» News » Blogs

In July 2006, The Mail on Sunday carried an article entitled ‘Defra sends its bickering staff to meditate in a Buddhist maze’. A spokesman for Defra said that the event was a good way to raise morale and improve performance; however the article showed the activities in the worst possible light, as the overall theme was open to ridicule. The connotations with a Buddhist retreat gave the press leeway to openly criticize the event and it was perceived as a waste of time and money.

In addition to this The Daily Record in January 2007 screamed ‘Justice Chiefs blow £25k on teaching staff how to juggle’. This story centered on a team building day for two hundred civil servants, with events themed around the circus. Internally the day was a complete success with the team working better together – the Executive for the company featured it in their internal magazine, Scoop. However, The Daily Record acknowledged the event by describing a picture of department head Robert Gordon ‘struggling with a red piece of chiffon scarf as he tries to master juggling’. Again, the event was ridiculed and the department made to look stupid as the media thought that the event was not worth the money it cost.

Team Building days are usually associated in a negative light, but media perception needs to change, as team building is beneficial in making teams work better together. Event organisers Progressive Resources, have direct experience of the media investigating events organised for public servants, and how they are consequently perceived. In 1998 the company organised an event for 150 Inland Revenue employees.

“The organisers were extremely responsible” says Managing Director James Coakes. “We arranged for the event to be held at a local three star hotel as they had explained that they needed to be frugal with costs and opted for a simple afternoon tea. We were harassed by reporters from The Daily Mirror all day and in the end they were banned from the hotel. Unable to take photos they simply took a brochure and reproduced a photograph of a wedding feast in a two page full colour article. This made the day look more expensive than it actually was and totally misrepresented the event”.

Companies all over the world use team building events to improve employee productivity and make work a more enjoyable place to be. Stress at work is an increasingly relevant issue, but the way in which the media report these activities is, at best, whimsical and at worst manipulative. Professional organisers of effective events can easily find themselves ridiculed by a media with an agenda.

What can organisers do to ensure that they do not face this problem? The solution is not to avoid team building events altogether, particularly as in the public sector some of the biggest problems exist in motivation and productivity. It is unclear why the media never pick up on the fact that team building can be beneficial and only focus on the negatives.

“The solution” says James Coakes “is for organisers to choose their events with care. There is a huge variety of team building events. You can easily choose something that is effective and will stand up to scrutiny without compromising on effectiveness and fun. Time should be spent looking into events that would suit your company and not attract the wrong kind of media. The nature of team building is that it should be colourful and fun - however merging team building theory with team tasks will achieve a very work focused result that is enjoyable. I would certainly avoid such activities as juggling, Buddhist meditation and walking across hot coals.”

www.teambuilding.co.uk

info@Teambuilding.co.uk

Notes for the editor

Since 1989 Progressive Resources have used their extensive team building experience to create and manage professional Corporate Team Building Events throughout the UK. They are registered members of the UK Teambuilding Association.

The company is based in Ringwood, on the edge of the New Forest and has a 5,000 square foot office and storage building. The staff includes over 30 event managers and instructors.

Events are organised at convenient locations for the client and many prestigious venues across the UK are available. Team building events range from one-off projects, for entertainment or ice breaking at conferences; through to full business management programmes. Bespoke solutions are a particular feature of the services provided.

The numerous activities available include; water based events such as RIB Treasure Hunt, motorised events such as Spy School using Mini’s, Family Fun Days, Themed events such as Murder Mysteries, James Bond 007; and Country Sports such as Falconry, Archery and Laser Clay Shooting, to name but a few. Full information is at

Each of the activities is tailored to suit specific client requirements. These may include;

• Improving communication and leadership skills
• Reviewing or launching business plans
• Leadership training
• Introducing new teams
• Working on specific problems such as employee motivation

Progressive Resources have worked with many leading organizations in both the public and private sectors. They include Shell, BSkyB, Microsoft, Barclays, Logica CMG, AXA Insurance, Banking Code Standards Board, Danone, RBS, Halifax, Bendicks, BP, Ernst & Young and The Environment Agency.