Ask Michelle & Chris About Team Building

Every day, more and more team builders are getting back in front of excited, interested and apprehensive learners. In this Episode Michelle and Chris share some ideas and considerations about re-engaging face-to-face with program participants. 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...

Michelle and Chris share some closing activities that will help bring groups back to some important learnings from their programs. When we program for purposeful outcomes, it will be important to take a fair amount of time to reflect. 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 buil...

Responding to some questions about team building with specific  groups (e.g., those recovering from trauma, special education students) or specific topics to address (e.g., gender diversity) with groups, Michelle and Chris share some common features in programming with all groups and special considerations when working with specific groups (e.g., be aware of your bias blind spots when working with...

Join Michelle and Chris for an idea and resource-filled episode on using image (or picture) cards for team building programs. Don't miss the show notes filled links to all the fun shared during the episode. Image cards are not just for processing any more! We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show Notes with all the resource links HERE Su...

In this episode (Part 2 of 2), Michelle and Chris share their thoughts on how to use 'puzzles' (particularly baffling problems that are said to have a correct solution) within team building programs. Lots of puzzle activity ideas are included. 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 c...

In this episode (Part 1 of 2), Michelle and Chris share their thoughts on how to use 'puzzles' (particularly baffling problems that are said to have a correct solution) within team building programs. Lots of puzzle activity ideas are included. 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 c...

Michelle and Chris share a handful of their favorite small group (2 to 6 participants) activities. This is a follow up to Episode #35 where Michelle and Chris shared how they approach programming and facilitating small groups. 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 rel...

We received a recent question (thanks Dawn) asking about some good team building activities for small groups - 2 to 6 participants. Before we share some of our favorite activities (in the next Episode), we wanted to talk a little bit about how we consider programming and facilitating smaller groups. There are some common features between all sized groups and there are some important differences. W...

We're so excited about moving into Season 2 of the "Ask" podcast. In this recent episode, Chris and Michelle describe recent Fun Finds that have turned into some solid team building activities. 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 -...

Welcome to Season #2 of the Ask Michelle & Chris podcast! We're glad you're with us. In this season's first episode, Michelle & Chris talk about reflecting on and choosing a word of the year (or, maybe even a word of the month or a word for a program - something for you to focus on to help you learn and grow is a facilitator).  As we moving back into more and more programmin...

Michelle and Chris look back and talk about this interesting year, sharing learnings, discoveries, podcasting and possibilities. Who could have ever imagined..... 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...

Michelle & Chris continue (from Episode #30 about virtual engagement) with more ideas on how to increase engagement during processing with team building groups - this time they focus on engagement with face-to-face groups. Some of the keys: getting participants "warmed-up" to talking and "those who talk more first, talk more." We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-...

Michelle and Chris talk about strategies and tools for increasing participant engagement in processing sessions during virtual team building programs. Some key points: What are the expectations you are setting around engagement - for yourself and your group? And, does your group understand your expectations. Are you using a variety of methods to process experiences? What processing tools are you u...

In Episode #26, Michelle and Chris talked about the three kinds of programs they choose to offer their clients - Team Bonding, Team Building and Team Development. In this episode Michelle and Chris share the types of activities they consider for each kind of program. During a needs assessment we (team builders) like to uncover our client's goals and objectives for a program - this helps us of...

Paul Cummings from Strategic Adventures joins Michelle and Chris to talk about marketing adventure programs and how we can leverage our facilitation skills in our marketing efforts. Paul shares his experience with needs assessments, promoting the value we bring to our programs, the importance of video messages and delivering on promises. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com ch...

Michelle and Chris talk about some of the important aspects of needs assessments. There is a lot to think about and include in your information gathering. You want to make sure you are able to understand your clients needs so you can put together the best possible program to meet their expectations.  We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuilding.com Find the Show N...

In this episode you'll find out how Michelle and Chris describe the three different types of  'team' programs they offer to potential clients. When we are clear about the programs we offer, we are more intentional about our outcomes and are better able to meet the needs and expectations of our participants. We hope you join us! Emails: michelle@training-wheels.com chris@onteambuildi...

Michelle and Chris start a conversation about team building  with younger groups. Chris shares that it's more about 'cooperative' activities and introducing younger populations to concepts like being kind and safe and being willing to share and help others when needed (as promoted by MacPhee Bower in her book, Adventure Play) . Michelle likes to offer younger groups the opportunity...

Michelle and Chris share ideas about keeping your programming fresh. It all starts with mindset. Even if you are 'locked in' to certain programming sequences (doing the same activities), you can get into a mindset of excitement and energy. Because, as we know, we never know what can happen! With a mindset of freshness, you can also revive old activities and make them new again, go browse...

Michelle and Chris share a few of their favorite, super-versatile, portable team building elements. Different from team building activities that can be done with or without props and where players keep their feet on the ground, elements are built structures that add to the complexity (and interest) of the task. Often times challenge course elements (low elements) will also require the participants...

Michelle and Chris discuss their considerations about how long to stay with ice-breakers and name games, problem-solving activities and processing sessions. With time, we find out how to watch our groups for changes in energy, signaling the need for something different. It could be staying with the activity but simply adding something to it to re-energize the group. It could be time for a check-in...

In this episode, Michelle & Chris sit down with Angela Sebaly - Michelle's business partner in Personify Leadership . She shares with us her journey through traditional training and development into the experiential applications of training. We also find out about Angela's and Michelle's Personified Leadership training program - how it grew as a face-to-face experience and how i...

Michelle and Chris share six additional team building activities you can lead while safely distancing participants. This is a primer for Chris' workshop on Sept. 28th 2020, covering a wide range of safely distancing activities. If you are reading this before the 28th, find details HERE If you are reading this after the 28th, find the complete assets package HERE We hope you join us! Emails: m...

In this episode, Deb and David share their recent experiences team building face-to-face while safely distancing with participants. They tell us about coordinating with stakeholders, the preparations they made, the activities that worked for them (and the ones that didn't work) and some of their biggest learnings. They are out there proving that we can bring people together again face-to-face...

Michelle & Chris share some advice about putting a price tag on virtual team building programs. Pricing virtual programs does not have to be much different than face-to-face programs. Two major considerations: Contact hours and 'development' fees. Advice: If six hours of face-to-face programming is $400 for a group of 12, contract three two-hour sessions for $400 (since the consensus...