Ask Michelle & Chris About Team Building

Michelle and Chris talk about a few of the new resources available at Training Wheels: Breakthrough Bricks, Generational Diversity Cards, and the magnetic Arrowhead Puzzle. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or teambuilding-related question HERE Michelle Cummings - Training-Wheels....

It's that time of year – a new start! What will it be like? Michelle and Chris share some engaging activities to begin building the communities of learning we are all after. Take the time! Build connections. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or teambuilding-related question H...

After a number of inquisitive questions over the past few weeks, Michelle and Chris dive into some of the answers about starting your own business in the wild world of team building – the fields of Adventure and Experiential Education. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or teambuil...

Michelle gives us a vivid recap of Training Wheels at 25! Of course, no historical picture is complete without some reflection over a number of the lessons learned along the way. (Chris is there for the memorable ride, asking questions to spark some details.) We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Subm...

Michelle and Chris share two more modern versions of classic teambuilding activities.  Put more action and group cooperation into Moonball and make knots, in the now 50-year-old classic, Human Knots (originally called simply, Knots). We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or teambuildi...

Michelle and Chris call it the "Soft Start." Mark Collard, author of Serious FUN calls it an "Unofficial Start." Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering calls it a "Threshold Moment."  These are all terms for the valuable time we have between when our participants arrive to (or start trickling into) our program space up to when we officially begin the program (e....

Michelle and Chris discuss some of the considerations for solo large group facilitation – how/what to prepare, some all-group and simultaneous small-group activities, and getting the large group's attention. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or teambuilding-related question H...

Michelle and Chris share some fun with index cards. They are one of the most versatile props you can have on hand. Along with a handful of markers, you'll have hours of engagement at the ready. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or teambuilding-related question HERE Michelle C...

Prompted by a question from a listener, Michelle and Chris share some tips that can help build a staff culture around post-program reflection. We know the data is valuable for program improvement and personal development. How can we make it stick? We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment...

In this final chapter on changing and crafting games (a.k.a., activities), Michelle and Chris discuss some thinking behind creating an activity that will open up discussions on a particular outcome. We know what we want to talk about, now what can we make to get us there? We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource li...

Michelle and Chris share a few examples of how they changed the language within activities to meet and discuss the important topics of bullying, gossip, and goal setting. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or teambuilding-related question HERE Michelle Cummings - Training-Wheels.co...

Changing games and activities to meet the needs of our client groups is an important skill to acquire. In some cases, it's about the physical surroundings and the physical materials within our control. In other cases, it's about the language we use and the level of challenge we can present. Join Michelle and Chris for a thought-provoking discussion about changing things up.  We hope you...

Michelle and Chris share some of the newest connection and teambuilding activities they're excited about. Find out about the new card decks Michelle has added to her Training Wheels catalog and a couple of activities from Chris – one with Cups (and Math), the other with a few activity ropes.  We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Note...

After an extended break, Michelle and Chris return with their top learnings from 2023 and their excitement about opening up Season 5 – and the road to Episode 100. "The work is infinite, you are not!" More downtime ('White Space') in store for 2024. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links...

Michelle and Chris discuss some of their recent experiences (and revelations) working with new team building facilitators in the field. One of the considerations relates to training 'before' the job and training 'on' the job.  We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment...

Michelle and Chris talk about some fun things you can do to promote connections within your work team over longer periods of time. Team building is more than a one-time program every quarter (and these are good too!). We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or team building related ques...

Michelle and Chris share some of the ways they use quotes to encourage deeper discussions, metaphorical connections to activities and teach concepts like vulnerability, leadership and overcoming obstacles. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or team building related question HERE Mi...

Stephanie Sibille, among other amazing things, is a contract trainer for Training Wheels (Michelle). She was in Colorado delivering a training and stopped by the Training Wheels Warehouse (and podcasting studio). She agreed to a spontaneous interview focusing on some of her experiences with contract facilitation. (Thanks Steph for accepting the invitation!) We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@tr...

Michelle and Chris rapid-fire a whole bunch of activities you can do with a bucket full of tennis balls (about 26). So much to do with so little! We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or team building related question HERE Michelle Cummings - Training-Wheels.com Sign Up for Michelle&a...

Michelle and Chris share some ideas about how to shift wording, activity selection, sequencing and processing to be relevant to corporate environments. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or team building related question HERE Michelle Cummings - Training-Wheels.com Sign Up for Mich...

Michelle and Chris share their approaches to programming and facilitating different types of groups. Outcomes are often very similar across the different groups. It usually comes down to the language used to focus in on the specific take-aways. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or...

Welcome to Season 4!  Chris and Michelle are excited to begin a fresh season with new ideas and tips for experiential facilitation. First up, our favorite beginning-of-the-year activity, Word of the Year.  Here's a link to a past blog post from Michelle on this activity, which includes Four Tips on Choosing Your  Word of the Year . Here are two images to help you choose your Word of the Year:...

Michelle and Chris look back over the last year with excitement and motivation.  Find out: Why they will continue podcasting this next year. How they did on their "Word(s) of the Year" (Episode #52). Why reconnection is important.  Their Gratefuls and Gratitudes from 2022. Thank you for joining us this year - we hope you join us for the next... Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@...

Michelle and Chris share some of the challenging behaviors they see in facilitators and offer some solutions on how to encourage better practices. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or team building related question HERE Michelle Cummings - Training-Wheels.com Sign Up for Michelle&...

Michelle and Chris go through a rapid-fire list of things they never leave home without when training team builders on the road. This fun energetic episode will leave you thinking about your own 'take-with-you' essentials. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Submit a comment or team buildi...