General

The Importance of Team Building.

Recently, Signature Teambuilding President, Greg Huber, guest/co-wrote a blog post with InnerWill Leadership!

At Signature Teambuilding, we love sitting down with like minded people. Greg was excited for the chance to partner will InnerWill Leadership Institute for this blog post! Many folks get that team building is important. However, not as many understand why. Or how to make it meaningful.

Initially, Greg talked about WHY team building is important for groups and organizations of all makeups. Then, he went on to explain what can go wrong, and why it is crucial to select the right experience for your team.

He focuses on two of the biggest obstacles. The first is mistaking team BONDING for team BUILDING and the next is not fully committing to outcome based change.

Next you can follow the link below to navigate to the original blog post and find out how you can avoid these situations.

The Importance of Teambuilding: InnerWill Blog

“Effective team building activities allow for different perspectives, improve communication, build trust, and reinforce a spirit of collaboration and unity. Yet many organizations relegate team building activities to a ‘one and done’ obligation instead of seeing them as a vital investment in company culture. In short, these folks are committed to a great day out, and less inclined to achieve sustainable results. “
-Greg Huber, Signature Teambuilding President.

On Being a Small Business.

…and the importance of flexibility

Signature Teambuilding is a Richmond-based, small business that provides facilitated team building and leadership development programs to businesses of all sizes. The key differentiator to our type of team building are the expert facilitation and learning that come through our experience-based, hands-on process. Our programs are specifically and intentionally designed to be outcome-based and promote individual growth in order to foster deeper connected teams. We thrive on connection… so when our world was thrust into the unknown, and we were told that to keep one another safe meant doing the OPPOSITE of what we had always done by practicing social-distancing, we knew we had to make some changes.

We had to get flexible.

The work we do at Signature Teambuilding has always been hands-on and experiential so it is difficult to make it work in a virtual environment where people cannot be together. There have been requests for virtual team building in the past but have always resisted it because it just didn’t seem to fit with the kind of work we have been successful doing. However, as they say…”Necessity is the mother of invention”. So we did what we ask our clients to do during our programs. We put our thinking caps on and looked at our small business through a different lens. We needed to think outside of our own box so we reviewed literally hundreds of activities we have on hand and asked three questions…

1. Do people HAVE to be together for this activity?

2. Can it still engage participants?

3. Can people still have the “A-ha” learning moment that makes Signature Teambuilding unique?

After a solid week of review we did it. We found 10 different activities that we have confidence in for a new program called Virtual Teams. This was only able to happen because of our willingness to be flexible. Our team worked together to design a brand new program. Trust us, we went through MANY versions of Virtual Teams! before we were able to get it just right. What allowed us to be successful? Flexibility. Had we remained “stuck in our ways” because of “the way things had always been done” we would have missed a chance. A chance not only to impact our business model, but also- and more importantly, to be able to serve the community around us.

We practiced what we preached.

Luckily for us, flexibility is not only something we have gotten good at, but also a pillar of teamwork and teambuilding. We promote being flexible in our programs. Our small business aims to help other businesses be better, and so we had to be willing to do what we asked them to do. Being flexible is a cornerstone to teamwork. If a company, group, or team is not able to bend without breaking that can spell disaster. How often do things go perfectly according to plan? In our experience… rarely. For a team of people to be successful they must be willing to pivot and make changes. In many of our teambuilding challenges our staff throw curveballs at groups to help them problem solve in real time.

Working Remotely?

We Are Here To Help.

Staying connected to your team is more important, and more challenging, than ever before.

These are Unprecedented Times. While we don’t know yet what COVID-19 will mean for us in 6 weeks, or 6 months, or 6 years; what we do know is that we are currently experiencing a life and work style change that we have never been through before. If you have not been yet, many of you will soon shift to working remotely and only engaging with your clients and teams virtually. Each of you will find the best ways to carry on your professions and move your work online if it isn’t there yet. While it may be challenging and unforeseen your team has the capacity to tackle the move. And still…

We Want To Support You. While we have never lived through a pandemic quite like this one, with over 30 years of work and experience in the Teambuilding and Group Dynamics world, Signature Teambuilding is here for you and your companies. Keeping your team connected, energized, and on the same page working towards the same goals is about to become more challenging than ever before.

Consider these four tips for helping your team manage the change:

1) Check-in with your team regularly. While focusing on the work at hand is important, take the time to check in with the people behind the staff member. How are Kelly’s kids responding to the closure of schools? Did Andrew ever find that ground beef he was searching grocery stores for? Connect with your people.
2) Consider participating in or running virtual challenges for your staff. These can mirror your daily work or responsibilities, they can branch out into the wellness needs of your team, or they can be simple, silly, and fun- like theme days!
3) Express gratitude and appreciation for your team members whenever possible. Shout them out and celebrate their wins. And, more importantly, encourage them to do the same for others in their lives.

4) Consider exploring Signature Teambuilding’s newest program… Virtual Teams! via Zoom! At just $25 per person, this online-based teambuilding program is a terrific way to reenergize your team and reconnect with colleagues to solve challenges, work collaboratively (distantly) and have A LOT of fun.

Virtual Teams!

Virtual Teambuilding is here. Just because we are all working remotely these days, doesn’t mean you can’t connect with your team in a fun, productive, and challenging way!

How It Works: Each participant will join a ZOOM video conference from their own office or device. Once a participant has entered the meeting, they will be sent a unique PDF and team member identifier that will contain everything needed for the activities in the Virtual Teams! event. A seasoned facilitator will guide your group through the activities on the PDF while facilitating the learning process and outcomes. Your team will work together for some activities, and in several different “breakout rooms” for others. There are more than 10 different challenges, however, the number completed will depend on the team’s performance.

Click Here To Request More Information on Virtual Teams!

Test Drive Your Teambuilding

Our FOUR Open House Programs offer a “Free Trial” for your Teambuilding Program.

Before making a large purchase or investment, we often employ the powers of the internet to research all the ins and outs before we make our move. We look up rates and reviews, scour our online resources for pictures or stories; basically ensure we have done our due diligence before committing to a product or service. We test try cars, we try on clothing, we take advantage of free trials- we like to know exactly what we are getting ourselves into, and that it will be worth both our hard-earned money, and, our precious time and energy. Making sure that we will get value out of what we experience or purchase is part of our nature. The power of technology makes it that much more doable.

At Signature Teambuildng we value your time, money, and energy. These resources are limited. We know that and want to help you feel comfortable with your decision to trust us with your team, group, or staff. Our staff also understand that until you do what we do until you have the experience for yourself, it can be hard to understand what exactly you are signing up for. We want to be able to offer you the test drive, the try-on, the free trial.

So this year, for the first time, we are opening our doors to the RVA community for a series of four Program Open Houses. Each event will be modeled after one of our four signature teambuilding programs to allow you the chance to experience it first hand before booking a company day with us. Afterward, enjoy lunch on us and chat with Greg about how we can make your team work for you- and each other.

**Shifting Gears Open House: February 26, 2020**

**Water Worx Open House: August 6, 2020**

**Expedition Antarctica Open House: October 8, 2020**

Team Building Customized For You

customized program — Team building programs designed for you!

When choosing a team building provider, a factor that is often overlooked is flexibility. Having to make your decision based on price, location, or number of participants can limit your options. Your business, its people, and its challenges are all unique, so why would you choose a “one size fits all” experience? Having a flexible and customized program for your team shouldn’t be a nice-to-have, it should be a must-have! When choosing a team building provider, think about all the unique qualities of your company and examine all those same areas in which we can offer flexibility.

Program Design

Rather than providing everyone with the same experience, Signature Teambuilding customizes our programs with your team in mind. When designing a program, we focus on your goal and objectives. What challenges are you facing within your team? What would you like your employees to break through? What lessons do you want people to takeaway from the experience? These are just a few of the questions we might ask when planning your program. We work backwards to build a program based off of what you would like to achieve; that’s how we create the most effective experiences!

Location

Another area in which we can offer flexibility is location. Not in Richmond? Not a problem! We’ve conducted our programs in 5 different countries and in 41 states; we go where we are needed! Are you based in Richmond, but don’t have a facility? Again, that’s no problem. Our partnership with U-Turn Sports Academy allows us to provide our clients with an excellent indoor space if they do not have their own (or if they just want to venture off-site).

Quantity of People

Are there 5 people on your team or 500? From small groups to large, our programs are completely scalable. With Signature Teambuilding, there is no limit on the amount of participants you can bring to the experience and no group is too small.

Time and Price

Maybe you can devote the whole day to the experience, but what if you only have an hour to spare? If you’re restricted by time, we can handpick the activities that we feel would be the most advantageous for your team and design a program that maximizes its impact within your limited timeframe. If price is a factor, let’s start a dialogue! Making sure we are accessible to everyone is important to us and we can work with you on a program that fits into your organization’s budget.

Our programs can be tailored in a multitude of ways. Whether you require flexibility in regards to location, quantity of people, or price, we will work with you to make sure the needs of your organization are met. With Signature Teambuilding, you don’t have to fit into our box; we fit into yours.