This Team-Building Challenge includes an array of experiential problem-solving events and activities that provide the opportunity for a group of people to work together synergistically to improve their team dynamics. We believe that the best way for a team to improve its performance is to participate in a hands-on programme of challenges that designed to facilitate the group into functioning more effectively.

The group dynamics will be tested and improved through the different challenges with the aim of enhanced & effective group communication.  The challenges will require the collective strengths of all its team members. In order to negotiate our team events, a group must exercise interdependency, problem-solving skills, decision-making, leadership, cooperation and tap the collective energies and ideas of every team member. It will provide a physical challenge as well as a mental challenge as it’s designed to be relatively strenuous.

The challenge will take place on and around the Mangakorengorengo River the in the Kaimai Ranges.

Activity One: Locate

This activity is designed to improve the group dynamics and promote team cohesion and group work.  The Team will have to walk down the riverbank and make multiple crossings following the GPS to locate one of five pre-established waypoints, each with it’s own challenge activity.  Finding the GPS waypoints will require the group to help each other to scramble, swim and climb their way along, across and down the river safely.  When they eventually reach the required GPS waypoint they will have to complete the challenge before they find out their next waypoint.

Challenges may include:

The Human Knot:  this is an activity to promote group cohesion and bonding as well as beginning to develop good team dynamics
Helium Stick:  This activity requires effective communication and the group to nominate one leader if they are to succeed.
All Aboard: A classic teambuilding activity in which a group is challenged to physically support one another in an endeavour to occupy an ever diminishing space.
Survival Challenge: Your plane has crashed in the desert what three items would your group take and why?  This game encourages listening, good communication and rationalization. 
Handcuffs: Working in pairs the participants will have their hands tied together like hand cuffs using rope.  This helps the participants to think outside of the proverbial box before taking on the final challenge of the day.

Activity Two: Escape

You are stuck on one river bank with rising river levels and no way to climb to safety, one team member has (only just) swum across to the other side, but it’s too unsafe to attempt anymore swimmers. You must use your ropes to cross to the only possible exit point on the other side of the river. The suspended river crossing exercise is a fun/scary, exciting and challenging team task. The objective is to get everyone across the river safely, to do this the will have to use just a few ropes and other pieces of equipment to set up a tensioned Tyrolean line to carry them to safety across the river. 

The team will all be wearing harnesses and helmets; each participant will be karabinered to a pulley on the tensioned rope and then pulled by their teammates over the abyss with the river raging below.

Activity Three: Evacuate

After successfully crossing the river the group will discover the missing tramper they have been trying to locate.  She has sustained injuries and is unresponsive and will require hospitalization as soon as possible. Without aid of a helicopter work out what is the best course of action and how they will get the injured tramper back to the vehicles without her sustaining further injury.  This activity is designed to unify the group towards the end of the challenge section of the day. 

Debrief

Once we have arrived back to Waimarino the participants will be able to use the facilities to get changed and dry.  We will then spend 30-60 minutes reflecting on the outcomes and the importance of what they have learnt during the day.  Multiple techniques will be used to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the groups and individuals in a calm supportive environment. 

The beneficial learning outcomes include:

Enhanced team interdependency
Critical Analysis skills
Problem-solving skills
Leadership
Cooperation
Strategic decision making
Group awareness
Risk Management
Communication skills
Time management assessment

Benefits to the workplace:

Improving communication
Making the workplace more enjoyable
Motivating a team
Getting to know each other
Getting everyone "onto the same page", including goal setting
Teaching the team self-regulation strategies
Helping participants to learn more about themselves (strengths and weaknesses)
Identifying and utilizing the strengths of team members
Improving team productivity
Practicing effective collaboration with team members

We can run this programme for groups as small as 6, and up to maximum of 15 people.

For more information, or to discuss possible programme dates, please contact Drew Copestake:

Operations Manager

Ph: (07) 576 4233
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