Team Building Agenda - Using DiSC

Often time Team Building Organizations and Customers looking for a team building program lack the understanding of what a "Team Building Agenda" looks like. Below is a sample group full day agenda:

Special Notes
Samples Groups team training will take place over a 7 hour period with 1 hour for lunch at a location to be decided.
Program Team Training (10:00 am - 5:00 pm: all time are approximate and subject to change)
(?) Participants will arrive at the meeting site ~9:00 - 9:30 am, have a light breakfast and the Program will begin at 10:00 am.

Program Goals
1. Strengthen Existing Community: For participants to gain a greater understanding of the members that make up the group. Develop respect and appreciation for the skills, diverse backgrounds, values, and talents that each member brings to the group and understand that their individual attributes are a resource to be tapped for group effectiveness and learning.
2. Collaborative Team Work: For team members to see a "whole team" approach understanding that top quality customer service requires every one's best work and is interrelated for success. Participants will examine what their role is in the team and how a shared collaborative community is more successful than a competitive community.
3. Having Fun through a Shared Experience: The teambuilding program will be enjoyable and set an expectation that the work setting will be rewarding while requiring hard work to increase and sustain effectiveness.

10:00-10:30 Opening: Establish Team Program Atmosphere
• Introduction of Team Building Facilitator
• Logistics of Site - restrooms, general property layout etc.
• Agenda of the Program
• Expectations of team for the program
• What the team expects from Team Building Facilitator for the success of the program

10:30-11:00 Icebreakers and De-inhibitizers
Overview: Participants are led through a series of initiatives that will open them the team building experience.
Outcomes: Participants will have fun and begin to open up to others. The initiatives are all low risk, low physical and minimal touch. By creating an atmosphere of a slow introduction to the more challenging initiatives to come, the participants are part of the experience and take greater personal responsibility in the success of the program. These initiatives will also allow for the group to get to know Mike, and allow Mike to gain a greater idea of how to progress with the Team programs.


11:00-11:45 DiSC
Participant will have already taken the DiSC profile on-line prior to the Program. They will know their results (Team Building Facilitator will also be knowledgeable of the team results)
Overview: This program empowers team members to understand individual styles of behavior and group dynamics. Each participate will have taken a DiSC® personality profile on line, that highlights their specific DiSC profile. Participants will receive information that illustrates their styles and other useful information on how to create productive relationships. The team will also be able to view and discuss the groups' dominant style highlighting strengths and possible blind spots.
Through dynamic and highly interactive activities participants will experience their DiSC styles, as they are involved in a variety of teambuilding initiatives. Additionally they will have the opportunity to adjust behaviors to improve individual and team effectiveness. Fun, powerful and immediately applicable in the workplace, this program provides a foundation for further organizational development. The respect, teamwork, and trust created by this approach develops a framework in which all team members can excel. This is an investment in the true power of diversity and how it can be leveraged for organizational growth and success!
Outcomes:
• Trust and respect between individuals
• Greater understanding of individual behavior and its impact on personal and group productivity and morale of the group
• Improved Communication by breaking down communication barriers
• New techniques for adapting behaviors based on individuals they work with
• Key challenges that inhibit optimal team performance


11:45-12:30 What's Your Style
Overview: Participants choose several different cards that list behaviors that correlate to DiSC profile words. They place these behavior cards on posters with the departments name written on them (ex. Human Resources). Following a public showing of which departments are dominant in which dimension of the DiSC profile, the participants are placed into teams according to their dominant DiSC, and lead through some challenges.
Outcomes: The participants will know the results of the DiSC profile. The "What's Your Style" activity helps reinforce the participants in DiSC language. Additionally it gives the participants the opportunity to see how they relate to other team members. With the processing session of "What's Your Style" team members will greater awareness of each other and the foundation for a collaborative atmosphere created.
Additionally team members will see DiSC as it relates to departments within the sample team.

12:30-1:00 Rope 'Cuffs
Overview: Departments are connected to people in their department; additionally departments are connected together with the ropes 'cuffs. All the departments and team members of each department are now connected together. The challenge is for all the team members and departments to become separated, causing a company wide success.
Outcome: The concept of working through a problem that seems to have no obvious solution is a valuable work skill. Creative, outside the box thinking is required. Retracing the steps between the initial formation of the puzzle, and finally solving the puzzle, provides a roadmap for future investigations and solutions to other problems. Finding the answer as part of a group investigation and then sharing the solution is also a living lesson of an abundance mentality towards sharing information that can grow the sample organization. An exploration of the DiSC profile in relationship to working through this initiative will be discussed.


1:00-2:00 LUNCH

2:00-2:15 Cooperative Ricochet
Overview: The team chooses a game closing score then is challenged to reach this score in the given game time (usually about 10 minutes). Each player chooses a thrower and while standing in a large circle must catch a "ricochet ball" off its first bounce. FUN!!
Outcomes: Having fun after lunch and energizing the group.


2:15-3:15 PVC Network
Overview: Participants are split into mixed sub-groups according to their dominant DiSC. Each group must work together to accomplish a challenging goal with a tight time deadline. Each team is given a collection of PVC pipes with connectors and must assemble a single, interconnected structure so that no holes are left open. Each sub-group will work independently on this project.
Outcomes: This activity is rich in outcomes. Reading for comprehension and following the rules, organizing your workspace and equipment, taking inventory (of items and team talents), working as a team, using all the available information, taking care of the team vs. getting the job done, starting over if necessary, empowering other team members, and celebrating a job well done are some of the possibilities.

3:15-4:00 Trap'Tory
Overview: The sample group is challenged to replicate a workplace environment. Although instead of making high quality products to be delivered to customers they are using mousetraps that must be arranged according to strict customer guidelines. The team will be given tools (spoons, plates, mousetraps) and have time to delegate their responsibilities amongst team members for success.
Outcomes: This activity is physically and mentally challenging enough to push team members out of their comfort zones. Trap'Tory explores shared team work and holding the team accountable for results. Team members quickly discover that each part of the Trap'Tory requires various skill sets and talents for the customers to be satisfied; team work and commitment to the project are illuminated in the activity.


4:00-4:15 Goals, Learning and Blockers Discussion
Overview: The team will be split into sub-groups to discuss what was gained from the team training, what they wish to take back to the workplace and what will block the team from actualizing their goals. They will be asked to write these Goals, Leanings and blockers on tennis balls.

4:15-4:45 Focus Ring
Overview: The subgroups will be lead to an area with a focus ring (one for each group). They will be asked to rest their Learning ball on a piece of PVC pipe. The teams are challenged with transferring their learning ball off the PVC pipe and placing it on the other teams' pipe. The focus ring is a 2 inch diameter key ring with several thin strings radiating off the ring.

4:45-5:00 Recap and Now What?
Overview: Participants are shown a series of pictures on cards. Participants are placed into their work department and asked to choose three cards with a picture that metaphorically symbolizes the past, present, and future of their respective department. The group will then discuss and choose a final three cards that represent the past, present and future of the Sample Group.
Outcomes: This is an excellent closing activity as each department declares their personal insight from the day and states their commitment on what they will do to take their team to the next level. The team deciding their future gives them ownership over the outcomes and supports a team community.

If you and your team are interested in learning more about customized Team Building & Team Training Programs click here

- Michael Cardus serves as an Adventure Consultant for Create-Learning Team Building. Mike facilitates, trains, and speaks to groups in a variety of settings including Fortune 500 Companies, small business, universities and classrooms. Currently he lives in Buffalo NY, he travels to serve your groups needs - where and when your group desires.