. Sally realized that with so many choices she needed more information. She downloaded a team building planner's resource guide at http://www.iloveteambuilding.com. This guide helped her clarify her group's objectives. She went back to her manager with a few key questions: "What is the number one reason that we are holding a team
building session?" Asking these questions got Sally more detailed feedback. Sally's manager Sarah reflected that the department had recently been through a stressful period where everyone had worked long hours. Inter-office tensions had mounted and while they'd pulled through okay, she felt that that some of the group's easy camaraderie had been compromised under the pressure. Sarah's number one goal for this activity was that everyone, including herself, could have a friendly competition that got people energized and joking around again. As Sarah thought about it some more, she added it would be nice if they could do something around making strategic choices under tight time constraints. "I'd love it if we could do an activity that could allow us to practice that without taking away the fun," she said, "And Sally, please get us out of the office because we've been stuck inside for what feels like forever". Sally also learned that their last team building activity, a game of laser tag, had been high on energy but low on actual team spirit and specific takeaway learning. While there were teams, it was in actuality an "everyone-out-for-themselves" activity. Some co-workers had loved it but others had given up early because they weren't fit or fast enough to win. Now Sally had a set of objectives to work from when considering team building ideas. This was her list: Key Objectives Additional parameters to consider: With those objectives, Sally found it much easier to sift and eliminate team building activities that didn't meet her requirements. What she discovered was a corporate scavenger hunt. There were multiple levels of activity - everything from answering trivia questions based on visiting specified parts of the city to working together to form human sculptures and writing a poem about their experience. It reminded her a bit of the popular TV show "The Amazing Race" except it was right in her city and had other elements that made it appropriate for a corporate team building event. How did Steve and Sally's events go? Steve's event pleased his manager on a personal level, but he expressed disappointment that "not everyone seemed to be into it". Everyone enjoyed a nice dinner and the trophy went to the avid golfers in the office. When they got back work, there was nothing Steve's manager could draw from the experience to apply in their daily tasks. The memory of the event faded and everyone went on as before. Sally's group on the other hand got into the scavenger hunt before it started, making up silly names for their assigned groups such as "Mistress Melinda and her Malevolent Minions" and "Baldy and the Cubicle Dudes". When they got to the event, the scavenger hunt leader presented them with a list of activities and mandatory checkpoints; it was just like a being on a reality show. The leader also noted that they wouldn't be able to finish everything in time - they would have to make strategic choices based on what each group thought would bring them the most points. They were off! After the event was complete, the leader took time to debrief the experience of making difficult choices under time constraints. Group members shared about their experiences and compared notes. Now everyone had the same event to reference when similar situations arose at work. Groups then had a chance to present their on-the-fly poetry to much laughter. Finding out the winning team was hotly anticipated and was the subject to much good-natured razzing. The scavenger hunt team building game was not only a hit with the group; it had achieved all of Sally's team building objectives in one afternoon. Being in charge of creating meaningful and fun group events isn't easy. By taking the time to think beyond the first blush of "team building" as an objective and deepening the understanding of what your team wants and needs from a team building game, you can achieve positive reviews, tangible results and a grateful pat on the back from your boss. For assistance in planning your next team building event, a free team building planners' guide is available for download at http://www.iloveteambuilding.com © Andrew Long (2006) Andrew Long is the Founder and President
of Critical Pathfinders Adventure Training Inc. http://www.criticalpathfinders.com
and Scavenger Hunt Anywhere http://www.scavengerhuntanywhere.com
A free team building planner's guide is available at http://www.iloveteambuilding.com
Hunting for New Ideas Scavenger hunts have long been a popular social function at meetings, conferences and off-sites. Adding a theme can bring new life to this tried and true team building activity. An interesting theme will ensure that your group is engaged and energized by an event that they will find unique and exciting. Here are some theme ideas: CALL OF THE WILD OLYMPICS THEME SEASONAL THEME BUSINESS THEME Scavenger Hunt Anywhere specializes in creating and running scavenger hunts for corporate groups anywhere in North America and can accommodate any theme that you can dream up. For more information visit www.scavengerhuntanywhere.com or call 905-901-9300
A New Spin on an Old Idea You might recall participating in a scavenger hunt at some time in your life. Maybe it was a car rally in high school or an activity at a resort. Scavenger hunts have come a long way since then and have become a popular activity for corporate groups. There are many reasons for the increased interest in scavenger hunts for corporate meetings and incentive groups. A scavenger hunt is a fun, active, safe and economical social activity that everyone can enjoy; it is an excellent way for participants to get to know each other as they combine their efforts toward a common goal; and participants see more of the location in which the hunt takes place. Another reason for running a hunt is that the group's business skills are challenged. Consider the benefits of an activity that requires teams to prioritize, solve problems, be creative and learn about the diverse skills and knowledge that each team member contributes. But let's backtrack a bit. What do we mean by a scavenger hunt? A scavenger hunt in its simplest form requires teams to collect information and objects within a set of geographical boundaries. Clues are in random order, requiring teams to determine their most productive route. This format means that teams set out in different directions and are less likely to follow one another. Since teams tend to spread out, a scavenger hunt is a perfect social activity for very large groups. Most meeting planners prefer to use an experienced supplier to provide a well-run scavenger hunt. From a logistical standpoint, scavenger hunts are challenging to organize on one's own because of the sheer number of details involved. Designing clues in a way that keeps your group interested takes a lot of effort. You also need a number of staff to score the results of the hunt. Choose the time and location, then find an supplier that can help. Then turn your participants loose and they will return several hours later with big smiles on their faces. Scavenger hunts are a good choice for groups under pressure to save both time and money. For groups short on time, a hunt can be as brief as one hour, although 2-5 hours is recommended. For groups running on a tight budget, a hunt is more economical than many other traditional activities such as golf, professional sports matches or even going out for dinner. Hunts can have a variety of optional features. Consider having the scavenger hunt be a learning experience for participants. Some suppliers offer debriefings following their hunt. A debriefing is a discussion based on the skills and behaviours used to accomplish the various tasks throughout the hunt and how these skills are relevant in a day-to-day business setting. Another interesting possibility is having teams take pictures of themselves in various locations. Lasting memories and keepsakes are created, as the pictures are made available to the participants afterwards. When you are choosing a supplier, look for other features that may appeal to your group. Scavenger hunts can be appropriate in many situations, including: So, you've decided that a scavenger hunt is a perfect activity for your next meeting, conference or offsite. What are the next steps? You need to find a supplier and the Internet is a great place to look. Try typing "scavenger hunt" and your desired location into one of the major search engines. Good luck and happy hunting! Andrew Long is the Chief Pathfinder at Scavenger Hunt Anywhere,
North America's premium provider of corporate scavenger hunts. For
more information visit www.scavengerhuntanywhere.com
Scavenger Hunt Anywhere offers active team building sessions. You might recall participating in a scavenger hunt at some time in your life. Maybe it was a car rally in high school or an activity at a resort. Scavenger hunts have come a long way since then and have become a common activity for corporate groups. Critical Pathfinders Adventure Training Inc. has established a division called Scavenger Hunt Anywhere that provides scavenger hunts to corporate teams. The scavenger hunts require teams to collect information, objects and photos, usually in the downtown part of the city. Clues are in random order, requiring teams to determine their most productive route and how to acquire more points than any other team. The popularity of scavenger hunts in the business setting has been increasing for a variety of reasons. A scavenger hunt is a fun, active and safe social activity that everyone can enjoy. It is a great way for participants to get to know each other as they combine their efforts toward a common goal. Another great reason for running a hunt is that they are a great challenge of a group's business skills. Consider the benefits of an activity that requires teams to prioritize, solve problems, be creative and learn about the diverse skills and knowledge that each team member contributes! Many event planners want their scavenger hunt to be a learning experience for participants. As a division of a team training company, Scavenger Hunt Anywhere is well suited to run facilitated debriefings, which take place at the end of the hunt. A typical debriefing is a discussion based on the skills and behaviours used to accomplish the various tasks throughout the hunt and how these skills are relevant in a day-to-day business setting. Scavenger Hunt Anywhere offers a variety of other optional features. A very common option is to have teams to take pictures of themselves in various locations. It is a great way to create lasting memories, as the pictures are made available to the participants afterwards both in print an in a private web photo gallery. Scavenger hunts can be appropriate in many situations, including: Scavenger Hunt Anywhere works with companies of local, national and international scope. Recent clients include Creo, Kraft, Kimberly-Clark, McKinsey Consulting and Volkswagen. For more information about Scavenger Hunt Anywhere visit www.scavengerhuntanywhere.com
Articles about Scavenger Hunt Anywhere Board games: When child's play enters the workplace, the grown-ups
learn valuable lessons on how they can all get along One evening a few weeks ago, employees of TD Waterhouse squared off against one another to battle over a key strategic question: rock, paper or scissors? The financial institution had hired the World RPS Society to run the Rock Paper Scissors Tournament in Toronto as a way to boost morale between two of the company's divisions. "It became quite raucous," says Doug Walker, managing director of the World RPS Society. Brad Ciccarelli, associate vice-president at TD Waterhouse, praised the tournament as a "fantastic and unique ice-breaker for people who didn't know each other very well." Mr. Walker has been organizing general-interest tournaments since 1995. Last month, he launched RPS Events, specifically targeting companies in North America and Europe looking to strengthen bonds between staff members. On April 12, RPS will organize a tournament for the Canadian Marketing Association. With companies fighting harder than ever to recruit and retain talent, businesses are turning to unorthodox games such as Rock Paper Scissors as a way to promote team-building and encourage loyalty. So long company golf tournament. Hello, human Trivial Pursuit. Workopolis knows as well as anyone how important team-building exercises can be in today's job market. Last month, the job-search Web site hired Critical Pathfinders, a Toronto based company that specializes in corporate team-building, to arrange a scavenger hunt for Workopolis's annual sales conference. About 24 sales and marketing managers roamed downtown Toronto searching for clues and completing tasks, such as finding bird feathers and Canadian Tire money. "It was great," says Debra Chapman, vice-president of sales at Workopolis. "We had five or six new sales-team members joining our team, so it was a great way for them to get to know and have some fun with other people." Critical Pathfinders boasts a client list that includes Microsoft, Ernst & Young, Molson Breweries, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Pepsi and The Body Shop. If executives playing Rock Paper Scissors or running around on scavenger hunts sounds silly, those in the corporate- events industry say these kinds of games can play a crucial role in an employee's sense of job satisfaction. In October, Critical Pathfinders commissioned a study by Empire Research to show how companies benefit from team-building games. "It's predicted that in the next five to 10 years in North America, the labour shortage is going to leave companies short by 10 to 40 million employees," says Critical Pathfinder founder Andrew Long. "What that means is that companies are going to have to work really hard to attract and retain the best employees." The study also showed that people in Generation X, men and women who were born from1961 to 1981, have much different priorities than Baby Boomers when it comes to their careers. While salary was the top priority for Boomers, Gen-Xers ranked salary near the bottom of the list. "In terms what [Gen-Xers] want to get out of their careers, salary came third-last," says Mr. Long. "The top priority was having positive relationships with their colleagues." It's no surprise then, says Mr. Long, that he has seen business increase each year since he founded the company. In 2006, Critical Pathfinders organized 160 events for companies in Canada and the United States. "Team-building is certainly not the only solution to these problems," he says of the difficulty of retaining talent. "But if team-building can help contribute to a positive working environment, or help build relationships between employees, then it's going to have a significant value to employers as the labour pool gets smaller and smaller." Bryan Burns, president of Corporate Play People, a Kelowna, B.C.-based company, agrees. "There's a lot more emphasis on finding ways to build better relationships and communication," he says. "People want to stay within their companies, but you have to add more things to keep them there." While traditional team-building exercises such as golf tournaments or a night at the bowling alley are still popular, more companies are turning to games that let employees put their business skills in play. "We see who the leader is. It comes out in an activity," says Mr. Burns. "When you watch people play a game, you know that that boss or that leader is probably doing the same thing in the workplace." There are even a few board games on the market now that test players' business acumen. Whereas Monopoly taught us all the basics of capitalism, these new games offer more industry specific challenges. In Burn Rate, created in 2002, players are cast as CEOs of a dot-com enterprise trying to keep a start-up afloat. Inc.: The Game of Business has players running a corporation, hiring employees and buying stock with the goal of acquiring $1-million in cash and a full staff. As much as they may help a company develop staff 's skills and retain employees, the games are also about letting people blow off steam. "First and foremost, it's fun," says Mr. Walker. "The absurdity of the whole thing is what gets people talking."
King of the Hunt Imagine a job that would allow you to work from home, travel as much as you want, and get paid to dress up as your favourite movie character. Andrew Long, Com'94, has that job. He created Critical Pathfinders Adventure Training Inc., which offers customized adventure training for corporate teams, after realizing he wasn't passionate about his work. Now he makes his living doing what he loves. "I have a high standard for my life. It sounds corny, but life is short. I've watched guys work at jobs for 40 years who don't want to be there, and I didn't want that to happen to me. I expect to get more out of life." Following graduation, Andrew worked for CP Rail for three years, and then as a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch. Dissatisfied with a job he "just didn't love," he quit "cold turkey" at the end of February 2000 and started strategizing with wife Gina Mollicone Long, creator of the consulting company Goddess Concepts, about what his new career should look like. Andrew is thankful to many Queen's classmates who helped him get Critical Pathfinders off the ground. "It is challenging for adventure companies to obtain insurance coverage and Dave Zietsma, Com' 93 (see photo) who pioneered adventure racing in Canada, was really helpful with that. Knowing someone like him is invaluable." Andrew knew from the start that he wanted to bring his love of the outdoors into a corporate setting. His challenge was incorporating that passion into a business plan. "The Queen's card came into play again at that point," says Andrew. "I bounced a lot of ideas off of classmates in big companies, and they gave me a lot of feedback about what would and wouldn't work inside a corporation." By early June 2000, Andrew had the making of a new business. The new plan was Critical Pathfinders Adventure Training Inc.(www.criticalpathfinders.com), the company that owns Scavenger Hunt Anywhere, and Critical Pathfinders Inc. in the USA. Andrew went on to create his company's most profitable product, Scavenger Hunt Anywhere ,in 2002, as many of his clients requested fun social activities rather than corporate adventure learning outings. "More and more business groups are working 12 hour days, coming to meetings exhausted after traveling several hours. Bosses think it's important to get their employees out of the office for a bit, to let them see the city and have some fun together," says Andrew, whose clients include Microsoft-referred to SHC through a Queen's contact - Kimberly-Clark, CibaVision-also through a Queen's contact-and Ford. In a typical hunt, corporate groups are divided into smaller groups that compete against each other for the most points. Each team gets a handbook and a set of rules, and is instructed to go out into the city in search of information such as the wording on a historical plaque, or the number of flagpoles at a given location. Sometimes, staff members even dress up in costumes to fulfill a Scavenger Hunt theme. "My favourite hunt was one we did in Las Vegas recently, because I got to dress up as Austin Powers!" says Andrew. "At the beginning of the hunt, I came out, in full costume, with the Austin Powers theme song on the stereo, and explained how the hunts work in full character. I got to use my undiscovered acting skills,'" he laughs. Andrew, who also gets to play with Molly 2 1/2 and Simon,15 months, while working from home on Bowen Island, Vancouver, loves the freedom and flexibility his new career offers him. " I can do what I want, and outsource the rest. I wanted to dress like Austin Powers, so I did. I don't like accounting, so I just hired a bookkeeper. It's great!" While Scavenger Hunt Anywhere does have some competition with meeting planning companies, no company operates across-North America like theirs. "We didn't invent the concept, we just saw an opportunity where there wasn't a lot of competition, and decided we'd become the best at it," says Andrew. Now that's Groovy business savvy, Baby.
Queen's School of Business Inquiry Let the hunt begin! By Christine Ward Know him? Because Andrew Long wants his name . . . and a bunch of corporate types in casual wear and running shoes are out to get it for him. And, while they're at it, they need to snag a photo of themselves with a Canadian politician. This group with a mission isn't just horsing around - they're participating in a corporate scavenger hunt, the age-old game that has been reconfigured as a national business by Long and his wife Gina Mollicone Long. That business is Scavenger Hunt Anywhere, a company that develops customized scavenger hunts for corporate clients. The themed hunts challenge participants to work together and ply their best problem-solving, creativity, time management, prioritization and decision-making skills to decipher a series of clues, puzzles and trivia. "Companies aren't looking for traditional team-building exercises anymore," says Long. "But they do realize that people remain the foundation of their businesses and that a small investment can influence morale, employee retention and commitment." In the 18 months or so since the Longs launched their venture, they've helped develop hunts for a host of major companies in Canada, including Kraft, Nokia, Bell Mobility and Kimberly-Clark. And Scavenger Hunt Anywhere has expanded beyond Vancouver to Toronto, Calgary, Montreal and Ottawa, with plans to add a Quebec City leg soon. There's also a Scavenger Hunt America, which services such destinations as Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle and Chicago - the original site of the scavenger hunt concept started by Long in 2002 after a client called his corporate training and development company to inquire about alternative, team-building ideas. The 1994 Queen's commerce grad jumped at the opportunity and hasn't looked back since. While each scavenger hunt features a unique collection of theme-based challenges, such as clues related to Vancouver's successful Olympic bid, an eco-hunt and Canada's capital, Long says the basic ingredients remain the same. "They usually take place in a dense area with lots of venues where tourists might go for a walking tour. The clues are designed so that most people won't know the answer, even if the hunt city is their home. We can literally run a scavenger hunt anywhere, anytime and for any number of people." And forget using the Internet. Cat sanctuary man doesn't have a website. But the real secret to Scavenger Hunt Anywhere's success began in Kingston. "The people I met and the relationships I made while at Queen's were instrumental in the launch of our business," recalls Long. "We got off the ground two years ago by contacting our friends, many of whom are Queen's alums, and asking them for referrals and help in brainstorming innovative ideas for scavenger hunts across the country." Long also attributes his entrepreneurial spirit to the well-rounded business education he received in Queen's Commerce program, including business writing and computer technology. "In 1993, there were no courses on web design, but the commerce program did introduce computer modules that acted as a foundation for what has now become an integral part of our business," Long explains. Even though he lives in Vancouver with his wife and young children Molly and Simon, the Internet has enabled Long to market scavenger hunts in various locations in Canada and the U.S. This year alone, he expects to run 25 hunts throughout North America. In the next five years, he hopes to have provided his company's unique services in most of the major cities on the continent. For now, the Queen's grad says companies are looking to Scavenger Hunt Anywhere to help build relationships between staff and provide some team-building content to extended meetings and retreats. "It's tough to measure outcomes, except anecdotally," Long admits. "We aren't going move mountains in a half or a full day of activities, but clients are coming back and saying the event created quite the buzz at the office and helped strengthen relationships." For more information, visit www.scavengerhuntanywhere.com
Press Releases Critical Pathfinders Adventure Training Inc. offers useful and constructive guidance for overwhelmed meeting planners everywhere by offering their new guide "I Love Team Building" for free at http://www.iloveteambuilding.com. Toronto, ON - A person for whom "pathfinding" is not just a skill set but a job title has to be on top of their game - literally - when it comes to finding new ways to help people find the easiest path to choosing a team building activity. Andrew Long, Chief Pathfinder of Critical Pathfinders (http://www.criticalpathfinders.com), a team building event company, was contemplating the many calls his company receives from beleaguered meeting planners, ranging from EAs to VPs, who haven't a clue where to start. As Long shared, "Many people call us with no idea of what they really want out of their team building activity. They are sifting through a huge amount of information to find the right thing, and they're not even sure what the right thing is. I wanted to help". In fact, Long may be understating the problem. A quick Google search under the keywords "team building ideas" gets you 34,500,000 hits. So Long used his long time experience in leading corporate team building to assemble the key questions meeting planners need to ask themselves to set parameters for their event. "I wrote "I Love Team Building" because over the years I have sensed the frustration from those calling us who are often asked by their manager to research team building ideas with very little in the way of guidelines. I wanted to help them gain clarity in their team building objectives and at the same time give them a useful tool for their search". Knowing what the right questions to ask your manager are won't only improve the odds of putting on the most appropriate team building game but also makes you look more prepared and professional to your boss. The "I Love Team Building" (http://www.iloveteambuilding.com) guide is designed to help a meeting planner choose the best team building provider for your situation by helping them determine their objectives and guide them to the right parameters and objectives for creating the best offsite team building activity for their group. Long encourages even seasoned planners to check it out. "There's one page in the "I Love Team Building" guide that captures all the key information on your objectives that makes a great crib sheet when talking to team building providers". Interested (or relieved!) planners can go to the site http://www.iloveteambuilding.com and enter their name and email and their free guide will be sent to them immediately. Andrew Long can be reached directly at (905) 901 9300. © Andrew Long (2006) Andrew Long is the Founder and President of Critical Pathfinders Adventure Training Inc. http://www.criticalpathfinders.com and Scavenger Hunt Anywhere http://www.scavengerhuntanywhere.com The free team building planner's guide is available at http://www.iloveteambuilding.com Contact: |
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