Why Hire a Private Coach for Team Building Exercises?

 What kind of private coach?

No, not that kind of coach, the kind of coach that has a driver and takes you from point A to point B.  A Mini Coach, Executive Coach, Budget Coach or multiple coaches using a private coach hire service for your team building event can maximize the time you are dedicating to activities away from the office.

Call us right now at 1 800 BUS CHARTER, and tell us how many on your team, and what stage you want to work on and we will select the ideal coach for your needs and budget.  Alternatively use our online enquiry form.

Why are team building events important?  At the heart of team building is increasing communication.  Communication flow can make or break a company.  Good leaders realize communication must have an uninterrupted flow going up, down, and across all levels of the organization.  In order for teams to reach a level of high performance they must first go through four distinct stages.  Team building exercises help teams to transition through the stages of forming a team leading to the ultimate goal of a high performing team.

The first stage a team goes through is forming.  This is the beginning, and many times team members use this stage to define roles, get to know their teammates, and for observation.  This stage is for information gathering and sharing.  Teams need to determine what everyone’s strengths and weaknesses are, select a leader and clearly define the goals of what the team hopes to accomplish.  Setting up a team charter is useful so that at a glance teams can see who is stronger or weaker in which areas and in the charter teams should outline a conflict resolution strategy.

The second stage a team goes through is storming.  The storming phase begins once the team has been formed and conflicts from working with others begin to arise.  This is why teams must have a conflict resolution strategy ready, many teams break up during the storming phase.  Having a facilitator to handle conflicts can be very helpful.  Once a team begins to come out of the storming phase a clear leader will have emerged and roles will be clearly defined.  The team will have accountability measures in place and once the team emerges from the storm they are on their way to performing.

The third stage a team reaches is performing.  Now the team is beginning to gel and ideas are flowing.  The team begins to accomplish team goals and their performance is adequate.  The team will outline goals and accomplish them or begin to identify reasons for not accomplishing tasks and make adjustments where needed.  Perhaps a new member needs to be added, perhaps training is required, or maybe the workload needs to be adjusted.  Once the team begins accomplishing their goals on a regular basis it is time for the team to push to the fourth and final stage.

The last stage in team building is by far the most exciting.  There may be less drama than in stage two when the storm is raging but teams that make it through the first three stages and begin to transform their adequate performance into a high performing team.  High performing teams have SMART goals outlined and are used to achieving the goals they set.  In fact when a team reaches the level of high performance they not only meet their goals but they regularly exceed their goals and continually strive to push the bar higher and higher.

High performing teams will have interesting stories on how they got there.  It did not happen overnight, they will be sure to let you know that.  These teams had to dig in, they had to get to know each others strengths, and weaknesses, they had conflicts to resolve and overcome and they have learned that by building each other up and working together they can accomplish more than the sum of their parts.

One of the best ways for teams to get to know each other is to get them out of the work environment and get them doing something team oriented that is fun.  Using a private coach and driver for your group allows you to take advantage of the time you have making the journey, and you have the added benefit of having everyone arrive and depart at the same time.  Here is how using private coach charter services can help with each stage of your teams development.

Stage 1 – Forming

Your team is all gathered on the minibus or coach and you are all headed to a fun day of activities outside of work.  If your team is in the forming stage use the time you will have on the bus for introductions and getting to know one another.  Set the mood by getting everyone involved right away.  Use games and competitions to help people get into the spirit of the day.  If your team is in the early stages of forming it is quite possible that name games can be used to encourage everyone to get to know each other on a first name basis.  Be creative with ice breakers, and begin your team building experience by facilitating your teams efforts to get to know one another.

Stage 2 – Storming

If your team has already formed and they have begun sorting their roles they are likely in the storming phase where conflict arises naturally.  Do not be afraid of conflict, embrace it and have ways to resolve it.  Team building experiences away from the office are an excellent way to identify new leaders.  Encourage competition, encourage interaction, and be available to facilitate conflicts.  Conflict resolution strategies make for some really fun brainstorms.  You will be delighted by the ideas your team comes up with.  Use the time you have onboard the coach to draw out the creativity and ideas of your team.

Stage 3 – Performing

Maybe your team has already formed, and they have survived through the storm and now they are performing and beginning to meet their collective goals.  Building on everyones momentum now is a great time for rewards and looking for ideas on how to increase performance.  Having your team all on board one coach in a casual atmosphere where anyone can voice ideas is a fantastic way to maximize a seminar on increasing performance.  People will get more out of a seminar if they feel like they are contributing meaningfully.

Stage 4 – High Performing Teams

So your team has formed, they have ridden out the storm and are not only performing but are now at a level of excellence.  This team building exercise is going to be about rewarding performance.  Take advantage of all the fun things available on a private coach ride to your team building event.  Tell us what you require.  Want to reward your awesome team with some champagne from a local winery?  How about making sure the coach has a surround sound system and everyone brings their favourite music?  Playing games for prizes on the way to the destination.  Take advantage of the time you have to get to your destination by enjoying the journey.  Your high performing team has earned it.

Wherever your team is in terms of their development team building exercises will help them push to the next level.  Maximize the time you have out of the office by utilizing a private coach and driver, creating a rolling round table discussion for you and your team.  Facilitate activities that will help foster the team culture you are trying to build.